Rabbits are cute until they get into your garden and chomp away at all of your plants and fresh produce. One way to stop these thieves is to plant herbs that bunnies don’t like, including rosemary, yarrow, sage, mint, and lavender. These are the best herbs to repel rabbits and other pests naturally from your garden. Strong-smelling herbs like these are so potent that rabbits are less likely to come into those areas. They can easily protect more vulnerable plants in your garden as a result. An added bonus, these herbs are also a natural way to keep deer out of your yard as well.
Another benefit of growing them is that you’ll end up with fresh herbs you can use in many of your dishes. They tend to do well in most environments from early spring through the late fall months, providing long-term protection from invading pests. Rabbits are opportunistic eaters, wandering from one area to the next as they seek out food sources, which they often discover in gardens. Once they find their favorites, they’ll likely come back more often. They may also nest nearby, which can make it quite difficult to control their population. It’s best, then, to create a protective defense around your yard, and herbs like these are some of the most natural ways to do so. Most of the time, they don’t hurt the rabbits in any way, either.
Herbs to add to your garden to repel rabbits
A number of herbs are fantastic at providing resistance to rabbits. Many herbs that have woody stems like rosemary are going to work well to deter pests, since they have a strong, bitter taste that rabbits don’t enjoy. When choosing which herbs to add to your garden, focus heavily on those with a heavy scent, such as mint, sage, rosemary, lavender, and yarrow.
Also, consider planting strong-tasting herbs such as ginger or horseradish. These plants don’t hurt the bunny, but they are so strong in the way they smell (and taste) that rabbits are not going to recognize any nearby food source. As a result, they move to another area where they can find food, leaving your garden alone. They use their sense of smell to find food they can eat, causing them to move away from food sources that aren’t attractive or that seem dangerous.
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Rabbits are attracted to leafy plants as well as roots. They enjoy tender leaves like those on cabbage and lettuce. Many will enjoy the green tops of flowering plants, and they are certainly going to dig up carrots and other root vegetables. Yet, when you place strong-smelling herbs between the rabbits and those vegetables, they don’t know they are there and will move on to another area in their search for food.
Where to plant herbs to repel rabbits
Now that you know there are so many herbs you can place throughout your yard to repel wild rabbits, you’ll need to be strategic about where you plant them. Start by planting taller, pungent-smelling herbs around the border of your garden including rosemary and thyme. Lavender is another excellent choice to position towards the outer areas of your garden. It has a woody, pine-like makeup that bunnies aren’t likely to munch on because it doesn’t have much nutritional value for them.
If there’s a particularly troublesome area in your yard, consider planting a mint garden including peppermint. However, mint is an invasive plant, which means you’ll want to place it where it’s likely to not take over your garden space. For example, plant it in containers that you can place around the edges of your yard. If you’re growing tomatoes, peppers, and other flowering vegetables, plant yarrow nearby, even within a few feet of these plants. Yarrow is a strong-smelling deterrent for rabbits, but it’s also an excellent attraction for pollinators. It will encourage bees into the space while keeping rabbits at bay. Shorter herbs like sage can also be placed between food crops that need lots of sun, as these won’t overshadow them but will still keep bunnies away.
