How many garden plants are toxic to pets?
Of the 227 garden plants most widely sold, 103 (45%) are rated toxic to cats and 96 to dogs. Here is where the risk lies.
The planner's 1400 plants have each been checked for toxicity against the ASPCA's lists of plants toxic to pets and NC State Extension's toxicity ratings (1110 of them have a record in at least one). Where the two disagree, the more cautious rating is kept.
| All 1400 plants | The 227 most popular | |
|---|---|---|
| Toxic to cats | 454 (32%) | 103 (45%) |
| Toxic to dogs | 429 (31%) | 96 (42%) |
| Rated severe | 100 | 25 |
The popular plants rated severe
These can cause serious harm, to the heart, the kidneys or the nervous system, in a small amount. Several are among the best-loved plants in any garden:
- Asiatic lily to cats
- Azalea 'Delaware Valley White' to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Azalea 'Hino-Crimson' to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Daylily to cats
- Daylily 'Stella de Oro' to cats
- Delphinium to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Evergreen azalea to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Foxglove to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Heavenly bamboo to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Hicks yew to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Japanese pieris to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Lily of the valley to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Mountain laurel to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Northern Lights azalea to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Oleander to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Oriental lily to cats
- Oriental lily 'Casa Blanca' to cats
- Oriental lily 'Stargazer' to cats
- Pieris 'Mountain Fire' to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Reblooming azalea to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Rhododendron 'Nova Zembla' to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Rhododendron 'PJM' to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Spreading yew 'Densiformis' to people, dogs, cats and horses
- Tiger lily to cats
Where the risk is concentrated
Among popular plants, the toxic ones cluster in a few families: Ericaceae (11), Hydrangeaceae (11), Liliaceae (10), Asparagaceae (10) and Amaryllidaceae (8). Lilies deserve a warning of their own: true lilies and daylilies can cause kidney failure in cats from the pollen alone.
Pet-safe swaps
For each, the plant the planner rates as the closest stand-in, matched on job, size and flowering time, with no toxicity recorded:
- Asiatic lily → Peach-leaved bellflower
- Azalea 'Delaware Valley White' → Fothergilla 'Mount Airy'
- Azalea 'Hino-Crimson' → Arborvitae 'Hetz Midget'
- Daylily → Coreopsis 'Full Moon'
- Daylily 'Stella de Oro' → Threadleaf coreopsis 'Zagreb'
- Delphinium → Culver's root
- Evergreen azalea → Camellia 'April Blush'
- Foxglove → Feather reed grass 'Overdam'
- Heavenly bamboo → Mapleleaf viburnum
- Hicks yew → Arborvitae 'Emerald Green'
- Japanese pieris → Camellia 'April Blush'
- Lily of the valley → Common blue violet
See the full lists: plants toxic to cats, plants toxic to dogs, and pet-safe plants for sun and shade.
A general guide, not veterinary advice. If a pet eats a plant and seems unwell, call your vet or a pet poison helpline.
Counted from the planner's plant files when this page was made. Each plant is checked against NC State Extension, the ASPCA lists and USDA PLANTS; see each plant's page for its sources.