Winter is prime time for rabbit damage on woody plants. When the weather is favorable, rabbits feed on a wide variety of plant material in the landscaping. Once their choices narrow by cold weather, frozen soil and snow cover, rabbits will feast on twigs, branches and bark of trees and shrubs. If damage is extensive, the plant can be destroyed.
Rabbits can “girdle” a tree or shrub by eating enough bark to complete a circle around the plant’s base. Directly beneath the bark is a very thin layer of tissue called the vascular cambium. within this layer grows new cells. The new cells can be xylem, vascular tissue that transports water and nutrients through the plant and is responsible for inward growth, or phloem, vascular tissue that transports sugar and other molecules responsible for outward growth (girth). A “girdled” plants means that it’s food supply has been cut off.
Prevention:
- Create rings around the base of the plants with chicken wire or hardware cloth (wire mesh) 24-36” tall. Bury the bottom a few inches into the ground.
- For smaller trees, use spiral tree guards around the trunk.
- Commercial repellents are effective and should be reapplied frequently.
- A homemade solution consisting of 6 crushed cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1 tablespoon dish detergent shaken well in a milk jug filled with water, works well too. After mixing, let sit for a day to intensify solution before applying.
- Ammonia soaked rags placed in cups around plants works well but they have to be replaced frequently also.
Plants that rabbits love;
- Crab tree
- Serviceberry
- Roses
- Barberry
- Burning bush
- Flowering quince
There are many more woody plants that rabbits will munch on if desperate enough. I have found the best thing to do is walk through your winter landscaping periodically to inspect plants so there’s not a big surprise in the spring.
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