Plants Safe for Pets

What pet safe means on this page

We flag a plant as pet friendly when the available toxicity data lists it as non toxic to cats and dogs. That is a filter for narrowing a large catalogue, not a promise. Individual animals react differently, quantity matters, and a dog that eats a lot of anything green will usually be unwell.

We are a nursery, not a veterinary service, so we cannot guarantee any plant is safe for your animal. If your pet has eaten something, ring your vet or an animal poisons line straight away and take a piece of the plant with you.

Common garden plants that are not pet safe

Some of the most popular plants in Australian gardens are risky, and easy to buy by accident.

• Sago palm and cardboard plant. Cycads, not palms. Every part is highly toxic to dogs and cats, especially the seeds.
• Oleander. All parts are toxic to people, pets and livestock, and so is the smoke from burning prunings.
• Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Brunfelsia berries are a well documented cause of dog poisoning.
• Azaleas and rhododendrons. Toxic to cats and dogs, including fallen flowers.
• Agapanthus. The sap is an irritant and the roots and leaves are toxic if chewed.
• Hydrangeas. Leaves, buds and flowers all contain cyanogenic glycosides.
• True lilies. The emergency case for cats. Even pollen groomed off the coat can cause kidney failure.
• Aroids. Philodendron, alocasia, elephants ear and dieffenbachia all carry calcium oxalate.
• Macadamia, avocado and stone fruit. The nuts, fruit and stones are all toxic to dogs.

Lavender, gardenia, citrus and jade also sit on the caution list.

Choosing pet safe plants for the job

Start with the job, then filter. For screening, Syzygium australe 'Resilience' reaches about 5m and closes into a solid wall planted 1m apart. For borders and mass planting, Lomandra 'Tanika' at 60cm centres and Liriope 'Evergreen Giant' at 40cm centres handle the occasional paw. Where a dog runs the same track daily, a groundcover beats a garden bed: native violet at 300mm spacing, or no mow grass at 30cm, will knit over and recover from traffic. Our Australian native range, low growing groundcovers and privacy and screening plants all hold good options.

Care basics in a garden with animals

The plant list is only half the risk. Cocoa mulch is toxic to dogs, so use sugar cane, pine bark or lucerne. Blood and bone smells like food and encourages digging, so water it in well. Snail pellets containing metaldehyde kill dogs, and systemic insecticides sit in the foliage for weeks.

Common questions

Is pet friendly the same as safe?

No. It means the plant is generally listed as non toxic to cats and dogs, which makes it a sensible filter. Any plant eaten in quantity can cause vomiting or a blockage.

My dog has eaten a leaf. What should I do?

Ring your vet or an animal poisons line, describe the plant and keep a sample to show them. Do not wait for symptoms. Our guide to designing an animal friendly garden covers prevention, not treatment.

Are Australian natives safer than exotics?

Often, but not reliably. Dianella berries are native and troublesome, nandina is an import. Judge each plant, not the category. Indoors is where most trouble starts, and this non toxic indoor plant list covers ferns and palms.

Can these be delivered?

Yes. We deliver Australia wide and ship to every state and territory. Delivery from $29.95, no minimum order, and advanced or large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.