Nothing is more disappointing than planting and tending a garden only to find that you are doing nothing more than providing a meal for wild rabbits. If you suspect rabbits may be feeding on your yard or garden, you may want to plant more rabbit-resistant specimens, such as liriope. However, although rabbits do have their preferences, very few plant species are truly rabbit-resistant.
Lily turf (Liriope muscari) is native to Japan, China and Taiwan, and is winter hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 10. There are a few other lily turfs (Liriope spp.) whose hardiness zones range depending on species. These herbaceous perennials are often used as a flowering ground cover or to edge borders, driveways and walkways. The grasslike plant grows from tubers and produces flowers similar to hyacinth, hence the common name.
Signs of Rabbit Damage
Rabbits often prey upon tender shoots of spring bulbs such as tulips, upon fruits and vegetables in the edible garden, and upon the bark and woody shoots of shrubs. Signs that rabbits may be in your garden include gnawed-off tree bark and clipped-off woody twigs, buds from saplings, or flower heads. To determine whether your predators are deer or rabbits, look at the end of damaged shoots or stems: If they are torn and jagged, they are most likely deer; if they are snipped at a clean 45-degree angle, rabbits are probably at fault.
Liriope and Rabbits
Lily turf is generally listed as a rabbit-resistant plant. This means that most of the time rabbits will not eat it as long as they have other, tastier options available to them. However, there are two caveats. The first is that "rabbit-resistant" is not the same as "rabbit-deterrent"; that is to say, growing lily turf in the garden is not likely to keep rabbits away, even if they avoid the plant itself. The second caveat is that in times of scarcity, rabbits add much to the menu that they ordinarily would not eat.
The best way to protect plants, including lily turf when other food sources are not available, is to keep rabbits out of your garden entirely. Fences work well and are usually the most foolproof method. Make sure when constructing fences that you either bury or stake the bottom, as rabbits are adept at slipping underneath the edges. You should also make sure you aren’t inadvertently harboring them by not removing piles of brush or other material that might offer protection.
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