Rabbits, especially the common Eastern cottontail, have a voracious appetite for tender young shoots, leafy greens, and the soft bark of saplings, often clipping stems clean off at ground level. Successfully protecting plantings requires a humane and layered approach. Combining physical exclusion, environmental modification, and strategic planting choices offers the most reliable defense against sustained browsing damage.
Building Effective Physical Barriers
Physical fencing is the most reliable method for preventing rabbits from accessing vulnerable garden areas. For above-ground exclusion, the fence material should extend at least 30 inches high, as rabbits can easily clear lower barriers. The mesh size is critical, requiring openings no larger than one inch, since juvenile rabbits can squeeze through wider gaps. Durable galvanized hardware cloth is often preferred over standard chicken wire due to its strength and smaller mesh options.
The underground component stops rabbits from digging beneath the perimeter. The bottom of the fence must be buried at least six inches deep, though twelve inches offers superior protection. For enhanced deterrence, the buried section should be bent outward at a 90-degree angle, creating an apron that blocks tunneling efforts. Temporary barriers like wire cloches or floating row covers can provide immediate protection for new or vulnerable plants until they are established.
Using Taste and Scent Deterrents
Repellents work by making plants unappealing through a noxious taste or a strong, alarming odor. Commercial products often utilize active ingredients like putrescent whole egg solids or dried blood, which create a sulfur-like scent that mimics the presence of a predator, triggering a fear response in rabbits. Other repellents rely on intense flavors, such as capsaicin from hot peppers or pungent garlic oil, to discourage rabbits from taking a second bite.
These chemical deterrents are categorized as either contact repellents, applied directly to the foliage for taste, or area repellents, which rely on odor. Their effectiveness is temporary and diminished by weather and new plant growth. Repellents must be reapplied frequently, typically every three to four weeks or immediately following heavy rain, to maintain a consistent protective barrier.
Modifying the Garden Environment
Rabbits instinctively seek out areas that offer abundant cover to hide from predators and safely raise their young. To make the yard less appealing, focus on eliminating these attractive harborage locations. Maintaining a clean perimeter by removing brush piles, old equipment, and debris takes away immediate shelter.
Rabbits use tall, dense vegetation and overgrown weeds as safe pathways and hiding spots while feeding. Regularly mowing tall grass and trimming low-hanging shrubs near the garden edge exposes rabbits to view, making them feel less secure. Blocking access underneath structures such as sheds, decks, and porches with buried hardware cloth prevents rabbits from establishing sheltered nesting and resting sites.
Selecting Rabbit-Resistant Plants
While no plant is entirely rabbit-proof, choosing varieties that rabbits naturally avoid can greatly reduce damage. Rabbits tend to bypass plants that possess defense mechanisms, such as strong, aromatic scents or bitter tastes. Herbs like lavender, rosemary, mint, and sage are often left alone due to their pungent oils.
Other deterrent characteristics include a rough, fuzzy, or hairy texture on the leaves, such as with lamb’s ear or yarrow. Plants that contain high levels of bitterness, toxic compounds, or a milky sap (latex) also discourage browsing. Resistant flowers and ornamentals include allium, hellebores, bee balm, and ornamental grasses.