Are you thinking about diversifying your rabbit’s diet and looking to ensure that your choice of plants is safe for rabbits? Ensuring your pet rabbit has a healthy and balanced diet is crucial for their well-being. Leafy greens, pot marigolds and many other commonly grown garden plants are perfectly safe for your rabbit. Adding safe plants to their diet can provide enrichment and additional nutrients.
New plants must be introduced to the rabbit’s diet slowly.
There are some plants that are toxic to rabbits and should be avoided at all costs, so it is essential to be cautious.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore a variety of safe plants suitable for your furry friend’s diet.
Safe Plants for Pet Rabbits
One of the great things that I love about being a rabbit owner is the opportunity to provide different foods and experiences to our rabbits. Doing this safely is very important. It is great to experiment with young leaves of safe plants, and to consider different parts of the plant. For example nasturtiums, we like to eat the flowers in our salads, but often find the leaves too bitter, but the bunnies love them!
This is by no means a complete list of plants that are safe to rabbits. But these are some of the plants that our rabbits enjoy.
- Pot Marigolds (Calendula officinalis)
Also known as English marigolds, these vibrant flowers are safe for rabbits to consume. Pet rabbits can nibble on the petals and leaves in small quantities without any ill effects.
- Morning Glory
The flowers and leaves of morning glory plants are safe for rabbits when given in moderation. However, it’s important to note that the seeds should be avoided as they can be toxic.
- Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris)
These cheerful yellow flowers are a safe addition to your rabbit’s diet. Offer them in small portions and ensure they are fresh.
- Willow Trees
Willow leaves and branches are safe for rabbits and can be a great addition to their diet. They provide natural fibers and can also help with wear down their teeth. Our rabbit hutch is situated right beside a willow tree so it’s easy to cut off a branch for the rabbits to enjoy!
- Sow Thistle
This leafy green vegetable is enjoyed by rabbits and provides essential nutrients. Offer it in small amounts as part of a varied diet.
Creating a Rabbit-Friendly Garden
If you’re a rabbit owner looking to cultivate a garden that’s full of safe garden plants and enjoyable for your furry friend, consider planting the following rabbit-friendly plants:
- Leafy greens such as Swiss chard and lettuce
- Safe herbs like lemon balm, parsley, mint, dill, oregano and coriander. Note that these can be fed fresh or dried to your bunny, grow extra in the summer, dry and store for the winter months.
- Safe flowers including marigolds, daisies, and pansies
- Grass hay for grazing. We either let our bunnies graze on the grass themselves or we give them dried hay. We don’t feed them lawn mowings or grass clippings as it is easy to overfeed them.
When designing your rabbit garden, ensure that any potentially harmful plants are kept out of reach. Use chicken wire or other barriers to protect young plants and prevent access to unsafe areas.
A word of caution; all plants have the potential to be fatal
As new rabbit owners we made the fatal mistake of accidentally letting a young rabbit have access to too much of a new plant that it had never encountered before. It was fatal, within less than 24 hours of getting the rabbit it had died. To this day I am not sure what it was that the rabbit ate.
We had made a new rabbit enclosure and had laid down a load of random leaf cuttings from the garden as a bedding/flooring material. The enclosure is in contact with the earth, it was bare soil with no grass. We wanted to make a soft base for the rabbits and reuse some garden waste. We thought it could be turned into mulch along with the rabbit poo. I had no idea how dangerous this could be.
After the first night my daughter went to check on the new bunnies, and one of them was dead. It was bloated. Too much of something new can cause excess gas and bloating, the rabbit was only 8 weeks old and could not cope. So it sadly died.
We quickly removed all of the leaf cuttings and swapped it for hay and sawdust, the rest of the bunnies were fine.
The important lesson I learned from this is that any plant has the potential to be fatal to a rabbit if it is not introduced carefully into their diet. Since that day I always introduce new food slowly. We also keep a chart for all our rabbits of foods that they have been exposed to, this is in case anyone different is looking after the bunnies. They can refer to our chart and ensure that they do not inadvertently introduce something potentially harmful to the bunnies.
Best Practices for Feeding Your Rabbit
When introducing new foods to your rabbit’s diet, it’s important to do so gradually. Start with small portions to gauge their reaction and monitor for any signs of digestive upset or allergies. Remember that while a plant may be safe for rabbits in small quantities, large amounts can still cause issues.
Understanding Toxic Plants
In addition to introducing plants slowly, it’s crucial to be aware of the plants that can be harmful or toxic to rabbits. Here is my list of poisonous plants that should be avoided:
Yew,
Deadly nightshade, (actually anything nightshade such as woody nightshade – when a plants common names include nightshade I stay away!)
Ivy,
All bulb plants; daffodils, bluebells, crocuses, iris
Lily of the valley,
and house plants or indoor potted plants.
These unsafe plants should be kept far away from your rabbit’s reach as they can cause severe health issues or even prove fatal. The Rabbit Welfare Trust has an even more comprehensive list here.
Wild rabbits instinctively learn to stay away from toxic plants, for domesticated rabbits it is a different story. They are curious and interested in fresh plants, so if they have access to fresh foods they will have a go at eating them. It’s our job to make sure that what we provide is safe, both giving them food in their run, and if they have access to a garden that there is nothing growing there that could be harmful.
FAQ
What garden plants are safe for rabbits in the UK?
There are lots of plants that are safe, leafy greens, lettuce, herbs like dill and oregano and flowers like daisies and pot marigolds are all safe for rabbits.
Do rabbits eat lavender?
Lavender is safe for rabbits to eat, ours are not that keen on it.
What leaves are best for rabbits?
Our rabbits love mizuna, mibuna, radish, swiss chard, kale and lettuce leaves that we grow in the garden. And of course hay and grass.
What herbs do rabbits like best?
Our rabbits prefer to eat our homegrown oregano, dill and basil.
What plants do rabbits eat the most?
Anything green and leafy is an absolute hit with our bunnies. They also love apple and bananas. I bring them their fresh food each morning, when there is a handful of greens they are straight into it. If I don’t bring greens then they approach what I have to offer much more slowly!
Can bunnies have celery?
Yes. And our bunnies enjoy celery.
Can a rabbit eat a banana?
Yes, our rabbits absolutely LOVE banana.
Conclusion
In conclusion, incorporating safe plants into your pet rabbit’s diet can be a great way to provide enrichment and additional nutrients. By familiarizing yourself with a list of safe plants and avoiding toxic ones, you can ensure that your rabbit stays happy and healthy.
Always consult with a veterinarian if you’re unsure about whether a specific plant is safe for your rabbit. With a little bit of knowledge and care, you can create a garden that both you and your rabbit will love.
I would love to hear about what plants your bunnies like to eat the most. Share your favourites in the comments below.