Native Rabbits and Hares in Ontario: What They Eat and How to Peacefully Protect Your Garden

Rabbits can be charming visitors until they begin eating lettuce, beans, strawberries, seedlings, flowers, and young fruit trees. In Ontario gardens, rabbit damage often shows up as clean, angled cuts on stems, missing leafy growth, chewed shoots, clipped flowers, and bark damage on young shrubs or saplings. Unlike some animals that tear or shred plants, rabbits often leave behind a neat cut because of how their teeth work. This can make the damage look like someone snipped the plant with small scissors.

The goal should not be to harm them. Rabbits and hares are part of Ontario’s wildlife system, and they play an important role as herbivores and prey animals. They feed on grasses, weeds, woody stems, and low-growing plants, while also supporting predators such as hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes, snakes, and weasels. In a healthy ecosystem, they are part of the balance.

The problem begins when a garden becomes easier, safer, and more nutritious than the surrounding landscape. Once rabbits learn that a yard provides tender food and nearby cover, they may return regularly. The best approach is to understand which species live in Ontario, what they naturally eat, why gardens attract them, and how to redirect their behaviour away from the plants you want to protect.

Why Rabbits Choose Gardens

Rabbits do not understand garden ownership. They are not choosing your plants to be difficult. They are choosing the food source that gives them the most nutrition with the least effort and risk.

Compared to wild foliage, garden plants are often:

• softer and easier to chew

• higher in moisture

• less fibrous

• more nutrient dense

• grown in open, accessible rows

• watered regularly

• surrounded by cover such as sheds, decks, shrubs, fences, or tall grass
  

A wild plant growing in a field may be tougher, drier, more mature, or farther from safe hiding cover. A watered vegetable bed, on the other hand, is full of young, tender, low-growing plants. To a rabbit, that is an ideal feeding area.

Young seedlings, lettuce, peas, beans, herbs, strawberries, brassicas, carrot tops, beet greens, clover, tulips, pansies, and tender flowers are especially attractive because they are easy to bite through and rich in moisture. Rabbits are also more likely to feed in gardens when nearby wild plants are dry, overgrown, cut down, covered by snow, or less nutritious.

Gardens also create predictable food. Once a rabbit finds a reliable patch, it may return repeatedly, especially at dawn, dusk, or overnight when it feels safer.

Native Rabbits and Hares in Ontario

Ontario’s rabbits and hares belong to the order Lagomorpha, a group of mammals that is biologically separate from rodents. Although rabbits, hares, and rodents all have continuously growing front teeth, lagomorphs have a second small pair of upper incisors behind the main front incisors. This dental structure helps them clip vegetation cleanly, which is why rabbit damage often looks like a neat cut rather than a torn leaf.

Rabbits and hares are herbivores with a digestive system built for processing fibrous plant material. They use a strategy called hindgut fermentation, where plant fibres are broken down by microbes in the large intestine and cecum. They also produce nutrient-rich soft droppings, called cecotropes, which they reingest to recover vitamins, protein, and microbial nutrients. This is one reason they can survive on grasses, leaves, bark, twigs, and other plant material that would not be very nutritious to many animals.

Rabbits and hares look similar, but they are adapted differently. Rabbits generally rely on cover, stillness, and quick escape into brush or shelter. Hares are usually larger, longer-legged, faster, and more adapted to open, northern, or forest-edge habitats. Their young are also different. Rabbits usually give birth to more helpless young in hidden nests, while hares give birth to young that are furred, open-eyed, and more mobile shortly after birth.

Eastern Cottontail

The Eastern cottontail is the rabbit most Ontario gardeners are likely to encounter, especially in southern Ontario, suburban areas, parks, lawns, meadows, hedgerows, and brushy garden edges.

It has brownish-grey fur, large eyes, a short white tail, and ears that are shorter than those of most hares. Its body is built for hiding and quick escape rather than long-distance running. It prefers areas with nearby cover, such as shrubs, tall grass, brush piles, fences, sheds, decks, and garden borders.

