Rabbits in the garden can be a frustrating challenge, often turning a season’s hard work into an unexpected buffet. Understanding what these common visitors prefer to eat, and what they actively avoid, is the first step toward effective garden protection. The question of whether rabbits eat onions, a common garden crop, helps gardeners choose plants and strategies to limit damage.
Do Rabbits Eat Alliums
Rabbits generally avoid plants belonging to the Allium family, which includes onions, garlic, chives, and leeks. This avoidance is a response to the strong, pungent sulfurous compounds found within these plants. The intense odor and sharp taste act as a natural deterrent, making alliums unappealing to a rabbit’s sensitive palate.
While they are rarely consumed by choice, an extremely hungry rabbit might nibble on an allium if no other food source is available. In a typical garden setting where other options abound, however, alliums are often left untouched. For this reason, some gardeners strategically plant alliums as a border or intercrop them among more vulnerable plants, hoping the strong smell will mask the scent of preferred foods.
Favorite Garden Targets of Rabbits
In contrast to the pungent alliums, rabbits have a clear preference for young, tender, and succulent plant material. They are particularly drawn to the new sprouts and seedlings of many garden vegetables, which are high in moisture and easy to digest. This means the beginning of the growing season, when plants are at their most vulnerable, is often the time of greatest risk.
Common vegetable targets include leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard, along with popular crops such as peas, beans, and carrot tops. Rabbits also frequently graze on certain herbs like parsley, basil, and mint, which lack the deterrent properties of the Allium family. Beyond vegetables, rabbits often damage ornamental plants, showing a fondness for tulips, hostas, and clover.
Health Risks of Toxic Garden Plants
Alliums contain sulfur-based compounds, specifically thiosulfates, which are poisonous to rabbits and other animals. When ingested, these compounds damage the animal’s red blood cells, leading to hemolytic anemia. This destruction of red blood cells reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood and can be life-threatening if enough is consumed.
The toxic effects are not limited to alliums, as many other common garden and landscape plants pose a serious risk. For instance, rhubarb leaves contain high levels of oxalic acid, which can cause severe kidney damage. Plants such as foxglove and various nightshades are highly toxic and can lead to severe heart problems, seizures, or even death. Gardeners should be aware that avoidance does not mean the animal inherently knows the plant is poison; rather, toxicity often correlates with an unpalatable taste or odor.
Strategies for Rabbit-Proofing Your Garden
The most effective method for excluding rabbits from a garden is the installation of a physical barrier. A rabbit-proof fence should be constructed of galvanized wire mesh with openings no larger than one inch, which prevents them from squeezing through. The fence needs to be at least two to three feet high to prevent rabbits from jumping over the barrier.
Crucially, rabbits are known to dig, so the fence must extend beneath the soil surface to block burrowing access. Experts recommend burying the bottom edge of the wire six to twelve inches deep. A more robust strategy involves creating an L-footer: bending the bottom six inches of the mesh wire at a 90-degree angle and laying it flat on the ground away from the garden, securing it with stakes, which discourages digging at the barrier.
Habitat modification is another simple yet effective tactic to make your garden less appealing to these animals. Removing dense brush piles, tall weeds, and debris eliminates the sheltered hiding spots rabbits use for cover during the day. While commercial and DIY repellents using strong scents like garlic or pepper can deter rabbits, they must be re-applied frequently, especially after rain, to maintain effectiveness.