Though tame rabbits might prefer carrots, the wild ones in my yard leave the wild carrots alone. Instead, these snowshoe hares prefer eating dandelions and plantains throughout the spring and summer months.
Although there is a great diversity of plants for the hares to choose from, they repeatedly eat the same ‘weeds.’ During the winter months, I often see them sitting up on their back legs eating from the low branches of young balsam fir trees.
One of the plants that I’ve never seen the rabbits eat is the Queen Anne’s Lace, also known as wild carrot. This plant is in the same Parsley family (Umbelliferae) as the carrots whose orange colored roots we eat. The plants in this family have compound umbels, tiny umbrella-shaped clusters radiating from a central point. Their flower stalks are usually hollow.
There is such variety among wild carrot plants that it’s very difficult to tell the difference between them. The Daucus carota growing in my yard, shown above, has elongated green stalks covered with fine hairs, while the marsh growing species shown below, which I’ve yet been able to identify, has reddish stalks. Their leaves are also different, but since the flowers are so similar, it might be easy to mistake one type for the other, especially if they’re not growing side by side.
Discerning one species from another becomes even more difficult when plants are found growing in the wild intermingled with other varieties, as shown below. Water hemlock, which also has similar flowers, is the most poisonous plant in North America. It’s so toxic that children have died just from drinking liquids through the plant’s hollow stalks. Although some of the species in this family are edible, such as wild fennel, I don’t think I’d be brave enough to eat any of them. Dandelions and plantains seem like a safer choice and come highly recommended by the local rabbits.
For more information on snowshoe hares see The Hare Whisperer and The Advantages of Being Harebrained.
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So have you pondered exactly WHY wild rabbits don’t like carrots or Queen Anne’s Lace? Hmmm…. And why domesticated carrots do. Interesting that you just mentioned wild hemlock and its poisons. I just read a children’s book over the weekend about pioneer children who died when eating this. Very sad.
Kathy I think the fresh greens are probably easier to eat and more nutritious. Domesticated rabbits don’t have that sense of what’s ok and not ok to eat in the wild, so they have to be monitored closely if left outside to make sure they don’t eat anything poisonous. Rhubarb leaves and some of the nightshade plants are not good for rabbits either.
That is really sad about children eating wild hemlock. You don’t have to ingest much for it to harm you.
And more pretty spiderwebs hung out to dry after all that rain!
I often see rabbits hopping away down the drive as I leave the house with the dogs. Smart rabbits. Dunno what they eat at my house, but they go on a tear in the neighbor’s flower garden.
Gerry, considering all those mosquitoes still flying about, I’m glad those spiders are back to business as usual.
Rabbits and dogs aren’t a good mix. There’s supposed to be something about the movement of the rabbit that awakens an uncontrollable instinct in large dogs especially.
I love to eat the wild things I gather too, but there is a very good reason NOT to try eating Wild Parsnip. It is armed and dangerous.
I’ve been fighting Wild parsnip on my land for 5 years, and have the scars to prove it. I’ve learned a lot about exactly how these plants do their damage to our skin. Check it out at http://digginginthedriftless.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/warning-its-wild-parsnip-season/
Safe weeding and eating,
Denise Thornton
http://digginginthedriftless.wordpress.com
Thanks Denise. An excellent reason to not even touch wild parsnip. Although I found some information saying these plants are edible I’ll remove it from my post just in case people don’t read your informative comment.
Amy, You’ve shared your beautiful artwork in this blog, but I just discovered (browsing around on a very rainy morning!) your “Drawing Conclusions.” Wondermous! I only looked at the newest ones but will definitely go back to your archives….you are a gifted woman in many ways!
Thank you Cindy. I’ve been drawing ever since I can remember.
To continue on the parnsip topic — I imagine the parsnips are quite edible. I have pulled out many parsnip roots with a special weeding tool, and they look like big fat carrots. It might be possible to harvest them carefully without getting any sap on one’s skin, but I can’t bring myself to try them.
I’m not opposed to eating the nasties. I actually quite enjoy the peppery taste of young Garlic Mustard.
Denise
I checked out your links Denise and the skin reactions brought on by the sap look terrible. I don’t think I would risk it either.
Another interesting and informative post!
I always enjoy the photos of your local bunnies and other resident wildlife.
Thanks to Gerry for pointing out the spider webs.
I tried numerous times to photograph Queen Anne’s Lace for the scavenger hunt, but every photo came out blurred–either a bit of wind, or I didn’t know how to properly focus with my new camera.
I’m glad you seem to be back to normal after Bill’s visit. 😀
Joan, those bunnies are the sweetest little things aren’t they? I’ve buried a few that I’ve found dead over the years. Seen close-up, they are even more darling, especially the kits.
The Queen Anne’s Lace always seems to be trembling in the breeze. I noticed that yesterday too when I was trying to take more photos of it.
I’ve always loved Queen Ann’s Lace. Isn’t it proof positive that all beauty does not have to be uncommon? We used to call it chigger bush when I was a little girl, and I always thought it was such an ignoble nickname for something so pretty.
Bella, I’ve never heard the name ‘chigger bush’ before. I wonder if it attracts chiggers or perhaps it blooms at the same time chiggers make their appearance during the summer.
It’s so true that beauty is even found in common things, yet we tend to overlook whatever it is that is easily or frequently found in our environment.