The sight of wildlife in a garden is often a pleasure, but that appreciation quickly fades when ornamental shrubs become an unplanned food source. Hydrangeas, with their lush foliage and impressive blooms, are one of the most popular woody shrubs in home landscapes. Gardeners frequently find themselves in conflict with common herbivores, particularly rabbits, whose feeding habits can cause significant damage to these prized plants. Understanding the specific relationship between rabbits and hydrangeas—including what they eat and the potential health risks—is the first step toward effective garden protection.
Consumption Habits of Rabbits and Hydrangeas
Yes, rabbits do eat hydrangeas, although the extent of the damage depends on the season and the availability of other preferred forage. Rabbits are opportunistic herbivores, meaning they will turn to less palatable plants when favored tender greens are scarce. The most significant damage typically occurs in late winter and early spring before new growth emerges, or during harsh winters when snow cover limits access to ground-level vegetation.
Rabbits will gnaw on the woody stems and bark, often causing damage that completely encircles the stem, a process known as girdling. Girdling is destructive as it interrupts the plant’s vascular system, potentially killing everything above the damage point. In the spring, the tender, newly emerging shoots and buds become especially appealing. Rabbits clip this soft growth cleanly with their sharp incisors, which can severely stunt or eliminate the season’s flowering potential.
The specific variety of hydrangea also influences its vulnerability. Varieties like the Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) possess softer stems and leaves that rabbits readily consume, especially when juvenile. Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) often exhibit greater resistance due to their faster development of tough, woody growth and a slightly more bitter taste. Young plants are always at higher risk because their stems have not yet developed the thick, woody structure of mature shrubs.
Health Implications of Hydrangea Ingestion for Rabbits
Hydrangeas contain naturally occurring compounds known as cyanogenic glycosides in their leaves, buds, and flowers. When a rabbit chews and digests plant tissue containing these compounds, they are metabolized to release hydrogen cyanide, a potent toxin. The concentration of these glycosides can vary, but their presence means that all parts of the hydrangea plant pose a risk to rabbits.
Ingestion can lead to symptoms primarily affecting the gastrointestinal system. Common signs of poisoning include lethargy, severe diarrhea, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain. While wild rabbits rarely consume enough plant matter to cause fatal poisoning, domestic rabbits are more vulnerable. This is because they are often confined to a smaller area and may ingest a larger quantity. Any suspicion of a pet rabbit consuming hydrangea requires immediate observation and consultation with a veterinarian.
Protecting Hydrangeas from Rabbit Damage
Effective protection begins with confirming that rabbits are the cause of the plant damage. Rabbit feeding typically results in a clean, sharp cut on the stems and shoots, unlike the ragged tear marks left by deer. The presence of small, round rabbit droppings near the base of the plant is a reliable indicator of their activity.
Physical Barriers
The most reliable method of defense is the installation of physical barriers, which prevent access to the plant entirely. Fencing should be constructed from a fine-mesh material, such as chicken wire or hardware cloth, with openings no larger than one inch. The fence must stand at least 24 to 36 inches high to deter rabbits from hopping over the barrier.
It is important to prevent rabbits from burrowing underneath the enclosure. The bottom edge of the fence material should be buried at least six inches deep into the soil. The buried portion must be bent outward at a 90-degree angle to create an apron. For young or newly planted hydrangeas, creating individual protective cages from hardware cloth and staking them securely into the ground is an effective temporary measure.
Repellents and Habitat Modification
Repellents offer a secondary line of defense by making the plant taste or smell unappealing to the animals. Commercial repellents containing ingredients such as putrescent egg solids or capsaicin are generally the most effective. They require consistent reapplication, especially following rain or irrigation. Habitat modification also contributes to a less rabbit-friendly environment, such as clearing away debris, brush piles, and tall weeds that provide the animals with safe cover and nesting sites near your plants.