The Top 10 Dog Friendly Plants
Dogs really are man’s best friend, and we are so lucky to have such incredible animals in our lives. Dogs provide so much joy – from their silly antics, to their enthusiasm for everything, to all the cuddles and slobbery kisses they give.
So we completely understand how important it is to have plants in your home and garden that won’t harm your furry friend. Chris himself has a groodle dog he loves very much called Harry! You can see Harry yourself in our cute video here. But in today’s article wanted to dive deeper into how you can use these dog friendly plants in your garden.
Jump straight to the 10 Best Dog Friendly Plants:
If you choose any of these plants to add to your home, we’d love a pic of it with your pup! Tag us and you could get reposted on our channel.
This truly is one of the perfect houseplants, for so many different reasons.
Most importantly, it’s completely safe for dogs! Spider Plants have no poisonous substances that can harm animals or humans. Your dog can nibble on the leaves with no problem – and Spider Plants are so tough that it can survive almost anything.
The long green and yellow leaves make for a stunning feature within your home, and it cascades down beautifully with ‘baby’ Spider Plants sprouting and creating their own cascading foliage.
Spider Plant would look great in a hanging basket to really show off that interesting foliage, or you can put it in a stylish pot on a table and let it flow over the edges.
Not only is it a beautiful feature, but Spider Plants also have air purifying properties! NASA found it to be one of the best air purifying plants!
What we love is how easy they are to grow and propagate, you can buy one Spider Plant and then have an endless supply to spread around your house or share with friends and family.
They survive infrequent watering so you don’t have to worry when life gets busy and you can’t keep up on your watering schedule.
They also make for a fantastic tall groundcover where they spread quickly and cover an area with lush, patterned foliage.
The Boston variety is a fern favourite for many, and your furry friend will thank you for this safe addition to the house.
You can plant Boston Fern outside in a shaded courtyard, but they’re most commonly used indoors. Choose between a hanging basket or pedestal pot to really show it off – you can even have it in the bathroom because they love humidity!
They’re quite reliable and easy to take care of, pop them in a spot that gets bright indirect light or dappled shade. Be careful of the soil drying out, try and water it regularly and also mist it to give it that high humidity it loves. (If it’s in a bathroom you don’t need to mist it).
The long, light green fronds of Boston Fern arch gracefully, adding lushness and beauty to your home. Boston Fern is also great for a natural air purifier!
Also known as Areca Palm, your doggo might not be able to enjoy the rich golden coloured trunks and bright green fronds, but they will love how safe it is!
Golden Cane Palm is very popular for how beautiful and easy to grow it is. Those golden trunks combined with feathery fronds makes you feel like you’re on a tropical holiday in your own home. We don’t know what it is with dog friendly plants and air purifying plants but Golden Cane Palm is yet another plant with fantastic air purifying qualities!
You have the choice between planting it outdoors and using it as a privacy screen or single feature or having it indoors to brighten up your home office, hallway or living room.
Golden Cane Palm loves morning-midday sunlight or partial shade but keep it out of the harsh afternoon sun. Give it some water when the topsoil feels dry.
Pair it with other tropical style plants on this list to create an indoor jungle that both you and your dog love.
For something really interesting choose a Prayer Plant, their large striped leaves fold up at night – like hands in prayer! It’s truly something unique and you can make your Prayer Plant stand out even more by putting it in a decorative pot.
Prayer Plants are best kept indoors and are best put on a table top or shelf that doesn’t get lots of direct light. This also keeps them out of the way of any playing puppies that like to run around the house.
You can have them outside, but they need a specific climate and conditions to grow well. They also love humidity so mist those leaves or pop a humidifier next to them. They like moist soil, but not soggy.
If you’re after something really hardy that could theoretically survive if it got a bit knocked over and bruised by playing puppies, consider the Zebra Plant.
This tough-as-nails succulent is perfect for putting in a small pot on your desk or windowsill. So if want some greenery but you don’t have much space for something like a Fern, choose a Zebra Plant.
Their adorable rosettes of patterned leaves will have you naming it like it’s another pet! They love direct sun, free-draining soil and little water.
If you’re the type of person who always forgets to water their plants, Zebra Plant is perfect for you. Consider planting them in a bigger pot with other succulents, just make sure to check the other succulents are also dog friendly.
