Lawn Food for Rabbits

There are several lawn foods rabbits like more than others.

Wild rabbits sure are cute, but they can be pesky, eating flowers from the garden and even the bark off of trees. Sometimes rabbits can be kept away by planting flowers, vegetables, and herbs they will not eat, although that list isn't long. If your goal is to plant lawn food for rabbits to eat, they have several favorites. But avoid planting these if you don't want rabbits hopping around your yard.

Herbal Favorites

Parsley is enticing to rabbits.

Rabbits like to nibble the leaves of herbs like parsley, basil, dill, fennel, mint, oregano and thyme. Rosemary and sage don't seem to interest them. Grow the herbs they like in pots of varying sizes and place them around the yard where rabbits will snack right out of the pots. Planting a herb garden directly in flower beds or at any location in the yard will lure rabbits in as long as they have a way to get through, in or around a garden fence.

Vegetables Rabbits Like

Carrot tops are tops to a rabbit.

Carrot tops are yummy snack food for rabbits, and they will eat the orange carrot part as well. Similarly, rabbits like beet and radish leaves, but beet and radish parts are not tastes they enjoy. Endive and leaf lettuce are crunchy delights to rabbits, as are chard and kale. Rabbits also enjoy a good head of leaf spinach to chew on.

Preferred Flowers

Rabbits like pansies.

Rabbits really like to eat pansies and they will eat the entire pansy, including flower, leaves and stem. Equally delicious are the nasturtium and begonia. Tulips are tasty to rabbits, although they seem not to like the similarly bulbed daffodil, daylily and iris. Rabbits also find rose petals are worthy of snacking on.

Fruit of Choice

Strawberries are a favorite

You might think that rabbits would eat only the leaves off a strawberry plant, much as they eat the leaves of beets and radishes while leaving the vegetable alone. But strawberries are different for rabbits. It is the actual fruit the rabbit covets, and rabbits don't care if a strawberry is ripe--they will devour strawberries regardless of their maturity.

Let the Weeds Grow

Crunchy rabbit food.

If the plan is to attract rabbits, don't cut the grass, and do not apply weed killer. You will be setting the perfect table for dandelions to grow a rabbit feast. Rabbits find dandelions delicious--the crunchy stems and delicate leaves are irresistible. If you wish to be kind to rabbits in the area, leave a large patch of untouched lawn for them to graze on, providing it does not include your entire front yard. No need to make the neighbors angry.

References

• Ontario Rabbits: Organic Gardening: Time to Grow Your Own Rabbit Food
• Rabbit Rehome: Grow Your Rabbit's Greens
• NDSU Extension Service: Questions on Rabbits