Rabbits will eat almost any plant if they are hungry (or thirsty) enough. But many plants are considered “rabbit resistant.”
When I first moved to Tucson, I was surprised at how common — and destructive — desert cottontails are. They will eat almost any plant — even thorny plants like ocotillo!
If rabbits are a problem in your yard, here are approximately 100 desert plants considered to be “rabbit resistant” which means they generally leave them alone unless they’re desperate.
Rabbit Resistant Flowers
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Agastache | Agastache spp.* |
| Alyssum | Alyssum spp. |
| Angelita daisy | Tetraneuris acaulis |
| Baby sun rose | Aptenia cordifolia |
| Bee balm | Monarda spp. |
| Blackfoot daisy | Melampodium leucanthum |
| Blanket flower | Gaillardia grandiflora |
| California poppy | Eschscholzia californica |
| Chocolate flower | Berlandiera lyrata |
| Chrysanthemum | Chrysanthemum spp. |
| Coreopsis | Coreopsis spp. |
| Cupflower | Nierembergia spp. |
| Daffodil | Narcissus spp. |
| Dahlia | Dahlia spp. |
| Damianita | Chrysactinia mexicana |
| Desert bluebells | Phacelia campanularia |
| Desert four o’clock | Mirabilis multiflora |
| Desert marigold | Baileya multiradiata |
| Doctorbush | Plumbago scandens |
| Euryops | Euryops spp. |
| Fleabane | Erigeron spp. |
| Gazania | Gazania spp. |
| Geranium | Geranium spp. |
| Gladiola | Gladiolus spp. |
| Globe amaranth | Gomphrena spp. |
| Ice plant | Mesembryanthemum spp. |
| Iris | Iris spp. |
| Jerusalem sage | Phlomis fruticosa |
| Lamb’s ear | Stachys byzantina |
| Lantana | Lantana spp. |
| Larkspur | Delphinium spp. |
| Lupine | Lupinus spp. |
| Marigold | Tagetes spp. |
| Mexican hat | Ratibida columnifera |
| Milkweed | Asclepias spp. |
| Mt. Lemmon marigold | Tagetes lemmonii |
| Myoporum | Myoporum spp. |
| Penstemon | Penstemon spp. |
| Pincushion Flower | Scabiosa spp. |
| Red hot poker | Kniphofia uvaria |
| Sacred datura | Datura wrightii |
| Snapdragon | Antirrhinum majus |
| Tufted evening primrose | Oenothera caespitosa** |
| Verbena | Verbena spp. |
| Vinca | Vinca major |
| Yarrow | Achillea spp. |
| Zinnia | Zinnia spp. |
*Spp. is a botanical shorthand for “multiple species”.
**While rabbits dislike tufted evening primrose, other primroses of this genus are rabbit magnets.
Rabbit Resistant
Herbs & Vegetables
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Asparagus | Asparagus officinalis |
| Artichokes | Cynara cardunculus |
| Catnip | Nepeta spp. |
| Chili peppers | Capsicum spp. |
| Cucumber | Cucumis sativus |
| Lavender | Lavandula spp. |
| Mint | Mentha spp. |
| Onions | Allium spp. |
| Oregano | Origanum spp. |
| Rosemary | Rosemarinus officinalis |
| Sage | Salvia officinalis |
| Santolina | Santolina spp. |
| Thyme | Thymus spp. |
Rabbit Resistant Succulents
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Agave | Agave spp. |
| Aloe | Aloe spp. |
| Beargrass | Nolina microcarpa |
| Cactus | most species |
| Desert spoon | Dasylirion wheeleri |
| Firesticks | Euphorbia tirucalli |
| Gopher plant | Euphorbia rigida |
| Lady slipper | Euphorbia lomelii |
| Moroccan mound | Euphorbia resinifera |
| Yucca | Yucca spp. |
Rabbit Resistant Shrubs
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Apache plume | Fallugia paradoxa |
| Artemisia | Artemisia spp. |
| Autumn sage | Salvia greggii |
| Blue plumbago | Plumbago auriculata |
| Bottlebrush | Callistemon spp. |
| Brittlebush | Encelia farinosa |
| Bursage | Ambrosia spp. |
| Butterfly bush | Buddleja spp. |
| Chuperosa | Justicia californica |
| Creosote | Larrea tridentata |
| Cuphea | Cuphea spp. |
| Desert broom | Baccharis sarothroides |
| Emu bushes | Eremophila spp. |
| Fairy duster | Calliandra spp. |
| Globe mallow | Sphaeralcea ambigua |
| Goldeneye | Viguiera deltoidea |
| Heavenly bamboo | Nandina domestica |
| Hop bush | Dodonaea viscosa |
| Indian Hawthorn | Rhaphiolepis spp. |
| Jojoba | Simmondsia chinensis |
| Little leaf cordia | Cordia parvifolia |
| Manzanita | Arctostaphylus spp. |
| Mexican bird of paradise | Caesalpinia mexicana |
| Natal plum | Carissa spp. |
| Oleander | Nerium oleander |
| Red bird of paradise | Caesalpinia pulcherrima |
| Russian sage | Salvia yangii |
| Salvia | Salvia spp. |
| Senna | Senna spp. |
| Texas ranger | Leucophyllum spp. |
| Turpentine bush | Ericarmeria laricifolia |
| Yellow bells | Tecoma stans |
| Yellow bird of paradise | Caesalpinia gilliesii |
Rabbit Resistant Trees
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Arizona ash | Fraxinus velutina |
| Chaste tree | Vitex agnus-castus |
| Eucalyptus | Eucalyptus spp. |
| Fir | Abies spp. |
| Hackberry | Celtis spp. |
| Juniper | Juniperus spp. |
| Magnolia | Magnolia spp. |
| Oak | Quercus spp. |
| Pineapple Guava | Feijoa sellowiana |
| Pine | Pinus spp. |
| Redbud | Cercis spp. |
| Spruce | Picea spp. |
| Texas mountain laurel | Sophora secundiflora |
It may seem an exaggeration that rabbits eat trees, but they have been known to strip a small tree of its bark, leading to its demise. Be forewarned that they’re particularly fond of fruit tree bark.
Rabbit Resistant Vines
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Carolina jessamine | Gelsemium sempervirens |
| Cat’s claw vine | Dolichandra unguis-cati |
| Hacienda creeper | Parthenocissus spp. |
Rabbit Resistant Grasses
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Bamboo | Bambusa spp. |
| Feather grass | Nassella spp. |
| Switchgrass | Panicum spp. |
Did you find this information helpful?
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
where you’ll find more great info on creating &
maintaining a beautiful, carefree desert landscape.
References
Photo Credit
Jessie Eastland, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons