Gardens are wonderful places for pets. They provide entertainment, room to exercise and cool shade in the afternoon. However, many of the most common and seemingly innocuous garden plants are also poisonous to your furry friends.
The apples and oranges we humans enjoy, almost all flowering bulbs and some of the most popular houseplants all share one thing in common: They are dangerously toxic to cats and dogs.
Irises, bottlebrush and daylilies all pose a threat to pets.
Plants ranked ninth on the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (ASPCA's) list of top pet toxins in 2017. Roughly 5 percent of calls made to the organization’s Animal Poison Control Center involved landscaping plants, houseplants and bouquets.
Before we even cover the poisonous plants, let’s focus on the biggest dangers. Insecticides ranked seventh on the ASPCA list, and lawn and garden products came in 10th. Keep all chemicals out of reach, and if you're getting your lawn sprayed, allow at least a day before letting your pet on the grass.
Problem plants for pets
Many plants are poisonous or otherwise dangerous to pets, but luckily there are many more that are completely safe. Here are some toxic plants to avoid, followed by safe alternatives. This list is just an introduction and is by no means exhaustive, so refer to the ASPCA website to search for the plant in question.
Plant type
Toxic
Nontoxic
Bulbs
Caladium, calla lily, tulip, daffodil, iris, narcissus, crinum, amaryllis, dahlia, lily of the valley, crocus
Canna, muscari, Scarborough lily, ginger
Annuals and
perennials
Arum, elephant ear, begonia, sweet pea, coleus, bird of paradise, cyclamen, hellebore, hosta, lantana, chrysanthemum, morning glory, asparagus fern, geranium. Lilies and daylilies are toxic to cats but nontoxic to dogs.
If you're unsure of the toxicity of a certain plant in your garden, refer to the ASPCA website to find out.
Bromeliads and echeveria are safe plants to have around your four-legged friends.
Safety steps
While you needn't tear apart your garden to keep poisonous plants off your dog's menu, you should definitely educate yourself so you can make your own informed decisions.
Remove risky plants, transplant them to pet-free areas of the garden or, if the plant is too big (or special) to easily remove, make it inaccessible to your pet with fencing.
Just remember that even fallen leaves or seedpods are also often poisonous, so acquaint yourself with the symptoms your pet might experience following ingestion so you know what to tell the vet.
You might not need to go out and remove a foundation planting of azaleas tomorrow, but it isn't that big of a deal to replace your toxic aloe plant with a nontoxic (and more attractive) haworthia.
If your pet shows any worrying symptoms, don't waste time looking at lists like these. Call your vet or visit the ASPCA poison control hotline website immediately.
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