In The Garden

In The Garden

Feeding Rabbits: A Guide to Safe Plants

While commercial rabbit pellets provide a convenient and balanced diet, many rabbit keepers are exploring more natural feeding options, often returning to traditional methods that utilize readily available plants. This guide provides a list of safe and unsafe plants for rabbits.

Safe Plants for Rabbits

  • Wild Plants:

    • Avens (Geum)
    • Agrimony
    • Bramble (leaves and stems)
    • Bindweed
    • Bishop's Weed (Ground Elder)
    • Burnet
    • Butterbur (leaves only)
    • Cow Parsnip (leaves only)
    • Clovers (red, white)
    • Coltsfoot (leaves only)
    • Convolvulus (leaves only)
    • Chickweed
    • Goosegrass
    • Dandelion (leaves and flowers)
    • Dock (leaves, avoid flowering stalks)
    • Groundsel (in moderation)
    • Goutweed (leaves only)
    • Hawkweed
    • Heather (in moderation)
    • Hedge parsley
    • Knapweed (flowers only)
    • Knotgrass
    • Lucerne (in moderation for adult rabbits)
    • Mallow
    • Mustard (leaves only)
    • Nipplewort
    • Plantain
    • Sea Spinach
    • Shepherd's Purse
    • Sour Dock (Sorrel)
    • Thistles (leaves and flowers only)
    • Trefoil
    • Vetches (Tares)
    • Watercress
    • Yarrow
  • Cultivated Vegetables and Roots:

    • Artichokes (Jerusalem) - leaves and roots
    • Beetroot (tops and leaves)
    • Brussels Sprouts (leaves)
    • Beans and Haulms (excluding scarlet runner beans)
    • Chicory
    • Cauliflower (leaves)
    • Carrots (tops and leaves)
    • Cabbage (outer leaves in moderation)
    • Celery (leaves)
    • Clover (red, white)
    • Dandelion (leaves and flowers)
    • Fodder Beet
    • Horse Radish (leaves in moderation)
    • Kale
    • Kohl-Rabi (leaves)
    • Lucerne (in moderation for adult rabbits)
    • Maize (corn on the cob – occasionally as a treat)
    • Mangolds (after 25th December)
    • Parsley
    • Parsnips (tops and leaves)
    • Strawberry (leaves)
    • Swedes (tops and leaves)
    • Sainfoin (in moderation)
    • Savoys (outer leaves in moderation)
    • Spinach (in moderation – high in oxalates)
    • Sunflowers (leaves and seeds)
  • Flowers:

    • Asters
    • Borage
    • Calendula
    • Centaurea
    • Daisies
    • Galega
    • Geranium
    • Geum
    • Helenium
    • Hollyhock
    • Honesty
    • Lupins (leaves and flowers only, not seeds)
    • Marguerites
    • Marigolds
    • Michaelmas Daisies
    • Nasturtium
    • Rose (petals and leaves)
    • Stocks
    • Sunflowers (leaves and seeds)
    • Wallflowers
  • Trees and Shrubs:

    • Practically all deciduous trees (except very fresh growth of young leaves and twigs)
    • Blackberry (leaves and stems)
    • Rose (petals, leaves, and hips)
    • Raspberry canes
    • Winter Ivy (in moderation)

Plants to Avoid:

  • Wild Plants:

    • Arum
    • Anemone
    • Black Nightshade
    • Bluebells
    • Buttercup
    • Bryony
    • Colchicums (Meadow Saffron)
    • Corn Cockle
    • Celandine
    • Deadly Nightshade
    • Dog Mercury
    • Figwort
    • Foxglove
    • Iris
    • Fools Parsley
    • Ground Ivy
    • Hemlock
    • Henbane
    • Poppies
    • Scarlet Pimpernel
    • Spurges
    • Toadflax
    • Travellers Joy
  • Cultivated Vegetables and Roots:

    • Mangold tops (before December)
    • Mangold roots (before December)
    • Tomato leaves
    • Potato tops
    • Lettuce (in large quantities)
  • Flowers:

    • Acacia
    • Aconite
    • Antirrhinum
    • Arum
    • Anemone
    • Columbine
    • Daffodil
    • Dahlia
    • Delphinium
    • Feverfew
    • Gypsophila
    • Helleborus
    • Hyacinth
    • Iris
    • Larkspur
    • Lily of the Valley
    • Linaria
    • Lobelia
    • Love-in-a-Mist
    • Monkshood
    • Poppies
    • Snowdrop
    • Tulips
  • Trees and Shrubs:

    • Most evergreen trees and shrubs
    • Acacia
    • Box
    • Elder (leaves and berries)
    • Beech mast
    • Gorse seeds
    • Laburnum
    • Oak (leaves and acorns)
    • Snowberry
    • Plum (leaves and stones)
    • Ivy (with berries or flowers)

Important Notes:

  • Always introduce new plants gradually: Start with small amounts and monitor your rabbit for any signs of digestive upset.
  • Avoid plants that have been treated with pesticides or herbicides.
  • Collect plants from unpolluted areas.
  • Wash all plants thoroughly before feeding.
  • Supervise your rabbit when grazing on unfamiliar plants.

Remember to consult with a veterinarian or a qualified rabbit expert for any specific dietary concerns.