Garden Plants That Can Be Harmful to Your Pets

Worth a read before gardening!

A lot of garden plants are toxic to both cats and dogs, and since cats tend to nibble on leaves and dogs dig or chew almost anything, it’s good to know which plants to avoid or keep out of reach.

Here’s a handy list of common garden plants that are harmful to both cats and dogs, including the symptoms and parts of the plant that are dangerous:

Garden Plants That Are Harmful to Cats and Dogs

Before you start planting, it’s worth giving this a read!

🌷 Bulb Plants (High Risk!)

These are very toxic, especially the bulbs — and they're commonly planted in spring gardens, such as:

Tulips (bulb) - symptoms: vomiting, drooling, diarrhoea Daffodils (bulb) - symptoms: heart issues, tremors Hyacinths (bulb) - symptoms: severe GI upset, tremors

Amaryllis (all parts) - symptoms: drooling, vomiting, lethargy

🌼 Ornamental Flowers

Some of the most popular garden plants are also the most dangerous, such as:

Lily of the Valley (all parts) - symptoms: vomiting, heart issues, seizures Oleander (all parts) - symptoms: vomiting, slow heart rate, death Azaleas / Rhododendrons (leaves) - symptoms: drooling, weakness, heart failure Chrysanthemums (leaves and flowers) - symptoms: vomiting, incoordination, drooling Peonies (roots) - symptoms: vomiting, skin irritation

🌿 Shrubs, Vines & Other Greens

Foxglove (all parts) - symptoms: heart arrhythmias, vomiting, collapse Yew (needles and berries) - symptoms: seizures, heart failure, death Boxwood (leaves) - symptoms: drooling, GI upset, dizziness English Ivy (leaves) - symptoms: vomiting, drooling, abdominal pain Sago Palm (all parts, seeds especially) - symptoms: Liver failure, seizures, fatal

🍇 Fruits & Vegetables with Toxic Plants

Tomato plants (leaves and stems) - symptoms: weakness, slow heart rate, confusion Potato plants (leaves and the green parts) - symptoms: vomiting, seizures, heart issues Grapevines (Grapes) - symptoms: kidney failure (dogs), unknown in cats Onions & Garlic (all parts) - symptoms: anemia, weakness, vomiting Rhubarb (leaves) - symptoms: kidney failure, tremors

⚠️ Special Note on Lilies and Cats

• True lilies (Easter, Tiger, Day, Asiatic) are EXTREMELY toxic to cats — even a few bites of a leaf or licking pollen can cause kidney failure.

• Dogs may get GI upset but don’t suffer the same fatal kidney reaction as cats.
  

🌱 Tips for Pet-Safe Gardening

• Use raised beds or barriers to keep pets away from dangerous plants.

• Choose pet-safe alternatives like:

  • Marigolds

  • Snapdragons

  • Roses (non-toxic, but thorns can still hurt)

  • Catnip or cat grass (safe and loved by cats!)