Hi all, I am desperate to find out if my little bunny can eat our acer/maple that is in our garden. I am not sure what variety of acer or maple it is but it is small and in the summer it is bright red all over including the branches then it turns and orange colour in the autumn then drops to just twigs which my rabbit is now trying to eat. Snoopy our rabbit is a house rabbit that is only 5 months old. Today is only his third day out in the garden but he has taken a liking to this little tree. This and the bay tree is the only ones that I can not find any information on that is in our garden and I am worried as I do not want him to get poorly.

Any help or advise from you wise bunny people would be very much appreciated.

You would need to identify the tree. Some varieties of maple/acer can be fed, but the only ones I have confidence in are sugar maple and silver maple. The latin names for these are in the SAFE PLANTS LIST sticky. From your description, I suspect your tree may be a Japanese maple or other ornamental variety. I really suggest that you do not let your bunny eat anything that you are not 100% sure is safe.

I don't know if bay tree is safe for rabbits, but just want to say how lucky you are to have them in your garden. I have one in a huge pot in my living room but our climate is too cold for it to winter outdoors. Great for seasoning, if it is the classic Laurus nobilis.

Here is the link to the SAFE PLANTS FOR RABBITS list:
safe-plants-for-rabbits-list-t55.html

In the spring, there will be many common weeds that your bunny will enjoy. I'm sure you will recognize many of the ones on the list. Just remember to start with just a sprig or two if your rabbit is not accustomed to greens. Sudden changes in diet can be deadly.

Thank you so much for your reply, I really appreciate your guidance and advice. We are now in the process of moving the acer/maple from the back garden into the front as we would rather be safe than sorry as Snoopy is our baby. Until I find out more information about the bay tree I have put a large wooden log fence around the base of it high enough so snoopy can not jump over it. He is loving the garden so much and having the freedom to run around it and then come back in doors when he is tried has made him so happy. Binkis everywhere hehe. The only problem is though when I do bring him in side he sits at the patio doors staring out at the garden and when i go to stroke him he turns his back on me to show me that he is not happy lol.

Once again thank you so much for the advice. This forum is great xxxxx

I would be cautious about the bay leaves. There are many medicinal properties listed for them, one as an abortive. Like many old herbals some of the medicinal properties are doubtful but they should be kept in mind.
One thing in your favor is that rabbits who have a wide choice of plants to pick from such as in your garden will almost never poison themselves. They have a natural wisdom about plants. Usually it is only confined rabbits who are hungry for greens who will eat poisonous ones.

Your "Japanese Maple" ( ornamental, smaller leaves , and the "Norway Maple, Crimson Maple, King Maple"( am not recalling the scientific names at this point-- we like scientific names here--) all== NOT SAFE.
Now, the native "Acer Rubrum, or "Red Maple" is safe. You can tell it-- it is often confused with Sugar maples, but the petiole is red, while the leaf itself is green.

Terry, I don't think Red Maple (Acer rubrum) can be considered safe for rabbits. It is extremely toxic to horses and given the similarities between horse and rabbit digestive systems, I would not want to chance it.

http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/poiso ... predma.htm

This is the"red" maple that is toxic to livestock--I found the scientifc name--the leaves are actually 'red' in color,

Acer Platanoides

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/in ... _maple.htm


Now, the Japanese Maple, which has also been cultivated to have some green in it's leaves, is Acer Palatum and can be very toxic to livestock

The leaves of the native Acer Rubrum-- I have been feeding as part of the overall diet--

I'll bow to your first-hand experience on this one, Terry.

There seems to be a lot of confusion on this subject, including the website I posted a link for in my previous post.

We went through the Acer Rubrum vs Acer Platanoides at some point in this same board. And I said then I fed Acer Rubrum!!! it is ahrd to remebr the titles of the thread--, but, as is pointed out so many times-- the scientific name is needed--the non-natives to this continenet seem tobe the issue here-- and common names really screw things up-- like that weed ID thing-- What some peple are calling the mouse eared chickweed looks NOTHING lie whay I find iunder that common name in my field guides-- thatis why I would like more info so I can dig deeper...

__________ Mon Mar 05, 2012 12:47 pm __________

yes, your link is only specifying horses, and horses are a bit more sensitive than rabbits-- Plus-- horses are more inclined to gorge themselvs. If you not, that site also says silver and sugar maples are to be avoided,a s well-- with no real reason why---

ow, a 'homesteader' in washington State pointed me to a nice blog

http://blog.chestnutherbs.com/

which indicates DayLillies are good food for US-- and cautions to not confuse the young daylilly leaves with Iris Leaves... I think this blog could be a good starting point for some experiomenting for peple with a test rabbit or two!