Biologically, the Eastern cottontail is adapted to feed on low-growing vegetation. Its sharp incisors clip tender stems cleanly, while its digestive system allows it to process grasses, leaves, and woody material. During the growing season, it prefers soft, moist, nutrient-rich plants. In winter, when green growth is limited, it shifts toward bark, twigs, buds, and young shoots.

Its diet includes grasses, clover, dandelion, plantain, tender weeds, wildflowers, seedlings, berries, garden greens, bark, twigs, and young woody growth.

In gardens, Eastern cottontails commonly target lettuce, beans, peas, carrot tops, beet greens, brassicas, herbs, strawberries, pansies, tulips, young sunflowers, and newly planted seedlings. They are usually the main rabbit responsible for damage in southern Ontario vegetable gardens.

Snowshoe Hare

The Snowshoe hare is native to Ontario and is more common in forests, boreal regions, mixed woods, and northern or forest-edge areas. It gets its name from its large hind feet, which spread its weight over snow and allow it to move efficiently in winter conditions.

Snowshoe hares have strong seasonal adaptations. Their coat changes colour, turning brown in summer and white in winter. This camouflage helps protect them from predators in both leafy and snowy environments. Their long legs and large feet also make them more hare-like in behaviour, relying more on speed, leaping, and cover within forest habitat.

Their diet changes with the season. In spring and summer, they eat grasses, sedges, clover, leaves, herbs, and tender vegetation. In winter, they rely heavily on woody browse, including buds, twigs, bark, shrubs, willow, birch, aspen, and conifer material.

Snowshoe hares are less likely than Eastern cottontails to be the main animal eating a suburban vegetable garden. However, they may browse gardens in rural, northern, cottage, or forest-edge properties, especially where vegetable beds or shrubs are close to natural cover.

Arctic Hare

The Arctic hare is adapted to cold, open northern environments and is much larger than the Eastern cottontail. It has shorter ears relative to its body, powerful legs, and a compact body shape that helps conserve heat. Its thick coat and northern adaptations allow it to survive in harsh, exposed conditions where vegetation is low and seasonal.

Its diet includes woody plants, buds, bark, mosses, lichens, grasses, sedges, and low tundra vegetation. It is built for survival in environments where food is often sparse, tough, and seasonally limited.

For most Ontario gardeners, Arctic hares are not a practical garden concern. They are not the rabbit-like animal eating lettuce in a southern Ontario backyard. They are included only for broader context when discussing native lagomorphs in northern Canada and far northern habitats. In typical Ontario home gardens, the species of concern is far more likely to be the Eastern cottontail, with snowshoe hare being relevant in northern or forest-edge areas.

Important Note: Not Every Rabbit-Like Animal Is Native

Not every rabbit-like animal seen in Ontario is native wildlife. This distinction matters because native species are part of the local ecosystem, while released domestic rabbits and introduced species can create welfare problems, ecological issues, or confusion when people try to identify what is damaging their garden.

Domestic rabbits are not native wildlife. They are pets that have been bred for human care, and they should never be released outdoors. Even if they appear similar to wild rabbits, they often lack the survival skills, camouflage, and instincts needed to handle predators, winter weather, disease, parasites, and food scarcity. Many released domestic rabbits suffer from exposure, starvation, injury, or predation.

They can also create problems if they survive and reproduce. Domestic rabbits may compete for food, damage vegetation, spread disease, or establish local feral populations in some areas. Releasing a pet rabbit is not a humane choice. If someone can no longer care for a rabbit, the responsible option is to contact a rescue, shelter, veterinarian, or rehoming network.

European hares, also called brown hares, are also not native to Ontario. They were introduced to parts of North America and should not be confused with native lagomorphs such as the Eastern cottontail or snowshoe hare. They are generally larger, longer-legged, and more open-country adapted than cottontails.

This is important for gardeners because proper identification changes the response. A domestic rabbit in a yard may need rescue support. A native cottontail browsing seedlings needs peaceful garden protection. A hare in a rural area may require habitat-based deterrence. Treating them all as the same animal can lead to the wrong solution.

