Skip to Content

Do Rabbits Eat Petunias? (Explained)

Sharing is caring!

Rabbits are herbivores, so they are likely to eat any flowering plant if they get the chance to reach it.

As a result, if you have Petunias in your garden and your garden is frequented by rabbits but you don’t know the probability of Petunias being eaten by rabbits, you surely would be concerned enough to learn do rabbits eat Petunias or not.

So read ahead the explanations regarding this topic to find out the facts so that you can protect your favorite Petunias from rabbits if needed. 

Do Rabbits Eat Petunias? 

Rabbits indeed eat Petunias, in fact, Petunias are one of those flowering plants that rabbits really like to munch on anytime. So, if rabbits get the opportunity to reach Petunia plants, they will munch on the ornamental parts (the Petunia flower heads) mostly along with other parts of the plant. 

As now you have learned that rabbits really do like to nibble Petunias, it also may intrigue you with the thought of exactly which parts of a Petunia plant, rabbits like to eat.

Therefore, whether rabbits like to eat only the Petunia flowers or the leaves, or the Petunia plant as a whole has been precisely described below. Go through each point to learn the exact answer. 

Petunia Flowers:

Petunia flowers are the ornamental part of a Petunia flowering plant and most of the time rabbits like to enjoy eating these flower heads.

So, this is clearing the query that rabbits do eat Petunia flowers. And rabbits are likely to eat all those Petunia flowers that they can easily reach during the thriving and flowering season of Petunias whenever they will visit your garden. 

Petunia Plants:

Petunias are among all of those flowering plants that are rabbits’ favorite food sources, so rabbits actually don’t care about eating an exact part of Petunia plants, rather they would eat up a whole Petunia plant if they are hungry.

And this simply refers that rabbits can eat a Petunia plant as a whole plant too as long as they can reach the whole plant. 

Petunia Leaves: 

Along with Petunia flowers and other parts of the Petunia plant, rabbits enjoy eating the Petunia leaves as well.

But rabbits mostly prefer to munch on the tender and new leaves of the Petunia plant. However, if they are hungry and aren’t finding any good source of food, without any hesitation, rabbits will eat all Petunia leaves regardless of the new or old leaves. 

Are Petunias Rabbit Resistant? 

Petunia flowering plants are not rabbit-resistant flowering plants. From time to time rabbits will eat any part of the Petunias if they get the opportunity and in this case, it is nearly impossible to anticipate which variety of the Petunia flowers will attract the rabbits the most and which Petunia varieties will not. 

Besides, rabbits tend to eat almost any type of flowering plant except for a few certain plants, and Petunias fall in the category of those flowering plants that rabbits happily eat.

Therefore, regardless of the Petunia varieties, rabbits will just eat them up until they leave the bare stem on the soil. So until you take steps to make Petunias rabbit-resistant, these flowers aren’t safe from the rabbits. 

Do Rabbits Like To Eat Petunias? 

Rabbits just love to eat Petunias especially when Petunias are planted at the ground level in the garden, rabbits can easily reach these flowering plants and munch on them to satisfy their hunger.

And the bright and colorful Petunia flowers tempt these furry bunnies the most and rabbits finish eating these flowers in the first place. 

Moreover, rabbits do enjoy eating all other parts like leaves, young stems, and other parts as equally as the flower heads.

Any time in the day, you will find rabbits munching on Petunias, and even their fondness towards Petunias can even make them finish an entire Petunia plant overnight. 

What Rabbits Eat Petunias? 

There are no particular species of rabbits that eat Petunia flowers because more or less almost all species of rabbits prefer to eat Petunia flowering plants. 

Besides, you might think that only the wild rabbits that gaze into the garden from outside munch on Petunias, well that’s not true.

Along with the wild rabbits, your pet rabbit also will absolutely love to munch on the Petunias in your garden if it gets the chance to go out and chew on these plants. 

Or else, if you feed your pet rabbit Petunias as an alternative food source, it will adopt the habit of eating Petunias. And if once it gets the taste of Petunias, it might want to go on itself and eat Petunias more often, even if you feed it recommended food for bunnies. 

However, wild rabbits or wild species of rabbits tend to eat Petunias more often, as Petunias and other flowering plants are their sources of food supply. 

