The question of whether deer rabbits eat rhubarb has a split answer. Deer may browse rhubarb leaves in certain conditions, while rabbits tend to leave the plant alone. The high oxalic acid content in the leaves keeps most small animals away. Deer are less picky and will munch on rhubarb foliage when other food runs short or after frost weakens the leaves.
Many gardeners call rhubarb deer resistant. The oxalic acid in the leaves turns off most browsers. During the growing season when deer have plenty of other food choices, they almost always skip right past rhubarb. The bitter taste and mild toxicity of fresh leaves give them good reason to eat something else instead. But this protection breaks down in two cases. Hungry deer in winter will eat just about anything they can find. And frost-damaged leaves lose some of their bitterness, making them tempting to deer that pass through your yard. You need to watch your patch closest during that narrow fall window right after the first hard freeze.
Extension sources don't agree on how big this problem is. South Dakota State says deer browse rhubarb leaves, noting that fall frost makes the foliage more likely to attract them. Other extension offices list rhubarb as a deer-resistant garden plant. The truth sits somewhere in the middle and depends on your local deer population, food supply, and time of year. Rabbits show up in the research much less often because they tend to avoid rhubarb on their own. In my years of growing rhubarb near rabbit habitat, I've never seen a single bite mark from a bunny on any of my plants.
I did find deer damage one October morning after the first hard frost of the season. Several large leaves had been torn and chewed along the edges. The stalks were left alone but the leaf tops were stripped clean. This matched what South Dakota State describes. Before that frost, the same deer had walked past my rhubarb patch all summer without touching it. The frost changed the game by wilting the leaves and cutting their acidic taste. I now make it a point to clean up frosted leaves within a day or two of the first freeze so deer don't get a chance to graze.
The best way to protect your wildlife rhubarb garden plants is to remove dead leaves fast after the first hard frost. Don't let frosted foliage sit on the plants for days because that's exactly when deer come looking for it. Cut the wilted leaves off at the stalk base and toss them in your compost bin. This simple cleanup takes away the main thing that draws deer to your rhubarb beds during the fall months. You don't have to do much work to keep your patch safe.
If deer pressure stays high in your area even after cleanup, a short fence or deer netting around the patch works well during fall and winter. You don't need a tall fence for rhubarb since the plants are low to the ground. A 3-foot barrier is enough to keep deer from casually browsing while they pass through your yard. Roll it up in spring once the fresh leaves come back with their full acid content and the deer will ignore the patch on their own again.
Don't worry about rabbits at all. They have enough sense to stay away from rhubarb's toxic leaves without any help from you. Focus your energy on fall deer protection. Your rhubarb patch will come through every winter just fine with a little care on your part. A quick fall cleanup is all it takes to keep your plants safe from hungry deer.
Read the full article: Growing Rhubarb: Expert Advice for Success