What Rabbits Commonly Eat in Gardens

Rabbits are selective feeders, especially when they have access to young, tender plants. Their teeth are designed to clip vegetation efficiently, and their digestive system is built to process plant material throughout the day. Because they are small prey animals with fast metabolisms, they often feed in repeated short sessions rather than one long meal.

The most vulnerable crops are usually low-growing, soft, newly planted, or close to shelter. Rabbits are especially drawn to plants with tender stems, juicy leaves, and young growth that requires less chewing effort.

Common garden targets include:

• lettuce

• spinach

• kale

• cabbage

• broccoli

• cauliflower

• beans

• peas

• carrot tops

• beet greens

• radish greens

• parsley

• cilantro

• basil

• strawberries

• clover

• pansies

• young sunflowers

• tulips

• hostas

• young shrubs and saplings
  

Leafy greens are often hit first because they are soft, moist, and easy to digest. Beans and peas are vulnerable because their young shoots are low and tender. Strawberries attract rabbits because the leaves, flowers, and fruit are all accessible at ground level. Young shrubs and saplings become more vulnerable in winter, when green vegetation is limited and rabbits shift toward bark, buds, and woody stems.

Why Rabbits Eat Your Garden Instead of Wild Plants

Wild foliage may be abundant, but abundance does not always mean preference. Rabbits are not simply choosing the nearest plant. They are constantly balancing food quality with safety.

A rabbit feeding in the open is vulnerable to predators, so it prefers food that offers the highest reward in the shortest amount of time. A watered garden bed full of young greens gives more moisture, softer tissue, and easier chewing than mature wild plants, tough grasses, or dry roadside vegetation.

Rabbits choose food based on:

• tenderness

• moisture

• nutritional value

• distance from cover

• safety from predators

• ease of access
  

Garden plants are often bred for exactly the traits rabbits prefer. Many vegetables have been selected by humans to be less fibrous, less bitter, larger leaved, and more tender than wild plants. That makes them more appealing not only to people, but also to herbivores.

Gardens also create predictable feeding zones. If a rabbit finds lettuce in one spot, beans in another, and strawberries near the edge, it can learn that route and return repeatedly. This learned behaviour is why damage may seem to happen again and again in the same area.

They are especially likely to enter gardens when:

• seedlings are newly planted

• grass is cut short nearby

• clover is present in lawns

• fruit or greens are ripening

• shrubs, sheds, decks, or fences provide hiding cover

• drought makes wild food tougher or less available
  

Short grass can also make garden beds easier to reach because rabbits can move quickly across open lawn and retreat back to cover. Clover lawns may attract them into the yard first, and once they are already nearby, the vegetable garden becomes the next easy food source.

Drought can make the issue worse. When wild plants become dry, fibrous, or less abundant, irrigated gardens become a high-value food patch. This is why rabbit pressure can increase during hot, dry periods, even when there appears to be plenty of greenery around.

How to Peacefully Deter Rabbits From Your Garden

The most effective rabbit deterrence is physical prevention. Rabbits are persistent, but they are not strong climbers, and they usually enter gardens by slipping through gaps, squeezing under loose edges, or feeding from the perimeter. This means the best protection is not usually a spray, scent, or scare object. It is a simple barrier that blocks access to the plants they want.

Peaceful deterrence works by changing the garden from an easy feeding area into a space that requires too much effort or risk. Rabbits prefer quick access, low cover, and safe escape routes. If they cannot reach the food easily, they usually move on to easier forage elsewhere.

Use Proper Fencing

A rabbit fence does not need to be extremely tall, but it does need to be tight, secure, and properly installed at ground level. The bottom edge is the most important part because rabbits usually do not leap over garden fences. They push under weak spots, squeeze through gaps, or enter where gates and corners are poorly fitted.

Use wire mesh or hardware cloth with openings small enough that a rabbit cannot push through. For most cottontail protection, a fence about 2 to 3 feet high is usually enough if the bottom is secure.

For best results:

• bury the bottom 6 inches into the soil

• or bend the bottom outward in an L shape and secure it under soil or mulch

• use mesh openings no larger than about 1 inch

• check gates, corners, and raised bed edges for gaps

• protect raised beds with removable mesh frames when needed
  

The L shaped fence base is especially useful because it blocks digging without needing to trench deeply. When a rabbit tries to dig at the fence line, it hits the buried outward flap and cannot easily get under.

