Avoid Using These Toxic
Garden Plants
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- Toxic Garden Plants
What follows is a long list of toxic garden plants, ranging from bulbs to perennials to trees and shrubs.
If you like to garden, try to avoid using any from this list.
If you already have some of these poisonous garden plants, consider creating a fenced-in run to keep your dog away from your gardens.
Bulbs
If your dog loves to dig in your yard or garden, these toxic garden plants are particularly dangerous.
The bulb is the poisonous part of the plant. Also keep your dog out of any gardening or storage sheds, or your basement, if you overwinter these bulbs.
Some of these toxic garden plants, such as daffodils, are also offered as houseplants in the spring, sometimes by charities.
Place them where your dog can't get at them.
- Amaryllis (Amaryllis
) Family: Amaryllidaceae
Causes vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, anorexia, depression, tremors.
Causes irritation of the mouth parts, bloody vomiting, diarrhea, shock, multi-organ damage, bone marrow suppression.
) Family: Amaryllidaceae
Causes severe gastrointestinal disorders, convulsions, shivering, dermatitis, muscular tremors, hypotension (low blood pressure), and cardiac arrhythmias.
Causes irritation and intense burning of the mouth, lips and tongue, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty in swallowing.
) Family: Iridaceae
Causes abdominal pain, vomiting (occasionally bloody), diarrhea (occasionally bloody), hypersalivation, depression.
Causes intense vomiting, diarrhea (occasionally bloody), depression and tremors.
) Family: Iridaceae
Causes vomiting (occasionally bloody), diarrhea (occasionally bloody), abdominal pain, hypersalivation, depression.
These are particularly toxic garden plants, and can result in death.
Causes vomiting, ataxia (loss of muscle control), cardiac arrhythmias, death.
) Family: Amaryllidaceae
Causes severe gastrointestinal disorders, dermatitis, convulsions, muscular tremors, shivering, hypotension (low blood pressure), and cardiac arrhythmias.
) Family: Liliaceae
Causes intense vomiting, diarrhea, hypersalivation, inappetence (loss of appetite), depression.
Some of these ferns are generally grown in hanging pots, and so should be relatively safe if you have a dog.
Watch for berries falling to the ground from these toxic garden plants, though.
These toxic garden plants are very popular for their blooms. Cyclamens can lead to death if ingested.
) Family: Primulaceae ) Family: Crassulaceae
These toxic garden plants are perennials in temperate climates; some are houseplants and/or annuals in colder climates. ) Family: Araceae ) Family: Convolvulaceae ) Family: Solanaceae ) Family: Liliaceae ) Family: Solanaceae Most lilies are toxic garden plants to cats only.
Of all the toxic garden plants, shrubs are some of the deadliest. Try to avoid all use of the ones listed here, or use a fenced-in run for your dog.
and Zamia ) Family: Cycadaceae ) Family: AguifoliaceaeFerns
Causes allergic dermatitis with repeated skin contact. Berry ingestion could result in vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain.
Causes allergic dermatitis with repeated skin contact. Berry ingestion could result in vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain.
Causes allergic dermatitis with repeated skin contact. Berry ingestion could result in vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain.
Causes allergic dermatitis with repeated skin contact. Berry ingestion could result in vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain.Flowering Plants
spp
Causes vomiting, gastrointestinal inflammation, and death.
Causes vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, increase in heart rate, hyperthermia, depression.
Causes vomiting and diarrhea. The bufodienolides are cardiotoxic. These are the same type of toxin as found in poisonous toads.
Garden Perennials
spp
Causes intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue, excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing, vomiting.
Causes vomiting, bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, convulsions, delirium.
Causes intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue, excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing, vomiting.
Foxgloves, from which digoxin and other heart medications have been developed, are particularly toxic garden plants.
They are very beautiful, and many gardeners use them to add height to their gardens. If you want foxgloves in your garden, consider a fenced-in run for your dog.
Causes vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac failure, death.
Causes prolonged central nervous system depression, respiratory depression, weakness, ataxia (loss of muscle control), sedation, sometimes hyperexcitation.
The seeds may cause diarrhea, hallucinations.
Causes diarrhea, hypersalivation, inappetence (loss of appetite), severe gastrointestinal upset, drowsiness, weakness, dilated pupils, slow heart rate, central nervous system depression, confusion, behavioural change.
Causes gastrointestinal upset, hemolytic anemia, heinz body anemia, hemoglobinuria.
Causes hypersalivation, inappetence (loss of appetite), severe gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, dilated pupils, slow heart rate, drowsiness, central nervous system depression, confusion, behavioural change, weakness.
