HOW DO YOUR BUNNIES NOT EAT YOUR PLANTS????
Yep - this is probably THE most common question I get on instagram haha. Honestly - I really have gotten that question so so many times. And believe me... to answer this question: the bunnies try to LOL 😂. And many times they have succeeded. Luckily nothing bad has ever happened to them, even though many common houseplants are listed as toxic to bunnies.
[Note: I am not saying it's okay for your bunnies to munch on your houseplants! I've been lucky enough to catch mine mid munch and they've only managed to have a little nibble and luckily not had any negative reactions so far; however every bunny is different and may react differently so please do be very careful!)
Anyway... that's the exact point of this blog post - so you can still keep houseplants without having to go through all the scares I've been through.
Before I became a bun mom, I was already a crazy plant mom. Knowing that most houseplants were toxic to bunnies I knew I'd have to compromise a bit but wasn't sure I could give up my houseplants completely. Luckily I didn't have to and with a lot of trial and error I've managed to reach a point where the chance of the buns ever reaching my house plants is very very low and very rare. Below I've listed 5 ways you can keep house plants in your home and not have your bunnies reach them, based on my personal experiences.
1. Shelves
This is likely the most foolproof way to keep plants in your space without having to worry about your rabbits being able to reach them, since last time I checked - buns can't fly.
Well, most can't - Butter may be an exception to that rule 👆😂.
Not only are shelves great because your plants will be so high up that your bunnies will never be able to reach them - they can also make your space feel more homely and you can house other trinkets there to really personalise them. You also can use them to show off gorgeous hanging plants & really give your room that tropical jungle vibe - if you're into that!
If your space is small, opt for lighter toned shelves such as light woods or white shelves that are floating. Like this you won't make the wall look too busy and risk making your space feel smaller. And then... fill your shelves with all your gorgeous plant babies and enjoy with no fear of bun attacks 😁. Just always be mindful of the potential for falling leaves. I normally tend to pull off dead leaves when I see them so I usually don't have to worry about any falling on the floor - but do keep an eye out, especially if you have a plant that is known to be particularly toxic to rabbits.
2. Plant stands
This is probably my favourite approach and most used. I'm a huge fan of big plants and standing cacti that can't really fit on a shelf or be hung (lol) so this is a great approach to not limit your houseplant choices. There are a number of different ways you can raise your plants - actual plant stands, stools, baskets, crates, boxes, you can honestly get as creative as you'd like - e.g. a stack of books. Just make sure whatever you use is steady and stable for the plant, especially if it's a heavy plant. Firstly, because you don't want your plant falling over and the buns munching on the leaves while you're out, but more importantly, you don't want a heavy plant to fall on your bun and risk hurting them!
Try thrifting old wooden stools and repurposing with a coat of paint to fit your room style or spray paint plant stands to suit your colour palette. You can also play around with different heights to give a bit more depth to your plant corner and to work with the different sized plants you have.
3. Hanging plants
Bunmom or not, I have ALWAYS adored hanging plants. If you're one of our followers on Instagram, you've likely seen my collection of hanging plants in front of my big bay window (and believe me I'd have tons more if I had the space haha). I absolutely adore the way these plants cascade down and make you feel like you're living in your own tropical rainforest. But not only do these babies look absolutely stunning, they're also perfect for having house plants in your buns space. As long as they aren't cascading too low down or near e.g. a platform/chair that your bunny can stand on to reach them - you're very unlikely to have any munching incidents with these. There are tons of different varieties you can have, and all the different textures will add so much character to your home. Just make sure to trim if they ever get too long - bonus: you have some new strands to propagate and make more plant babies! 🥳 Moreover, make sure they are secured safely when hung, so you won't risk any falling plant accidents.
4. Trimming your plants
Maybe you don't have a ton of space for shelves or hanging plants, but you do want to have one or two large plants in your space. A tip to ensure you can still have these babies without having them sat super high on a large surface is to trim any cascading leaves from the sides of your plant. Like this, you'll have a taller plant rather than a more bushy plant, and your buns will struggle to stretch up and munch any leaves hanging over. Additionally, you can opt for tying a small bit of string around the lower cascading leaves to keep them propped upright, or wrapping some kind of barrier around the lower portion of the plant e.g. NIC grids or wire fencing to keep lower leaves out of reach. Please - do not underestimate how high your bunnies can stretch when houseplants are involved 😅.
5. Keeping plants away from platforms your bunny can jump onto
This is key. You might do all of the above and still run into issues if you aren't careful. Buns are extremely intelligent, and when it comes to your gorgeous forbidden greens, they will do anything and everything to reach them. That means jumping on their litter box or that armchair to yank down the plant on the shelf next to it, or to pull down a plant from the window sill. Believe me, I've been there. And I've had numerous accidents in the past😅.
So when placing plants, just anticipate any nearby platforms your buns may be able to jump on to reach that plant and either a) remove that platform or b) put something on-top of it to stop them from being able to jump up there. And don't be naive here - just because your bun has never jumped on X platform before or it seems a little high - don't think they never will - that new shiny plant might be the motivation they needed all along to finally pluck up the courage to jump up to that unknown area 😜.
Finally...
Don't be shy to tell your buns off when they attack your plants. Buns are really smart, and really will get used to your stern name calling when they run at your plants. I don't mean shout at them - just use a stern voice. Peanut now knows whenever I say PEANUT loudly when he's trying to attack one of my plants that he's in trouble and I'll be over in a few seconds to stop him from what he's doing. He'll suddenly become very conscious he's gotten caught being naughty. Sometimes he'll stop and run away, but based on the plants level of tastiness this doesn't always work, but well, it does increase the window of time you have to run over and fight them off your plant with that 3 second startle you gave them😂.
Hope these tips helped you out a little & let me know if you have any of your own tips down below! Happy green living bun parents & sorry buns - no happy munching for you this time! 🤪
Lots of love, Tamara, Peanut, Butter & all the (un-munched) Plants xoxo 🌵🌿🪴