Dog Friendly Flowers and Plants

It’s doing season y’all! With summer approaching, I’ve been busy in the yard. I’m pulling weeds, and planting flowers. Having three canine yard companions, I’m careful of choosing dog friendly flowers and plants for my landscape. If I see a plant I like, I’ll do a quick search about its dog toxicity before I choose to bring it home.

How do I know if a plant is safe for dogs?

When it comes to choosing dog safe plants and flowers, Google is going to be your best friend. Perform a quick search of the plant’s name, along with ”toxic to dogs?” and you’ll find whether you should bring it home, or put it back. A word of caution: Always cross check multiple sources regarding dog toxicity, as there is sometimes conflicting evidence. And if your search reveals more confusion than answers, it’s best to err on the side of caution, and choose something else.

A reliable source of plant safety information is the ASPCA’s Toxic and Non Toxic Plants List. They maintain extensive plant lists for dogs, cats, and even horses. Plants the ASPCA lists as non toxic, or even those noted as mildly toxic (i.e., may cause GI upset), are not expected to threaten the life of your pet. However, be mindful that consuming any plant matter, regardless of toxicity, may cause vomiting and gastrointestinal distress. Always consult with your trusted veterinarian if you have concerns over ingested plant material. Or, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 for any poison-related veterinary emergency.

Some plants toe the line of safety when it comes to your canine companions. For example, lavender is frequently listed as completely safe for dogs. However, the plant does contain the dog toxic substance linalool. While linalool is not safe for dogs, the amount of it in lavender is so low, it rarely presents a problem unless a dog has eaten a large quantities of lavender. Even then, the symptoms of lavender poisoning in dogs are generally not life threatening. This is why lavender is frequently listed as pet safe, but It’s important to understand its mildly toxic properties if you’re adding this plant to your garden.

What Plants and flowers are safe for dogs?

There are lots of dog friendly flowers and plants to consider for your summer landscape. If you follow Affluent Dogs on social media, you may have seen that Lemon and Ruby ate every single bloom off my gerber daisy. 🤦‍♀️ Not to worry though! Gerber Daisies are non-toxic to dogs.

Another dog friendly addition that’s new to me is Bee Balm! These fragrant blooms come in a variety of colors, and are known to attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Preferring a sunny location, bee balm is a perennial, and will come back each year.

Adding roses to your summer landscape is another beautiful and dog safe option. The Knock Out variety of roses are easy to grow, disease resistant, and relatively low maintenance. Best of all, these roses will bloom all summer! I’m a sucker for climbing rose varieties like the William Baffin rose, which is also a repeat bloomer that’s easy to grow and maintain. If you’re concerned about your pup and the thorns that are typical of roses, consider one of the 21 Best Thornless Roses You Can Grow.

Other dog friendly flowers for summer:

• Zinnias
• Marigolds
• Sunflowers
• Petunias
• Snapdragons
• Nasturtium
• Aster
• Impatiens
• Cosmos
• Phlox
• Coral Bells
• Canna Lily
• White Ginger

Are succulents safe for dogs?

Here in the south, succulents have been all the rage. But are they safe for your dogs? Like all plants, it’s important to research the specific variety of succulent in order to understand whether it’s safe to have around your dog, or not.

Sempervivum tectorum, commonly known as Hens and Chicks, is one such dog friendly succulent. I’m also really partial to including sedum in my landscape selections. Sedum offers hundreds of varieties classified as non toxic to dogs, like the Burro’s Tail. With so many dog safe succulent options, you’re sure to find something you like. As a bonus, most succulents are very easy to care for.

Other dog safe plants and shrubs

I’m currently preparing to install a new landscape hedge in my back yard, and for this I’ve chosen the dog friendly Sweet Viburnum. It’s an evergreen shrub with large, glossy leaves. Though I’ve missed the blooming season for this plant, next spring promises to bring many small, white, super fragrant blooms.

Bottlebrush is another dog safe shrub to consider for your landscape. It’s fluffy red flowers, resembling – you guessed it – a bottlebrush, will arrive from spring through summer. It’s also a sure fire way to attract hummingbirds to your yard.

Another stunning landscape shrub that’s non toxic to dogs is Ixora. I’ve only recently learned of this plant, and I can’t wait to incorporate it into my yard. It’s a semi-tropical evergreen shrub that requires minimal care, making it a perfect addition to low maintenance landscapes. Ixora produces bright clusters of red, orange, or yellow blooms from spring through summer, hence its common name Flame of the Woods.

Let’s get planting!

Having dogs does not mean you have to give up on having a beautiful outdoor space. When you find that some of your landscape favorites are toxic to your fur babies, it can certainly be disappointing. But these examples are proof positive that there’s loads of diverse dog friendly flowers and plants that are as beautiful as they are dog safe!

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I reference this one a lot, but particularly in the case of dogs eating things they shouldn’t, check out Is Pet Insurance Worth It? I’ll give you a hint: Yes, it’s worth it!