Do Rabbits Eat These Petunias? 

Petunia flowers have several varieties and among them the Wave Petunias, Mexican Petunias, and White Petunias are some of the most popular and commonly planted Petunias.

However, it’s kind of impossible for everyone to know that if rabbits eat these Petunia varieties or not, therefore, briefly this query has been answered below. 

Wave Petunias: 

Wave Petunias are one of the most common varieties of Petunias that is found in any Petunia lover’s garden. And rabbits are a frequent eater of these Wave Petunias whenever they will have the chance to feast on them. 

Mainly when these Wave Petunias are directly planted on the ground in the garden, rabbits find the branches of Petunias at their catching level.

Also, these purplish Petunias tempt rabbits strongly with their colorful flowers and delicate petals and leaves that rabbis can chew easily. 

Mexican Petunias: 

Rabbits eat the Mexican Petunias too, in fact, these Mexican Petunias are equally liked and often eaten by rabbits as the Wave Petunias.

It’s because even though the variety is different, Mexican Petunias have the same delicate flowers and leaves that entice rabbits to satisfy their hunger by eating the Mexican Petunias. 

Therefore, rabbits won’t spend any moment thinking or resisting, they will just start eating these Mexican Petunias. 

White Petunias: 

White Petunias are no exception, rabbits will just eat this variety of Petunias just like the Wave and Mexican Petunias because there’s hardly any Petunia variety that rabbits don’t like to eat.

Thus, when hunger will make rabbits crave food, they will happily eat these White Petunia flowers too along with the young leaves and tender stem. 

And overnight rabbits can even finish an entire White Petunia plant by eating it to the ground level. 

How To Keep Rabbits From Eating Petunias?

Check out the tips listed and explained below to know the ways of keeping rabbits out of your Petunias.

Plant Petunias In Raised Plant Beds: 

Planting your favorite Petunias above the ground level in the garden is an effective means of thwarting Petunia-munching rabbits from your garden.

Therefore, consider raising the plant beds at such a height that is unreachable for rabbits and plant Petunias there. 

And if raising the plant beds isn’t possible, grow your Petunias in hanging flower pots or very tall containers. 

Fence Them Out: 

Another most useful method of keeping rabbits away from eating Petunias is building fences around your garden.

You can use mesh wire to build a fence but do make sure that the fence is at least 26” or more taller because rabbits can jump up to 24” height. Also, bury the fence at least 10” below the soil. 

Fencer Wire 16 Gauge Black Vinyl Coated Welded Wire Mesh Size 1 inch by 1 inch for Home and Garden Fence and Pet Enclosures Protect Chickens Rabbits and Farmed Animals (a) 2 ft. x 50 ft.)

Grow Rabbit Repellent Plants: 

Rabbits dislike the scent of Mexican marigold, lavender, butterfly weed, dusty miller, celandine poppy, Russian sage, so consider planting these plants between the Petunias and the scent will keep them away. 

You can also grow onions, garlic, chives, or leeks between Petunias, either of their scent will repel rabbits effectively.  

Use Rabbit Repellent Scents: 

Rabbits dislike the scents of blood meal, predator urine, crushed red pepper, vinegar, and ammonia.

You can sprinkle crushed red pepper between the Petunia plants or spray ammonia/vinegar+water solution or pour predator urine or blood meal near the Petunias and around your garden. 

Commercial Rabbit Repellent: 

The easiest way of discouraging rabbits from eating your Petunias is using commercial rabbit repellents. You can use Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit Repellent, Enviro Pro 11025 Rabbit Scram Repellent, Bonus Choice, and other repellents of your choice. 

Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit Repellent Granular, 5-Pound

Are Petunias Safe Or Poisonous To Rabbits?

Petunia flowering plants are absolutely safe for rabbits to consume without having any side effects. And that’s why rabbits happily eat Petunias whenever they can reach these plants and even finish a whole plant overnight if they are hungry enough. 

Final Thoughts 

Rabbits eat Petunias as much as they munch on their other favorite flowering plants. So as long as Petunias aren’t protected from rabbits, rabbits will not leave any chance to feast on Petunias. And rabbits not only like to eat Petunia flower heads but they also will eat the whole Petunia plant.

Sharing is caring!