Dog Friendly Flowers For Fall

It’s Mum season y’all! But did you know these popular Fall flowers are toxic to dogs? That’s right. Chrysanthemums, commonly called Mums, are not a good choice for your dog friendly landscape according to the ASPCA’s Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants list. Not to worry! Here are five dog friendly flowers for Fall you can add to your pet safe garden today. With these non-toxic alternatives, you won’t even miss the Mums!

Asters

When it comes to dog friendly flowers for Fall, Asters might be perfect! If you believe you can’t survive the season without Mums, then you must try Asters in your fall landscape. These perennial plants come in a variety of sizes, with colors ranging from blue and purple to pink and white. With at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day, Asters are easy to grow, and they provide a plentiful source of nectar, attracting Fall pollinators to your garden.

Celosia

I’ve had dog safe Celosia in my garden all summer, but with it’s traditional Fall color palette, it continues to be an excellent choice for sunny Fall gardens. Numerous varieties of Celosia offer different styles of bloom, but all are stunners, offering both interesting textures and vibrant colors. Check out the Cristata (my fave), Plumosa, and Spicata varieties to see what Celosia has to offer your Fall pet safe landscape.

Russian Sage

Russian Sage is generally considered non-toxic, and a good choice for your pet safe garden. Added to a sunny, well drained area, this perennial is drought tolerant once established. It’s silver-green foliage and fragrant lavender-purple blooms are attractive to butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. It’s also deer resistant, and disease resistant, rounding out its low maintenance qualities.

However, use common sense when adding this (or any plant) to your garden. Though called Sage, it’s not related to edible Sage varieties. While it’s considered non-toxic for pets, this does not mean you should allow your dog to freely consume it. The leaves of Russian Sage contain an organic compound called Thujone, which is considered poisonous.

So why is Russian Sage considered as dog friendly flowers for Fall? 🧐

Because it is unlikely your dog would consume the large quantities of this plant, repeatedly over a long period of time, needed to experience negative effects. Therefore it’s generally considered a safe option. However, if your dog is over interested in the Russian Sage, it’s best to move it out of their reach.

snapdragons

Snapdragons are one of my top choices in dog friendly flowers for Fall (and Spring if I’m being honest). Preferring sun, but tolerating partial shade, Snapdragons thrive in cooler temperatures. They show their best blooms when daytime highs are in the low 70s, with cool nights in the low 40s. Like the Celosia, Snapdragons have a number of varieties, and a range of colors, to suit your Fall landscape needs. And similar to pet safe Orchids, choosing snapdragons with many unopened buds will ensure a lengthy bloom time for you to enjoy.

pansies

You will have an array of color choices when adding Pansies to your dog friendly Fall landscape. Similar to Snapdragons, these delicate non-toxic blooms prefer sun, tolerate some shade, and look their best in cooler temperatures. Temperatures from the mid 60s, down to the mid 40s, are their jam.

My dog loving friends, there is absolutely no reason to let Mum season get you down! These dog friendly Mum alternatives are proof positive that Mother Nature loves dogs too. Your garden will have all the colors that Fall Mums bring, but far more textural variety and visual interest!