Safe Wood and Other Plants for Rabbits

Rabbits need to chew on things regularly to keep their teeth trimmed and healthy. Wood is a popular and natural choice for rabbit owners but not all types of wood are safe, which is something to keep in mind when choosing wood for a rabbit hutch or for rabbit toys.

Warning

Before just grabbing that tree branch from your backyard or a chunk of wood from the local lumber yard make sure the wood you are offering your rabbit is safe, free of pesticides, untreated, preferably organic, does not include any roots, and is free of paint.

Plants that many people can find in their backyards can also be good options for rabbits to chew on. Check out this list of woods, vines, and other plant materials that are safe options for pet rabbits.

*This list is for informational purposes only, and the writer cannot be held responsible for any ill effects from consumption.

Safe Woods (and Wood-like Substances) for Rabbits

alfalfa
apple (seeds are toxic)
arbutus
ash
aspen
apricot (only when dried for at least one month)
bamboo cane
basil
blackberry
blackcurrant
borage
carrot (no seeds)
cat-tail
chickweed
chicory (wild)
cholla
cilantro
clover (red and white)
coconut shell
common comfrey (dried)
cottonwood
crabapple
dandelion
dogwood
grapevine
hackberry
hawthorn
hazelnut
jewelweed
kiwi
kudzu
lambs-quarters
lemon balm
linden
mallow
manzanita
maple (sugar and silver)
mesquite
mint (do not give to pregnant or nursing does)
mulberry (white)
parsley
peach (only when dried for at least one month)
pear (no seeds)
pecan
pigweed
pine - kiln-dried white only
plantain
purslane
poplar
Queen Anne's lace
quince
radish
raspberry
redroot pigweed
rose (any above-ground parts including hips)
shepherd's purse
sow thistle (annual, spiny annual, perennial)
stinging nettle (dried)
strawberry
squash
sunflower
sweet potato
sycamore
willow
wingstem
yarrow

Gray rabbit eating a tipped over basil plant outside — Credit:
The Spruce / Kristie Lee

Toxic Woods for Rabbits

abale/esia
alder
almond (can produce cyanide)
apricot (freshly cut branches are toxic)
balsam fir
beech
birch
black locust
blackwood
bogwood
boxwood
buddleia
cashew
cedar
cherry
citrus (all citrus woods including lemon, orange, etc.)
cocobolo
cypress/bald cypress
dahoma
ebony
elang/mukulungu
elder/elderberry
elm
eucalyptus
fig/cape fig
fir
goncalo alves
greenheart
hemlock
horse chestnut
iroko
juniper
kapok
laurel
magnolia
mahogany
mansonia
maple
mimosa
mopane/mopani
myrtle
nectarine
oak/cork
obeche/abachi
okuhaba/yungu
oleander
olive
opepe/kussia
paduak
pau ferro
peach (freshly cut branches are toxic)
peroba rosa
pine (fresh pine is toxic as are pinecones)
plum
plywood
prune
purpleheart
quebracho
redwood
rosewood
satinwood
sassafras
sequoia
snakewood
spruce
teak
walnut
wenge
yew
yunnan
zebrawood

Other safe options are available in pet stores for rabbits. Woods marketed for chinchillas and other rodents are usually okay to offer to your pet rabbit, but make sure the type of wood is not on the toxic woods list before putting it in your rabbit's cage. The same goes for the material that his hide box and cage are made out of (if they are made of wood). Any items in his cage are fair game for his teeth to nibble on so you want to make sure they are safe!

If you think your rabbit may have eaten a toxic wood, then contact your exotics vet as soon as possible.

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Small Pets
Pet Rabbits