Zinnias are popular annual garden flowers known for their bright colors and long blooming season. Rabbits can and do eat zinnias, but they are often a secondary food source when preferred forage is unavailable. Zinnias are considered rabbit-resistant rather than rabbit-proof, meaning they are less appealing than other plants but not entirely safe. Gardeners dealing with rabbit issues should understand the conditions that make their zinnias vulnerable to grazing.
Understanding Rabbit Feeding Preferences
The variability in a rabbit’s diet explains why one gardener’s zinnias remain untouched while another’s are decimated. Rabbits are opportunistic herbivores, and their food choices are heavily influenced by environmental pressures and the availability of preferred menu items. During periods of scarcity, such as drought or heavy snow cover, rabbits will broaden their diet to include plants they would normally avoid. The maturity of the zinnia plant also significantly impacts its appeal. Young zinnia seedlings and tender new shoots are much softer and easier to digest than the mature plant’s tougher stalks and leaves.
Assessing the Damage to Zinnia Plants
Rabbits typically target the most vulnerable parts of the zinnia: new growth and tender leaves. They will often clip off entire stems or flower buds, especially when the plant is young. This damage is identifiable by a clean, 45-degree angle cut on the stem, created by the rabbit’s sharp incisor teeth. This distinct cut helps differentiate rabbit damage from the ragged, torn look left by deer, which lack lower incisors. While mature zinnias are resilient and may recover from grazing, extensive damage to newly established plants can prevent them from blooming or thriving.
Effective Methods for Rabbit Exclusion and Deterrence
Physical barriers are the most reliable way to prevent rabbits from accessing zinnia plants, offering protection that is more consistent than chemical methods. Exclusion fencing should use galvanized steel mesh, such as hardware cloth or chicken wire, with openings no larger than one inch. The fence should be at least two feet high to deter jumping and must be secured to prevent burrowing. To stop rabbits from digging underneath, the bottom edge of the fence needs to be buried at least six inches deep, with the buried portion bent outward in an “L” shape away from the garden.
Non-physical methods, such as repellents, work by creating a sensory barrier of taste or smell that rabbits find offensive. Commercial repellents often contain ingredients like putrescent egg solids, garlic, or capsaicin (hot pepper), which deter feeding. Scent-based deterrents need frequent reapplication, especially after rain or heavy watering, to maintain their effectiveness.
Some gardeners use visual deterrents, such as rubber snakes or motion-activated sprinklers, but these must be moved regularly to prevent the rabbits from becoming accustomed to them. For individual plants, covering them with wire cages or cloches until they are mature can provide temporary, targeted protection.