These are some of the more common garden plants that are toxic for dogs, and some safe alternatives for you to plant in your garden. We haven't included weed plants.
Remember that just as you can't feed your dog chocolate, there are plants that are perfectly safe and tasty for us that could make your pup sick - like oranges, tomatoes, stone fruit and macadamia, as well as several herbs. It's not a complete list, so do check with your vet if you are unsure.
Azaleas and Dogs - keep them apart
We love our azaleas in Australia, and here at Australian Plants Online azaleas are one of our most popular plants, with over 50 varieties available through the year. They make great garden shrubs; compact and evergreen for dense hedging, abundantly flowering in beautiful vibrant colours, and very tolerant of both high and low temperatures.
However, if you have dogs, azaleas are not such a good choice. If your dog eats just a few leaves of azalea or rhododendron (its close relative), it may cause vomiting; in extreme cases, or when a larger amount is eaten, it can result in coma. So if you have dogs, plant something else instead of azaleas for spring and autumn colour.
Also harmful to dogs are spring-flowering bulbs - crocus, daffodil, amaryllis, hyacinth and tulips - if your dog digs up the bulbs and eats them. Burying a sheet of wire mesh over the planting hole can deter dogs - and other diggers! - from unearthing your bulbs, and help keep both safe.
Plants Toxic to Dogs
Bulbs
• Amaryllis, Hippeastrum - amaryllis, belladonna lily, naked ladies • Colchicum - autumn crocus • cyclamen • dahlia • gladiolus • gloriosa • hellebore • hyacinth • iris species • lily of the valley • Narcissus - daffodil, jonquil • peony • ranunculus • tulip • Zantedeschia - arum, calla
Fruits & Nuts
• apple • citrus - bergamot, orange, grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime • macadamia • Prunus species - apricot, plum, peach, cherry • rhubarb • tomato
Succulents
• Adenium - desert rose, impala lily • aloe • crassula • Euphorbia tirucalli - firesticks • Euphorbia pulcherrima - poinsettia • kalanchoe
Herbs & Veg
• Allium - chives, onion, garlic, leek • bay tree • borage • lavender • lemon grass • mint • oregano, marjoram • parsley • tarragon • watercress
Indoor & Tropical
• Aglaonema - Chinese evergreen • Alocasia, Colocasia - elephant's ear, taro • anthurium • begonia • Caladium - angel's wings • cordyline, dracaena • cycad • Dieffenbachia - dumbcane • Epipremnum, Scindapsus - pothos, devil's ivy • Ficus benjamina - weeping fig • Monstera - swiss cheese, fruit salad plant • philodendron • Sansevieria - mother in laws tongue, snake plant • Schefflera - umbrella tree • Spathiphyllum - peace lily • Syngonium - arrowhead vine, goosefoot plant • Tradescantia - wandering jew, sweet kate • Zamia - cardboard palm
Flowering plants
• achillea - yarrow • azalea • Brunfelsia - yesterday today tomorrow • Dianthus - carnation, pink, sweet william • chamomile, anthemis • chrysanthemum • clematis • clivia • delphinium, larkspur • erigeron - seaside daisy • foxglove • gardenia • hosta • hydrangea • Hymenocallis - spider lily • lavender • lobelia • Nerium - oleander • Pelargonium - zonal geranium, scented geranium • primula, primrose • portulaca • senecio • Strelitzia - bird of paradise • sweet pea • vinca • wisteria
Trees & Shrubs & Groundcover
• Buxus - box hedge • Caesalpinia pulcherrima, gilliesii • eucalyptus • Ilex species - holly • ivy • Kalmia - calico, mountain laurel • Ligustrum - privet • Melia azedarach - white cedar • nandina • Pieris japonica - andromeda • Podocarpus - plum pine • poinciana • Taxus - yew • yucca
Plants Safe for Dogs
Camellias are the obvious choice to replace an azalea shrub. They're evergreen and dense for perfect hedging, with large pink and white flowers in winter and spring. They flourish in most of the same situations that azaleas enjoy too. Most camellias will grow taller than most azaleas, but they don't mind being pruned to keep them smaller.
Native bottlebrush (Callistemon) will give you seasonal colour - and it doesn't have to be red. Bright pink, peach-pink, white and orange bottlebrushes echo the vibrant tones of azalea flowers very well. Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia) is a great alternative, and will give you cold-season leaf colour as well as warm-season flowers.
If you enjoy a frost-free garden, hibiscus, ixora and tibouchina have vibrant rich colours and softer pastel shades; and like the Encore azaleas, they'll often flower more than once in the year.
If you're missing your seasonal bulbs, Alstroemeria (princess lily), Hemerocallis (day lily), cannas, red hot pokers, triteleia, rain lily(Zephyranthes) and Muscari (grape hyacinth) will add pup-safe colour to your garden.
To green your home, look for lipstick vine (Aeschynanthus), bromeliads, calathea and maranta (peacock plant, prayer plant), pilea and peperomia, spider plants and Fittonia (snakeskin or nerve plant). Most ferns, palms and orchids are fine for pups too.Instead of lavender, plant rosemary, sage (including flowering Salvia), and thyme; for daisy plants choose felicia, arctotis, aster, coreopsis, gerbera, and sunflower.
If you want the scent that gardenia and brunfelsia bring, plant instead jasmine and star jasmine, which have the same sweet heady perfume.
