Q: Can you suggest some dog-friendly plants and shrubs that are hardy and non-toxic?
That’s the question TLB-Saint_Paul recently posed to our Garden Club Forums:
“I need very hardy plants because of the diverse seasons, and also because my dogs are very active… All plants and shrubs must be non-toxic to my two dogs that love to chew on almost anything.”
A: The last thing you want is a furry friend with an upset tummy … or a crushed, chewed-up flowerbed. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has a comprehensive list of plants that are toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Those are the plants to avoid.
Our community associate Gardengail has a slew of recommendations for plants that would be dog-friendly:
- Texas sage
- Canna lily
- Hollyhock
- Pittosporum
- Lavenders
- Natal Plum
- Forsythia
- Roses
- Mock Orange
- Sword fern
To combat the chewing, Gardengail recommends distracting your dogs with hollow bones stuffed with peanut butter. And go to the Forums to see more of Gardengail’s dog-friendly plant recommendations.
If you want to go even further to make your yard a great place to be a dog, consider adding a running track, border control, comfy mulch, and a piece of driftwood to serve as a marking post.
We get a lot of great gardening and lawn care questions on our online Garden Club Forum. Go see for yourself, and while you’re at it, post a question or two. Your question might be featured right here on the Apron in Gardening Q&A.
And be sure to sign up for the Home Depot Garden Club. You’ll get coupons, sneak peeks at local ads, and access to our terrific projects, how-tos, and garden checklists.
The effect of friendly plants can be moderated with a little due dilegence. Nice post. Thank you for the info Suzanne.