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Have your trees and shrubs taken a hit from hungry rabbits? You’re not alone. Especially in winter as the snow piles up, rabbits can reach higher branches — turning your beloved arborvitae and other plants into their personal snack bar.

They’re surprisingly hungry, a single rabbit can consume a half-pound of vegetation per day. They’re also not picky — vegetables, flowers, shrubs, and trees are all on the menu. The good news? With the right combination of barriers, repellents, and smart planning, you can protect your garden year-round.

Here’s what you need to know.

What Rabbits Eat (And How to Tell It’s Them)

Rabbits have broad tastes. In spring and summer, they feast on tender greens, flowers, and vegetables. In fall and winter, when food is scarce, they turn to woody plants — gnawing bark from trees and shrubs and causing serious damage.

How to identify rabbit damage:

• Clean, angled cuts on stems and branches (as if cut with scissors) — deer damage looks more jagged and torn
• Bark gnawed off at the base of trees and shrubs, especially at snow line in winter
• Stems clipped at a 45-degree angle with no ragged edges
• Droppings near damaged plants (small, round pellets)

If you see these signs, you’re dealing with rabbits.

What Rabbits Love to Eat

Rabbits will nibble almost anything when hungry, but they have favorites. These plants are especially vulnerable:

• Vegetables: Lettuce, beans, peas, beets, carrots, broccoli
• Flowers: Tulips, hostas, pansies, impatiens, sunflowers, asters
• Shrubs & Trees (especially in winter): Arborvitae, burning bush, crabapple, serviceberry, roses, raspberries, young pines, fruit trees

What Rabbits Tend to Avoid

No plant is truly rabbit-proof, but rabbits generally avoid plants with strong scents, fuzzy leaves, or bitter flavors.

• Flowers & Perennials: Daffodils, alliums, lavender, salvia, catmint, lamb’s ear, yarrow, coneflower, bleeding heart
• Herbs: Rosemary, thyme, oregano, mint
• Shrubs: Boxwood, lilac, potentilla, juniper

Incorporating these plants into your landscape can help reduce damage — but don’t rely on them alone.

Year-Round Protection Strategies

The most effective rabbit control uses a combination of methods. Here’s what works.

1. Fencing (The Most Effective Solution)

If you want to keep rabbits out of your garden beds, fencing is the gold standard.

What to use:
Chicken wire or hardware cloth with 1-inch mesh or smaller. Fencing should be at least 2 feet tall.

How to install:
Bury the bottom edge 6 inches underground to prevent rabbits from burrowing beneath. Secure it with stakes and make sure there are no gaps.

For vegetable gardens, a simple 2-foot-tall chicken wire fence around the perimeter is often enough. For individual plants, create small wire cages or wrap vulnerable shrubs and perennials.

2. Repellents (Best for Training Rabbits to Stay Away)

Repellents deter rabbits through smell or taste. They’re not foolproof, but when used consistently, they can be effective.

Recommended products:

• Liquid Fence
• Bonide Deer & Rabbit Repellent
• Shake Away 

How to use:
Apply repellents early in the season to train rabbits not to feed on your plants. Reapply after heavy rain or irrigation, and rotate between different repellents throughout the season — rabbits can become accustomed to one scent and start ignoring it.

Important: Repellents can’t be used on edible crops you plan to harvest, so fencing is a better option for vegetable gardens.

3. Physical Barriers for Trees & Shrubs (Essential in Winter)

Winter is when rabbits do the most damage to trees and shrubs. When snow piles up, they can reach higher branches — and when food is scarce, they gnaw bark from trunks, which can girdle and kill young trees.

What to use:

• Tree guards or trunk wraps for young trees with smooth bark (especially fruit trees, crabapples, and serviceberry)
• Burlap or garden netting wrapped around the base of arborvitae and other evergreens
• Chicken wire cages (3 feet tall) around vulnerable shrubs

Install these protections in late fall before the first snow and remove them in early spring once the ground thaws.

What Doesn’t Work (Save Your Time and Money)

• Scare devices: Fake owls, shiny spinners, and motion-activated sprinklers provide only short-term results. Rabbits quickly become accustomed to them.
• Planting “deterrent” plants alone: While plants like marigolds, onions, and garlic are sometimes recommended as rabbit deterrents, rabbits have been known to eat them anyway. Use these as part of a larger strategy, not a standalone solution.
• Trapping and relocating: This is labor-intensive, often ineffective (new rabbits will move in), and may be illegal in some areas. Focus on exclusion and deterrence instead.

Seasonal Rabbit-Proofing Checklist

• Spring: Apply repellents to emerging perennials, tulips, and hostas. Install fencing around vegetable gardens before planting.
• Summer: Reapply repellents after rain. Monitor for damage and adjust protection as needed.
• Fall: Clear debris and tall weeds from around garden beds. Install tree guards, trunk wraps, and wire cages around vulnerable trees and shrubs before the first snow.
• Winter: Check protections after heavy snowfall — rabbits can reach higher branches when snow piles up. Reapply repellents to exposed branches if needed.

The Bottom Line

Rabbits are persistent, but with the right strategies, you can protect your garden without frustration. Fencing is the most effective long-term solution, especially for vegetables and prized perennials. Repellents work well when used consistently and rotated throughout the season. And in winter, physical barriers around trees and shrubs are essential.

At Sunnyside Gardens, we stock everything you need to rabbit-proof your yard — from chicken wire and tree guards to repellents that actually work. Stop by, ask questions, and let’s keep your garden beautiful year-round.