Is there any such thing as rabbit-proof plants?

The leaves on spring flowering Chrysatinia are not tasty to rabbits.

Living in the outskirts of the Tucson area has many bonuses: open space, less traffic and pollution, and peace and quiet. You also probably enjoy the plentiful wildlife that lives in areas where natural vegetation was left undisturbed.

The other side of the coin is hungry critters will probably munch on your landscape plants, especially the cottontail rabbit. Maybe you heard about ‘rabbit-proof’ plants and had some success with certain species. While there are plants rabbits usually won’t eat, if hungry enough, they do eat just about anything unless it is poisonous.

Here is a partial list of plants rabbits often leave alone:

Barrel and columnar cactus

Cholla

Chrysactinia (Chrysactinia mexicana)

Trailing dalea (Dalea greggii)

Vinca major

Lantana species

Oleander

Red salvia (Salvia greggii)

Mexican oregano (Poliomintha maderensis ‘Lavender Spice’)

Rosemary

Germander

Note that what rabbits won’t eat in one yard they may eat in another. The best protection against rabbits is using chicken wire cages; unsightly, but it is the only thing that works. Pepper sprays, mothballs, garlic sprays and other “smell bad” products do not work. Sometimes rabbits will eat a newly introduced plant, only to leave it alone after it has been there for a while. The reasoning behind that is once certain plants are established, they manufacture chemicals in leaves and stems that taste nasty. Other plants you will need to protect forever, which is why you might want to keep those inside a patio wall or fenced yard.