20 Plants and Flowers Rabbits Don't Eat

Barriers and other deterrents can keep rabbits out of the garden. But there are also a host of plants and flowers rabbits don't eat. These rabbit-proof plants include rabbit-resistant perennials such as salvia, the groundcover vinca and colorful flowers such as snapdragon.

Sun-loving lantana (pictured) bears flower clusters that look like brightly-colored confetti. Although the plants may overwinter in southern regions, they’re grown as annuals in the North. Some gardeners say rabbits love to dine on their lantana, but others report that they avoid the plants because of the leaves' pungent aroma. The foliage and ripe berries are also known to contain a toxin that can affect many animals. Butterflies and hummingbirds, on the other hand, love the tubular flowers.

Lobularia maritima bears clusters of tiny white, lavender, violet or pink flowers in spring. Grow sweet alyssum in full sun to part shade, in almost any type of soil; it’s both heat-tolerant and drought-resistant. If you’re planting seeds, sow them on the surface of the soil after all chance of frost has passed. The plants form a dense carpet of flowers, and the blooms continue year-round in warm climates. Try the plants in borders, rock gardens and mixed beds.

Also known as pot or English marigolds, calendulas are related to French and African marigolds. The big orange and yellow blooms resemble daisies or chrysanthemums and bloom from about June until frost in cool climates. (If your summers are hot, grow French marigolds instead for a longer bloom period.) Rabbits may dislike the plants’ strong fragrant and bitter taste, although the flowers and leaves are edible.

While children (and adults) love playing with snapdragon blooms to make the little flowers "snap" open, rabbits find the plants unpalatable. In fact, many say that portions of Antirrhinum are toxic to pet rabbits and should not be grown around them. Snapdragon varieties range from dwarf types to giants that grow 3 to 4 feet tall, so there's a size for every sunny garden space. Keep the flowers deadheaded to encourage repeat blooms.