Rabbit-Proof Vines

Wisteria

• Rabbits avoid aromatic vines like those in the Wisteria genus, which produce highly scented flowers. Japanese wisteria (W. floribunda) grows to 35 feet long and thrives in full sun. This twining vine produces fragrant, white, pink and blue-purple flowers. Chinese wisteria (W. sinensis) grows aggressively up to 50 feet tall. It produces showy, aromatic, purple-and-white flowers. American wisteria (W. fruitescens) grows to 30 feet tall. This North American native vine prefers sunny exposures and produces purple flowers with yellow markings. Another native, Kentucky wisteria (W. macrostachya), grows slowly compared to other wisteria varieties. This twining vine blooms with aromatic, pale-purple flowers.

Honeysuckle

• Rabbits don’t usually like honeysuckle vines (Lonicera spp.). These fast-growing, deciduous vines produce fragrant flowers. Ornamental species include woodbine (L. periclymenum), which grows 20 feet long and thrives in sun to light shade. It blooms with white-and-purple flowers and produces red berries. Coral honeysuckle (L. sempervirens) blooms with red-and-orange, trumpet-shaped flowers from spring through fall. This 25-foot vine prefers moist sites in sun to partial shade, as does Japanese honeysuckle (L. japonica). This 30-foot vine can be invasive if left unchecked. It blooms with fragrant, white flowers followed by black berries.

Annual Vines

• Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spectabilis) is a cold-tender perennial grown as an annual in cooler climates. This thorny vine produces showy flowers in a range of colors, from red to purple. It thrives in full sun and moist, rich soils. Bougainvillea tolerates salty soil and comes in a variety of cultivars. The potato vine (Solanum jasminoides) is perennial, but usually grows as an annual due to its lack of cold-hardiness. This fast-growing plant reaches lengths of 15 feet and has dark foliage. It produces white flowers from summer through late fall and grows well in sun or partial shade.

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Other Vines

• Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) grows to 50 feet long and has five-leaved foliage that turns red in the fall. This deciduous vine is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 to 9 and tolerates salty sites. It thrives in sun to partial shade and average soils. English ivy (Hedera helix) grows quickly to 50 feet long. This evergreen vine is grown for its glossy, dense foliage, although mature plants also produce blue-black berries. English ivy grows best in partial to full shade. It grows in a variety of cultivars, including Zebra, which has variegated foliage, and the golden-green leaved Buttercup.