🐰 When the Bunnies Eat Everything (And Why That’s Okay)

What I learned from losing my groundcover to a very fluffy garden crew

Walk into your food forest expecting to check on your sweet potato vines and instead… they're gone. Butterfly pea? Gone. Cowpea leaves? Also gone.

At first, I thought I’d been raided by a small plant-loving tornado. But the real culprit? Bunnies.

Not just one bunny. A whole sneaky squad of soft-footed foragers, living their best life—at my garden’s expense.

But here’s the twist: this wasn’t destruction. It was permaculture in action.

🌀 Nature Is Always Interacting

In permaculture, we learn not to fight nature—but to observe and interact. And when I slowed down and really looked at what was happening, I saw something amazing:

The bunnies were actually helping.

Yes, really.

🧠 How the Bunnies Benefit the Garden

Here’s how this unexpected “attack” actually supported my food forest:

1. They Pruned the Fast-Growers

Sweet potato vines and cowpeas grow aggressively. Without checks, they can smother smaller plants and shade out young fruit trees. The bunnies trimmed them naturally—no tools required.

2. They Dropped Fertilizer While They Snacked

Rabbit droppings are what we call “cold manure.” That means it’s rich in nutrients but won’t burn plants—and it doesn’t need to be composted first. In other words, it’s instant soil-building gold.

3. They Trigger Regrowth

Many groundcovers, especially sweet potato, respond to grazing with vigorous regrowth. What seemed like loss was actually the first step in renewal.

4. They Offered Feedback

The bunnies showed me where I had excess. If I’m growing more than I need—and nature’s taking a share—that’s actually a yield, not a problem.

🌿 The Bigger Picture: Letting Go of Control

Yes, I could fence them out. I could trap them. But I’d rather learn from them. Because the truth is, a healthy food forest feeds more than just the gardener.

It feeds the soil.The wildlife.The entire ecosystem.And in return, the system feeds me better than I ever could on my own.

✨ What You Can Do if Bunnies Are Eating Your Garden

• Plant extra: Add more groundcover than you think you’ll need. Some is for you. Some is for the system.

• Diversify: The more types of plants you grow, the more resilient your space becomes.

• Observe first: Before reacting, see what the “damage” is really doing. Is it clearing space? Offering compost? Feeding beneficial animals?

• Work with nature, not against it: That’s the heart of permaculture.

🪴 Final Thoughts

I started the day frustrated that bunnies were undoing my work. But I ended it reminded that I’m not the only one gardening here. Nature has her own way of balancing things—and sometimes, that includes a fluffy little landscaper with a big appetite.

Want more funny, real-life lessons from the food forest?🌿 Follow along at @EdibleTrailsGarden📩 Or subscribe to our seasonal newsletter for tips, wins, fails, and food forest magic.