If you need autumn, winter spring-blooming ornamental plants, Crocus, a genus with over 90 perennial flowering plants in the iris family, has cultivars you should consider. Are they bunny resistant or not?
Crocuses or croci refer to short ornamental plants (3-6 inches high) that grow on corms with attractive white, yellow, orange and soft lilac to mauve to deep blue flowers have on your garden, flowerbed, lawn, or any other place. However, the term may also refer to the Colchicum autumnale or autumn Crocus.
Clarification
The saffron (Crocus sativus) variety is a source of the source of saffron spice. It blooms in autumn, and the spice comes from its flower’s stigmas. Don’t confuse it with Colchicum autumnale (autumn crocus, naked ladies, or meadow saffron), as the latter is highly toxic.
It has colchicine (an alkaloid) known to cause severe vomiting, gastroenterocolitis (inflammation of stomach and intestines), and diarrhea with delayed toxicity resulting in “seizures, cardiac dysrhythmias, hypotension, shock, coagulopathy, pancytopenia and respiratory, renal, and hepatic failure.” (1)
To pets, Pet Poison Helpline notes that “Autumn Crocus, also known as Meadow Saffron or Naked Lady, is highly toxic and can cause severe gastrointestinal signs (e.g., drooling, vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, bloody diarrhea, etc.), liver and kidney damage, respiratory failure, central nervous system signs (e.g., seizures), and even death.”
Our focus will be on Crocus ssp. and not Colchicum autumnale since both are ornamental plants.
Do bunnies eat Crocus?
No. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension has listed Crocus species as one deer and rabbit resistant plants. The Rabbit Welfare Association & Funds has listed crocuses as one of the toxic plants. However, they have not clarified which one.
If you want to grow crocus, some of the top varieties to plant include Tommies, Pickwick, Gipsy Girl, Skyline, Romance, Zenith, Zwanenburg Bronze, Grand Maitre, Saffron, and Firefly Crocus.