Rabbits can quickly turn your flower beds into a salad bar, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up blooms. The trick? Choose perennials that rabbits avoid—but that still attract pollinators in droves.
These 9 plants keep bunnies at bay while filling your garden with color, movement, and the sweet hum of bees and butterflies.
Lavender
With its strong scent and woody stems, lavender is unappetizing to rabbits. Meanwhile, its fragrant purple blooms draw in bees and other beneficial pollinators all summer long.
Salvia
This drought-tolerant perennial has textured leaves and pungent oils that rabbits dislike. Its tall spikes of vibrant flowers are irresistible to hummingbirds and butterflies.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Rabbits turn away from yarrow’s bitter-tasting leaves, but bees flock to its flat-topped blooms. It also tolerates poor soil and adds great texture to garden borders.
Bee Balm (Monarda)
The minty scent of bee balm repels rabbits, while its bright, frilly flowers are a favorite of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. It also spreads nicely without becoming invasive.
Coneflower (Echinacea)
With spiky centers and coarse leaves, coneflowers are rarely bothered by rabbits. These prairie natives provide nectar for pollinators and seeds for birds in the fall.
Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Airy lavender-blue flowers and silvery foliage make this a garden standout. Its aroma deters rabbits, but bees absolutely love it.
Catmint (Nepeta)
Catmint is fragrant, fast-growing, and tough as nails—rabbits give it a wide berth. Pollinators can’t get enough of its long-lasting lavender blooms.
Coreopsis
These cheerful yellow blooms are usually left alone by rabbits thanks to their bitter taste. Butterflies, however, are frequent visitors to their nectar-rich flowers.
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
The fuzzy leaves and spicy scent of blanket flower are a rabbit deterrent. This sun-loving bloomer offers long-lasting color and draws in bees and butterflies all season.
Get blooms, bees, and no bite marks with these rabbit-resistant, pollinator-friendly perennials. Add them for a vibrant, nibble-free garden.
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