Are Lady's Mantles Rabbit-Resistant?

The Plant

• Lady's mantle is a groundcover with a compact, spreading habit. The serrated, fan-shaped leaves are a gray-green color. The plants are prized by growers for their foliage's texture and shape, and the leaves are known for the way they show off water droplets. Hairs present on one or both sides of the leaves give the foliage a velvety feel. Rabbits may find this texture unpleasant, which may be the reason they avoid the plants.

Variety

• Approximately 300 species of lady's mantle exist. While the plants offer variation in size and flower color, they do not produce showy flowers. Red mantle provides added interest, offering red stems and lime green flowers, according to the University of Vermont Extension. Lady's mantle is compact at 6 to 12 inches, but common lady's mantle reaches 12 to 24 inches tall.

Resistance

• As with all plants, lady's mantle is rabbit-resistant but not rabbit-proof. Rabbits do not prefer the plants, but in a situation where food is scarce, they may eventually consume them. Since rabbits are curious and will sample new plants, the Royal Horticultural Society advises you to protect new plantings with netting during the period it takes for your plants to establish themselves in a new area. For an alternative method of protection, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife suggests you cut the bottom from plastic milk jugs and use them as a cloches over your plants.

Rabbits

• Deterring rabbits can be difficult because your yard provides an environment they favor: open grassy areas with nearby cover. As rabbits are active at dawn and dusk, and you may not see them, watch for their droppings, tracks and trails offer evidence they are feeding on plants, suggests the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Reduce problems with rabbits by using many types of rabbit-resistant plants in your landscaping and making your yard less rabbit-friendly. Eliminate brush piles and tall grasses. Install chicken wire fencing, buried 6 inches below ground, around vulnerable plants.