We’re back with another tropical style air-purifying plant that will transform your home into a peaceful oasis. There’s nothing more relaxing than knowing your furry friend will be completely safe with this new addition.
This is smaller in size than some other Palms so good for rooms where you want a plant on the floor but can’t have it taking up too much space. They grow to approximately 1.2 metres in height.
Parlour Palm is beloved by many and would look great in hallways, bedrooms and home offices. What’s particularly wonderful about the Parlour Palm is that it grows well in low light conditions and requires very little water.
Parlour Palm even made NASA’s list of the top 50 indoor plants for air cleaning properties!
You can also pop one on shaded spot on the patio to create a tropical feeling outside while you have your morning cup of coffee.
If you’re a beginner to gardening, Parlour Plant is a really easy option to start with. Water it when the topsoil feels dry and mist it occasionally to let it really thrive.
Here’s a chew-proof and dog friendly plant that will add an exotic air to your home and garden. Common Bamboo is the most widely cultivated bamboo for its rapid growth and versatility.
If you find a lot of your new plants get trampled by your dog, this could be a good option to look into as it will shoot up quite quickly. Once established the shoots are quite strong and flexible so are less likely to get damaged by any playing puppies.
This is a clumping bamboo that forms dense stands so is also a good option for creating privacy from neighbours. This clumping habit means it does not spread aggressively through underground runners like some other types of Bamboo can.
Common Bamboo is very adaptable and can grow in a wide range of conditions so is suitable for most gardens.
You can also grow Common Bamboo in a pot, just make sure the pot is large enough and we recommend terracotta pots as they are breathable and allow for moisture evaporation.
Saintpaulia African Violet
Looking for something with colourful blooms you can have indoors? Choose African Violet. It flowers multiple times a year indoors! Pop it on a sunny windowsill, a desk or on shelves.
African Violet likes bright indirect light, but not harsh sunlight. You can plant it outside if you are in the right area as they like tropical climates and need a warm and sheltered environment.
Choose between purple, pink or white flowers and enjoy this beautiful feature without worrying about your dog.
Herbs
There are a number of edible herbs that are safe to pets and are a great low maintenance addition to the garden – and kitchen!
We’re going to specifically talk about Basil, Parsley and Rosemary.
Basil is great on a windowsill, balcony or in a veggie patch. It has a delicious fragrance and tastes incredible (as you well know) and even has small white flowers in mid to late summer. They love full sun and regular watering.
Thyme is great on the balcony, in a rockery or along garden borders. You can have it as a bushy plant in a pot or a fragrant groundcover. It also has a great fragrance and is great for use in cooking. Thyme also needs full sun, but unlike Basil, is drought tolerant once established. In late spring, Thyme has pink, white or purple flowers.
Rosemary is something you’ve likely already seen in dog food, but it also makes for a great garden addition. Put the on the balcony or patio in a pot or plant as a small hedge. Rosemary has attractive pale blue flowers in the springtime. Rosemary needs full sun and is very drought tolerant once established.
All of these herbs add fragrance and beauty to your garden, are a useful addition to your cooking, and are completely safe for your dog.
Tagetes Marigold
There are a couple of different colour varieties with the Tagetes Marigold, vibrant oranges and sunny yellows and striking reds. Choose what suits your garden best and plant it in garden beds, as a border or in pots.
They’re really great planted in vegetable gardens because they repel certain pests, improve soil health and attract beneficial insects. They flower for ages, so you get to enjoy those beautiful blooms for ages.
Make sure to plant them in full sun and water regularly, while being careful to not over water.
In Conclusion
There is our list of 10 beautiful plants that are completely safe for your furry friend! You have so much choice – whether you’re after an indoors tropical style plant, something colourful for the garden, or a fragrant edible plant that you or your dog can eat.
We hope you love your beautiful new plants stress-free, make sure to tag us in any photos you post!
Please Note: This list isn’t extensive and it’s always best to check when planting something with pets in the house and backyard. But absolutely go ahead and plant our Top 10 Dog Friendly Plants we’d recommend and enjoy a beautiful safe garden!
Feeling inspired to create your own garden, but want some expert advice? Try our one-on-one garden design service with Chris. Together you’ll come up with a selection of plants along with a layout plan that gives you the look you want, as well as being suitable for your local soil and conditions.
get your own tailored modern garden design:
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