What Outside Plants Are Safe For My Rabbit?

A rabbit has a voracious appetite, which you should expect since it only eats plants for sustenance. Like virtually all wild animals, rabbits favor some plants over others and, somehow, generally knows which plants to avoid that might cause them harm. That does not mean a rabbit will not eat plants that are potentially poisonous. 

If food is scarce, a rabbit will eat just about anything that resembles a plant. Rabbits also lack the ability to vomit. So, if your beloved rabbit consumes something that is poisonous, it cannot get rid of it by vomiting. That could make eating poisonous plants especially bad for your pet rabbit. The following information should help you understand which plants are safe for your rabbit.

Plants that are Safe for Pet Rabbits

Some plants attract rabbits due to their compelling scents. Others are longtime favorites that rabbits readily devour, much like Peter Rabbit in Mr. McGregor’s garden. And while rabbits do eat carrots, they also enjoy many other plants that you might choose to place in your garden and that might grow naturally around your home. We will list some of the most popular by breaking them down among vegetables, herbs, and fruits. 

Vegetables are very healthy for rabbits and humans. Rabbits enjoy eating the tops of carrots that are sprouting from the ground. They also love peas and particularly the easy to reach leaves and tendrils that grow at ground level. Other vegetable favorites include:

• Romaine lettuce
• Spinach (in limited supply)
• Beet Greens (in limited supply)
• Curly Kale
• Carrot tops
• Broccoli (leaves and stems)
  

• Green Beans (in limited supply)
• Cilantro 
• Wheatgrass 

Herbs also are especially compelling for rabbits due to their excellent sense of smell and the wonderful aromas that herbs usually give off. Parsley, lavender, rosemary, dill, sage, thyme, mint, and basil (in small amounts) are very popular herbs among rabbits. 

Rabbits also enjoy many fruits, including raspberries, blueberries and especially strawberries. Thorny plants have natural defenses, which could make raspberries and blueberries more difficult for rabbits to nibble. But wild strawberries are especially accessible, nutritious, and tasty for your pet rabbit.

Most Popular Flowers

If you enjoy growing flowers or have a variety of wildflowers growing near your home, your pet rabbit might have another great food source. Whether or not you want your rabbit to eat flowers could be another issue. But barring your objections, you might be surprised by which flowers your pet rabbit could consume and enjoy as part of a healthy diet. 

Sunflowers, dandelions (leaves and flowers), clovers, plantains, and roses are among edible flowers that your rabbit could enjoy in limited supply (to much can make them sick or bloat) – so long as you do not use fertilizer or pesticides on them. Pesticides and fertilizer can cause harm to your rabbit or other small pets. Daisies, field chickweed, the common hollyhock and cornflower are examples of common wildflowers that might provide your pet rabbit with a bevy of natural foods. 

Keep Your Small Pet Happy and Healthy with Quality Hay

With some knowledge of the types of plants that you pet rabbit would safely enjoy eating, you can supplement your rabbit’s diet in a small outdoor garden. Just remember that they should only be having a little bit and as a treat more than as a main source of their diet. Grass hays should be at least 80% of their diet leaving the other 20% to be made up of fruits, veggies, flowers, or herbs.

 

Get your high quality grass hay for your rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, or other small animals shipped straight to your door!