For raised beds, removable mesh panels can be more practical than fencing the entire garden. These can be lifted for weeding and harvesting, then placed back over vulnerable crops.

Protect Seedlings First

Seedlings are the easiest meal in the garden. They are soft, low to the ground, and often planted in open soil where rabbits can reach them without much effort. A rabbit can remove a row of seedlings quickly, especially overnight or in the early morning.

After planting, protect young crops with:

• mesh hoops

• cloches

• row cover

• small cages

• hardware cloth frames
  

This protection does not always need to stay in place forever. Many plants become less appealing once they are larger, tougher, or more aromatic. However, leafy greens, beans, peas, brassicas, and herbs may need protection longer because they remain tender and edible throughout much of the season.

Seedling protection is especially important after transplanting because young plants are already under stress. If rabbits chew them back at this stage, they may not recover.

Use Plant Cages Around High Value Crops

For individual plants or small groups, cages can be more efficient than fencing an entire garden. This is useful when only certain crops are being targeted or when you are protecting young plants until they are established.

Use cages around:

• young fruit trees

• berry shrubs

• beans

• peas

• brassicas

• young sunflowers

• herbs

• strawberries
  

Cages should be wide enough that rabbits cannot simply reach through and chew the plant. If the leaves are pressed against the mesh, rabbits may still nibble them from outside. Leave a small buffer between the plant and the cage wall.

Tree guards are especially important in winter. When snow covers low vegetation, rabbits may chew bark from young fruit trees, shrubs, and saplings. If they remove bark all the way around the trunk, called girdling, the tree may die because nutrients can no longer move properly between the roots and canopy.

For young trees, use hardware cloth cylinders or tree guards that extend above expected snow height. Leave space between the guard and the trunk so the bark can breathe and the tree can grow. Check guards regularly so they do not trap moisture, rub the bark, or become too tight over time.

Reduce Hiding Cover Near the Garden

Rabbits are prey animals, so they rarely feed far from safety. Even when food is abundant, they prefer areas where they can eat quickly and escape into cover if threatened. This is why garden damage is often worse along edges, near shrubs, beside fences, beside sheds, or close to decks.

If a vegetable bed is surrounded by tall grass, brush piles, low shrubs, stacked materials, or open space under a structure, it becomes a safer feeding zone. The rabbit can step out, eat, and retreat within seconds.

To make the area less comfortable:

• trim tall grass near garden beds

• remove brush piles close to vegetables

• block access under sheds and decks

• prune low dense shrubs near crops

• keep garden edges open and visible

• avoid storing lumber, pots, or debris beside edible beds

• create a clear gap between dense cover and vulnerable plants
  

You do not need to remove wildlife habitat from your whole yard. The goal is not to make the property hostile to nature. The goal is to create distance between hiding cover and the plants you are trying to protect.

A rabbit is much less likely to cross a wide, open, exposed space to reach food. By keeping the area directly around the garden open and visible, you increase the sense of risk without harming the animal.

Redirect Them With a Safer Feeding Area

If you want to redirect rabbits rather than fully exclude them, you can create a more appealing food patch away from your main vegetable garden. This gives rabbits an easier option while your protected crops become harder to access.

Good rabbit-friendly plants include:

• clover

• dandelion

• plantain

• grasses

• violets

• yarrow

• wild strawberry

• native low-growing meadow plants
  

This works best when the alternative patch is placed away from your vegetables, fruit trees, and high-value crops. The idea is to give rabbits something accessible in a lower conflict area, while using fencing or cages to protect the plants you do not want eaten.

Redirection alone is usually not enough. If your lettuce is unprotected and easy to reach, rabbits may still choose it over clover. Redirection works better when paired with barriers, because the rabbit is encouraged to take the easier food source instead of fighting through protection.

This approach is especially useful for gardeners who want to support wildlife but still need boundaries around food production.

