The Outdoor Trees and Plants That Are Safe for Pets (and What to Avoid)
Whether you love to garden or take pride in an immaculately landscaped space ideal for entertaining (or both), creating and maintaining a beautiful outdoor area for you and your family to enjoy adds immeasurable value to your property and quality of life.
If your family includes some beloved pets who also enjoy your outdoor spaces, however, you have to be careful when it comes to the plants you choose for your garden or landscaping. There are a lot of plants that are safe for humans that can poison our furry friends, so being deliberate in your choices when planning out the garden or laying out your landscaping is a must if pets are going to be allowed outside. Here are some pet-safe plants to focus on—and some to avoid at all costs.
Note that these lists aren’t comprehensive—you can check the database the ASPCA maintains before you plant anything not mentioned explicitly here.
Trees and shrubs that are safe for pets
You might not think trees can harm your pets, but they can—nuts, leaves, and even the bark of some trees can be toxic to dogs and cats. If your landscaping plan involves bringing in some trees and shrubs for shade and privacy, here are some safe choices:
Red Maple. These trees are striking additions to any yard with their bright red leaves. They’re dangerous for horses, but safe for dogs and cats.
Dogwood. Another beautiful shade tree with white and green flowers, it’s 100% safe for dogs and cats.
Magnolias. If your pet is one of those critters that likes to experimentally eat everything it encounters, rest easy: The leaves, flowers, and bark of this pretty, white-pink flowering tree are safe to consume.
Serviceberry. Sometimes called Shadbush or Juneberry, these small trees are visually stunning when they flower, and are beneficial to local birds and other wildlife that feed on the berries. Their small size makes them useful for landscaping designs, and they’re perfectly safe for pets—even the berries.
Crape Myrtle. These fast-growing plants are kind of in-between a tree and a shrub in terms of size, so they’re often useful for landscaping, and they pose no threat to your pets.
Camellias. These colorful shrubs are ideal for creating natural privacy screens, and are safe for your pets.
Spiraea. If you love the look of azaleas or rhododendrons in your yard but would prefer to avoid poisoning your pets, spiraeas are an excellent, pet-safe alternative. They look very similar—full, with lots of colorful blossoms.
Golden Bells. Perfect for edging and privacy screening, these bright yellow shrubs won’t pose any threat to your furry friends.
Some to avoid: Walnut trees, most fruit trees, azaleas, and rhododendrons.
Annual plants that are safe for pets
If you like to change up your garden or landscaping each year and rely on annuals for that flexibility, you have a lot of beautiful choices:
Impatiens. Colorful and easy to grow, these will bloom all spring and summer.
Zinnias. Fast-growing, so a good choice if you’re replacing a toxic flower and need some pink and red in your color scheme.
Sunflowers. There are both perennial and annual species of sunflower—and they come in a wide range of colors, so you can really supercharge your outdoor space’s design, attract a lot of pollinators, and never worry about your dog or cat getting sick.
Petunias. Technically, these pretty flowers are what’s known as “tender perennials” because they can come back year after year, but usually don’t survive the cold. They’re a great choice for pops of color that won’t harm your pets.
Celosias. Colorful and unique, with spiky, tall flowers, these are great for variety and are easy to grow—and perfectly safe for dogs and cats.
Some to avoid: Tulips, begonias, lilies, and geraniums.
Perennial plants that are safe for pets
Perennials can be easier to care for and provide a sense of permanence, which is nice if you really love the garden or outdoor space you’ve created. If that’s you, here are some suggestions for pet-safe perennials:
Asters. If you love mums, asters are a great alternative that don’t pose any threat to your animals. They look similar to mums, and come in late in the year to keep your outdoor spaces colorful.
Coral Bells. These are great fill-in plants that will make your flower beds look full and vibrant, and they attract pollinators and hummingbirds.
Tickseed (aka, Coreopsis). If you like daisies, this traditionally yellow flower (modern variants offer more color choices) is a safer alternative. It’s easy to grow and care for (very drought-tolerant for those of us who continually forget to water), and makes a sparse flower bed feel full.
Catmint. Closely related to catnip, this is a great choice if you have an adventurous indoor/outdoor feline. Catnip looks like a weed, but catmint is a gorgeous purple flower your pets can munch on to their heart’s delight (yes, dogs too).
Some to avoid: Daisies, mums, creeping jenny, ajuga, peonies, hosta, and lillies.
Vegetables and herbs that are safe for pets
If your gardening is more about feeding your family, don’t assume that just because you can eat it, so can your pets. Some safe choices for veggies in your garden include carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce, spinach, pumpkin (there’s a reason it’s in so many pet foods), peas, sweet potatoes, and broccoli.
Some to avoid: Tomatoes, potatoes, onions, hot peppers, eggplant, and green beans.
If you’re growing your own herbs to use in your cooking, you can’t go wrong with basil, sage, rosemary, cilantro, dill, or thyme.
Some to avoid: Chives, oregano, mint, bay leaf, and tarragon.
Ground covers that are safe for pets
Landscaping isn’t just about choosing and arranging the big statement plants. You also need ground covers to tie everything together and protect your soil—and ground covers can be toxic to pets as well. Most lawn grasses are safe for pets (cats will sometimes eat lawn grasses to inspire vomiting; while it’s generally a natural and healthy instinct for them, you shouldn’t let them do it too much, so it’s a consideration if you let your cat explore your lawn). Other safe ground covers include moss, snow-in-summer, sedges, hardy iceplant, lamb’s ear, and creeping phlox.
What to avoid: Cocoa mulch, asparagus fern, and ivy.