Rabbits pose a constant challenge for gardeners cultivating ornamental flowers. Gardeners often seek plants these common herbivores naturally avoid to protect their efforts. A frequent question concerns the fate of petunias, a popular annual known for its vibrant, season-long blooms, when faced with a hungry rabbit population.
Petunias: Generally Unappealing to Rabbits
Petunias are frequently placed on lists of plants somewhat resistant to rabbit damage, though this classification is not absolute. The plant’s natural defense mechanisms are primarily structural and chemical, making them less appealing than soft, leafy greens. Petunia leaves and stems have a slightly sticky, hairy texture that many rabbits find physically unpleasant to graze upon.
This physical characteristic is coupled with a slightly bitter taste profile due to certain plant compounds. The presence of these compounds acts as a natural deterrent, making the plant unpalatable. In a garden offering a wide variety of food sources, rabbits will often bypass petunias for easier, more agreeable meals.
Situations Where Rabbits Will Still Eat Petunias
The designation of a plant as “rabbit-resistant” means it is not a preferred food source, but this aversion can easily be overridden. The most common factor is severe food scarcity, such as during a drought or in heavily populated areas where competition for food is intense. When facing extreme hunger, a rabbit will consume almost any accessible plant material, including those normally distasteful.
Young transplants and new growth are particularly vulnerable because they have not yet developed the mature structural and chemical defenses of the adult plant. The tender new leaves lack the full stickiness and concentration of bitter compounds, making them an easier target for sampling. Different petunia cultivars can also vary in their palatability, with some newer hybrids potentially lacking the defensive traits of older varieties.
Methods for Deterring Rabbits from Flower Beds
For gardeners determined to protect their petunias, combining multiple deterrence strategies offers the best defense.
Physical Barriers
Installing a physical barrier is the most consistently effective method to prevent access to flower beds. A low fence constructed from chicken wire or hardware cloth should be at least two feet high to discourage jumping. To prevent rabbits from burrowing underneath, the bottom edge of the fence must be buried six inches deep and ideally bent outward in an “L” shape.
Repellents
Repellents work by creating an olfactory or taste barrier and come in both commercial and do-it-yourself formulations. Taste-based repellents containing ingredients like capsaicin (hot pepper) or putrescent egg solids are applied directly to the foliage to make the plant unappetizing. Scent-based options, which often incorporate strong smells like garlic, blood meal, or predator urine, are typically applied around the perimeter of the bed.
All repellents require reapplication after rain or irrigation, and immediately following any flush of new plant growth, to maintain their effectiveness.
Cultural Controls
Cultural controls can make the garden less inviting to rabbits by limiting their habitat. Eliminating dense ground cover, piles of brush, or tall weeds near the petunia beds removes the safe hiding spots rabbits use for cover. Rabbits feel more secure when they have quick access to shelter, so clearing these areas will encourage them to forage elsewhere.