Use Scent Deterrents Carefully

Scent deterrents can be helpful in some situations, but they should not be treated as the main solution. Rabbits rely heavily on smell, but they are also capable of learning. If a scent is unpleasant but no real danger follows, they may eventually ignore it.

Some gardeners use garlic, hot pepper, blood meal, predator urine, or commercial repellents. These may reduce browsing temporarily, especially when applied around the edges of a garden. However, they often need to be reapplied after rain, irrigation, or heavy dew.

Use caution with homemade sprays. Hot pepper can irritate rabbits, pets, wildlife, and people. It can also cause discomfort if it gets into eyes, noses, paws, or skin. Some mixtures may damage tender leaves, especially during hot weather or direct sun.

Scent deterrents are best used as a backup around protected areas, not as the only defence. They may help reinforce the message that a space is unpleasant, but fencing, cages, reduced cover, and seedling protection are far more reliable.

Choose Less Appealing Plants Around the Edges

Rabbits are more likely to browse plants that are soft, low, mild tasting, and easy to chew. Around the edges of a garden, you can reduce interest by planting species that are stronger scented, fuzzy textured, tougher leaved, or less palatable.

This does not create a perfect barrier, but it can make the garden edge less inviting. Rabbits usually prefer the easiest food first, so a border of less appealing plants can help slow them down or encourage them to browse elsewhere.

Examples include:

• lavender

• sage

• thyme

• oregano

• chives

• garlic chives

• alliums

• yarrow

• bee balm

• catmint

• marigolds

• lamb’s ear
  

These plants work best as a supporting strategy around fencing, cages, or protected beds. They are not a guarantee, especially during drought, winter, or food scarcity. A hungry rabbit may still sample plants it normally avoids.

Aromatic plants can also benefit the garden in other ways. Many attract pollinators, support beneficial insects, and add structure or scent to the planting area. This makes them useful even if their rabbit deterrent effect is only partial.

Protect Winter Bark

In winter, rabbits often shift from soft green growth to woody material. Young trees and shrubs are especially vulnerable because their bark is thinner, softer, and easier to chew than mature bark.

This type of damage can be serious. If rabbits chew all the way around the trunk, they can remove the cambium layer, which is the living tissue that moves nutrients between the roots and upper growth. This is called girdling, and it can kill a young tree.

Protect trunks with:

• tree guards

• hardware cloth cylinders

• plastic spiral guards

• fencing around young shrubs
  

Protection should extend above the expected snow line because deep snow can lift rabbits high enough to reach branches and trunks they normally could not access. Leave space between the guard and the trunk so air can move and the bark does not stay damp.

Check guards periodically. They should not rub, trap moisture, restrict growth, or become embedded as the tree expands. In spring, inspect young trees for chewing damage and adjust protection before the next winter.

What Not to Do

Avoid poison, glue traps, leg-hold traps, harmful fencing, or illegal relocation. These methods can cause suffering and may harm pets, predators, scavengers, or other wildlife. Poison is especially risky because a poisoned rabbit can be eaten by hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes, or domestic animals.

Relocation is also not a simple solution. Moving a rabbit can separate it from its territory, food sources, shelter, or young. It can also move disease, create stress, or violate local wildlife rules.

Do not destroy nests unless you are absolutely sure what you are dealing with. Eastern cottontails nest in shallow depressions in grass, often lined with fur and dried plant material. The mother may only visit briefly to feed the young, so a nest that looks abandoned may still be active.

If a nest is in a dangerous location, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for advice before moving or disturbing it.

Best Peaceful Deterrent Combination

For most Ontario gardens, the best strategy is layered protection.

Fence the vegetable garden properly. Protect seedlings early. Use cages around high-value crops. Reduce hiding cover immediately beside beds. Clean up fallen produce. Protect young trees in winter. Create a rabbit-friendly patch away from the garden if you want to redirect them.

No single method works perfectly by itself. The best results come from making the garden harder to access while giving rabbits safer, less damaging options elsewhere.

A peaceful rabbit strategy is not about removing wildlife from the landscape. It is about setting boundaries so your food garden can thrive while native animals continue to exist around it.