Generally, our "pet" wild rabbit, Eve, sticks to eating the weeds in the lawn. Good job, Eve! This summer she decided she would enjoy my gazania plants... they had looked so pretty.
Part of Eve's left ear was bitten off. That's how we know it's her! "Eve" after Evander Holyfield. IYKYK
Last winter she chowed on another chokeberry ('Autumn Magic') I'd planted a couple of years ago. I mistakenly thought it would be safe since it was a couple of years old. Alas, there was a pruning effect. Where I COULD have used pruning help was with the overgrown weigela. But that is not HER preferred shrub! Note: Protect your vulnerable shrubs (and trees too) for the first 3 to 4 years.
There will be protection this winter!
Hardware cloth (use 4 ft. tall) and u-stakes (use 6 in.) are the best insurance against bunnies. Those sizes recommended are because rabbits may try to dig underneath and/or jump over. While those 2 items may seem spendy, remember how much your plants cost in dollars and years of growth! Also, those items are reusable. Spray and/or granular deterents such as Plantskydd, Repels All, Rabbit Scram and more, don't perform well, if at all, in winter.
"Hey 'Scoop, are there rabbit resistant shrubs?" I get that question often along with deer resistant shrubs, perennials and so on. Please note that his 'Scoop is specifically focused on rabbits feeding damage on younger shrubs & perennials.
I planted Kodiak Orange Diervilla on each side of the crabapple
Eve's place is under the porch... opening to the left
While there are resistant varieties of shrubs & perennials, know this: A cold & hungry animal will eat nearly anything. It's survival.
That said, here is a short list I've compiled from my own experience and others of resistant plants.
Shrubs:
- Diervilla aka Honeysuckle Bush
- Boxwood
- Weigela (as noted above)
- Barberry (resistant to burglars too!)
- Spruce
- Mugo Pine
- St. John's Wort
- Cotoneaster
- Clethra
- Bonus - Dogwood
Perennials (although not as much of an issue in winter):
- Allium
- Butterfly Weed
- Catmint
- Yarrow
- Salvia
- Geranium
- Shasta Daisy
- Sedum
- Purple Coneflower
- Lamb's Ear
Even sends her love,
Splayed out by the Native Garden path. She loves laying in the shaded earth amid those plants too.
Sharing with wildlife,
The Garden Scoop