Causes intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing.Lilies
Causes irritation of the mouth parts, bloody vomiting, diarrhea, shock, kidney and liver damage, bone marrow suppression.Shrubs
spp
Causes vomiting, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, melena (black, tarry stool or vomit, mostly blood that gastric juices have acted on, likely caused by gastroenteritis), icterus (jaundice), increased thirst, bruising, coagulopathy, liver damage, liver failure, death.
Causes vomiting, diarrhea, cyanosis, pale mucous membranes, slow heart rate, respiratory congestion, respiratory failure, seizures, semi-coma, death.
Causes intense vomiting and diarrhea, depression.
Causes gastrointestinal problems, including possible ulceration of the system, depression, respiratory depression, seizures, shock.
Causes vomiting, diarrhea, hypothermia (decreased body temperature), cardiac abnormalities, death.
These beans are very toxic, especially if chewed.
Causes severe vomiting and diarrhea, hyperthermia (increased body temperature), incoordination, inappetence (loss of appetite), and death.
) Family: Ericaceae
Causes vomiting, diarrhea, hypersalivation, weakness, hypotension (low blood pressure), central nervous system depression, cardiovascular collapse, coma, death.
Causes intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing.
and Zamia
spp) Family: Cycadaceae
Causes vomiting, melena (tarry stool or vomit), icterus (jaundice), increased thirst, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, bruising, coagulopathy, liver damage, liver failure, death.
) Family: Agavaceae
Causes vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, seizures, depression.
)
The mistletoe is not really a shrub. It is a parasite that lives off of trees and shrubs. It can often grow to the size of a shrub.toxic garden plants
Causes gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular collapse, dyspnea (breathing difficulties), bradycardia, erratic behaviour.
Succulents
Although not very toxic to humans (there are health drinks, as well as ointments and salves), aloe is a toxic garden plant to dogs.
- Aloe (Aloe vera) Family: Liliaceae
Causes vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, tremors, change in urine colour, depression.
Trees
Like toxic garden plants, these trees are very toxic to dogs.
- Avocado (Persea americana) Family: Lauraceae
Causes vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory distress, generalized congestion, fluid accumulation around the heart, death. - Buddist Pine (Podocarpus macrophylla) Family: Araliaceae
Causes severe vomiting and diarrhea. - Chinaberry Tree (Melia azedarach) Family: Meliaceae
The berries are the most toxic of this plant. Causes vomiting, diarrhea, slow heart rate, depression, weakness, seizures, shock. - Japanese Yew aka Yew (Taxus
) Family: Taxaceae
Causes muscular tremors, dyspnea (difficulty breathing), seizures, sudden death from acute cardiac failure.
Causes intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue, excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing, vomiting.
Queensland Nut, Australia Nut (Macadamia integrifolia smooth shelled, Macadamia tetraphylla rough shelled) Family: Proteaceae
Causes vomiting, hyperthermia(overheating), weakness, muscular stiffness, tremors, increased heart rate, depression.
Causes vomiting, drooling, incoordination, and weakness, inappetence (loss of appetite), depression.
Causes intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue, excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing, vomiting.
Vines
Like toxic garden plants, all the ivies listed here from the Araliaceae family cause gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, breathing difficulty, fever, polydipsia (excessive or abnormal thirst), dilated pupils, muscular weakness and incoordination, hyperactivity, coma. The foliage is much more toxic than the berries, so trim the leaves of these toxic garden plants to above your dog's reach.
- Branching Ivy (Hedera helix)
- English Ivy (Hedera helix)
- Glacier Ivy (Hedera helix)
- Hahn's self branching English Ivy (Hedera helix)
- Needlepoint Ivy (Hedera helix)
- European Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara) Family: Solanaceae
Causes drooling, inappetence (loss of appetite), severe gastric upset, dilated pupils, slow heart rate, drowsiness, lethargy, weakness.
Other Plants
- American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) Family: Celastraceae
Causes weakness, convulsions, gastroenteritis (vomiting, diarrhea).
This is not a complete list of toxic garden plants. The term "
spp" after a genus (for example, Amaryllis
spp) indicates that all species of that genus are toxic garden plants. Other less popular, but still toxic garden plants, are not included here.
For an extensive list of farm crops with potential to cause harm to your dog and other animals, see Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine listing page.
When it comes to beautiful and safe gardens, there are many choices for nontoxic garden plants. Visit the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
site for a long list of nontoxic houseplants.
Safe gardening!
To Dog-proof Your Home From Toxic Garden Plants
