Is Coleus Rabbit Resistant?

Description

• Although they are not rabbit-resistant, coleus plants are still worth growing -- even if you do have hungry rabbits in the area. The plants offer a lot of bang for the buck. They quickly grow to their maximum size, which can range from 1 to 3 feet tall and wide, depending on the cultivar. Some may be even larger. In fact, cultivars bred for hanging baskets and other containers may spread to more than 3 feet, according to Clemson Cooperative Extension. The more than 600 cultivars vary widely in appearance, which means there is a coleus plant for just about any landscape. The stunning foliage comes in a wide variety of colors, hues and shapes. The leaves may have wavy or straight margins and can be bisected or edged with different colors.

Cultivation

• Coleus plants grow best in shade or dappled sunlight. In fact, too much sunlight can fade the colors in the foliage and cause wilting. Tuck them under tall shrubs or trees, into corners of your porch, or along shady borders to fill them out. They will tolerate just about any type of soil -- even clay soil -- as long as it is warm and on the dry side. For this reason, well-draining soil is a must. The first freeze of the autumn season will kill these plants unless you bring them indoors.

Considerations

• One way to keep hungry rabbits from defoliating coleus plants is to grow them in containers. Trailing types are attractive in hanging baskets and are far out of reach of rabbits and other hungry mammals. The plants are also stunning and unreachable in window boxes or tall containers. Many home gardeners choose to grow them as indoor houseplants. Indoors, the plants thrive in a sunny windowsill and will be resistant to rabbits unless you have one roaming around as a house pet. Because wet feet can be a problem with these plants, containers housing coleus plants should have drainage holes to allow water to drain freely from the pot.

Coleus Canina

• Coleus canina (Plectranthus caninus) is often marketed as a cat deterrent. Said to repel foxes and rabbits also, this blue-leafed plant is actually not a coleus at all. The plant is a member of the Plectranthus genus. Native to Africa, canina and others in the genus are similar in appearance to coleus cultivars. If you are looking for a plant similar to coleus that is rabbit-resistant, and you don't mind the slightly skunky smell, this one might be a consideration. Unlike coleus plants, members of Plectranthus family are perennials. In general, species of Plectranthus grow best in USDA zones 9 through 11.