Rabbit-resistant plants are one solution to preventing rabbits from consuming the garden. Rabbits can be destructive garden pests, consuming flower, foliage, and tender shoots.
When it comes to the garden, rabbits have nothing in their favor except their attractive appearance and engaging manner, and the fact that they seem to be nobody’s enemy. That said, they can consume your garden.
Rabbits like deer will eat just about any plant if they are hungry enough, but generally there are some plants that they favor less. Some of those are listed here.
A-B Common Name | Botanical Name | Zones |
Ageratum, flossflower | Ageratum houstonianum | Annual |
Amethyst flower | Browallia speciosa | Annual |
Astilbe | Astilbe spp. | 3-8 |
Bear’s breeches, spiny | Acanthus spinosus | 6-10 |
Bee balm | Monarda didyma | 4-8 |
Blanket flower | Gaillardia spp. | 2-10 |
Bleeding heart | Dicentra spp. | 2-9 |
Blue salvia, perennial | Salvia x superba | 4-8 |
Butterfly bush | Buddleia davidii | 5-10 |
C-D Common Name | Botanical Name | Zones |
Candytuft | Iberis spp. | 5-10 |
Cardinal flower | Lobelia cardinalis | 3-9 |
Chrysanthemum | Chrysanthemum spp. | 4-9 |
Clematis | Clematis spp. | 4-9 |
Columbine | Aquilegia spp. | 3-10 |
Coreopsis | Coreopsis spp. | 3-9 |
Corydalis | Corydalis spp. | 4-9 |
Creeping Phlox | Phlox stolonifera | 2-8 |
Daffodil | Narcissus spp. | 3-11 |
Daylily | Hemerocallis spp. | 3-10 |
F-H Common Name | Botanical Name | Zones |
Four-o-clock | Mirabilis jalapa | 9-11 |
Foxglove | Digitalis purpurea | 4-9 |
Geranium | Pelargonium spp. | 8-11 |
Glove thistle | Echinops spp. | 3-8 |
Goatsbeard | Aruncus dioicus | 3-7 |
Geranium, hardy | Geranium spp. | 4-8 |
Hollyhock | Aleca rosea | 3-11 |
Hyacinth | Hyacinthus orientalis | 3-11 |
Hydrangea | Hydrangea spp. | 3-9 |
L-R Common Name | Botanical Name | Zones |
Lady’s mantle | Alchemilla mollis | 4-7 |
Lavender | Lavandula spp. | |
Lily-of-the-valley | Convallaria majalis | 3-8 |
Marigold | Tagetes spp. | Annual |
Peony | Paeonia spp. | 2-8 |
Potentilla, shrubby | Potentilla spp. | 2-7 |
Queen-of-the-prairie | Filipendula rubra | 3-8 |
Red-hot poker | Kniphofia uvaria | 5-9 |
Russian sage | Perovskia atriplicifolia | 3-9 |
S-Z Common Name | Botanical Name | Zones |
Sedum | Sedum spp. | 3-10 |
Shasta daisy | Leucanthemum x superbum | 4-9 |
Iris, Siberian | Iris sibirica | 3-10 |
Trumpet creeper | Campis radicans | 3-11 |
Veronica | Veronica spp. | 3-8 |
Vinca, annual | Catharanthus roseus | Annual |
Virginia bluebells | Mertensia virginica | 3-7 |
Also of interest:
Deer-Resistant Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs