skip to main content

Landscape Design Ask The Yard Doctor Shrubs

Need non-toxic shrubs

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

I'm looking for shrubs or bushes with year round (with winter interest) that are non toxic, non poisonous, to dogs. Prefer the smaller round shrubs or bushes but open to any ideas at this point. I need them for along the foundation in front of my house. It seems all the evergreens are bad? Help with any ideas please!
I'm in Wisconsin. She eats everything including the grass.

Featured Answer

Sherry8aNorthAL

3 years ago

We, also, have not had a problem with anything for the past 40 to 45 years with any of our dogs. Until now. We have a mix 14 pound MinPin/ Chihuahua/???. When we got him in Spring of 2017, at 5 months, he ate rocks, sticks, berries, worms, and anything else. Take your eye off one second and it was gone. We could not let him in the fenced yard unless he was on a leash.

He is better now, but still eats worms and berries. ANYTHING poisonous, like wild cherry, cherry laurel, privet, etc. has had to be removed from the back yard.

Make SURE you don't have sago palm. Pygmy date palm is okay, as well as many other palms. Oleander is bad. This is a good web site for looking up by common name as well as the real name.

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (14)

tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
3 years ago
Need to know where you are and a pic of the area would help. That said, I’ve had dogs and several toxic plants for a few decades now without it being an issue.

tj
Dee thanked tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
Embothrium
3 years ago
If your dogs chew up everything you plant then you can't plant anything where they are whether poisonous or not.
Related Discussions
need a non toxic bean pole preervative
Q
Comments (2)
Why are you concerned? All the charcoal does is darken the mix. Boiled linseed oil, alone, will condition wood products. But why bother at all, when there are so many alternatives. You mentioned bamboo. Bamboo poles will last two-days longer than forever without rotting. Raw wood should last at least three years, and more likely 5. For my bean trellises I use PVC pipe. The frames are left permanently in place, and I restring them, with jute, each year. Just as an aside, I read through that site, looking for the charcoal reference. A lot of the points made are either out of date or out and out incorrect. So I would balance what's said there with other sources.
...See More
Safe Bee Pesticides and non-toxic
Q
Comments (21)
when used as directed, any pesticide available off the shelf of any open to the public retailer is safe. the key here is the first phrase, WHEN USED AS DIRECTED. every one of my garden hoses has a label that states "this hose or it's components contains lead, a substance know to teh state fo California to cause cancer". i don't plan on eating the fittings, so the lead ain't gonna hurt me. i also do not drink from my pesticide dispensers, and i wash off fully immediately after applying pesticides. i have been directly sprayed before, and i can tell you it ain't no fun. when i worked for the USDA doing pesticide experiments, we were working a field hand counting bugs on the cotton. a crop duster sprayed the wrong field and soaked 7 of us. we all had to take off for a few days due to nausea and our eyes burning. this is why fields have signs up that NO ONE may enter for any reason. when i spray around my house, the same things goes, no people allowed in the area until it dries. and no, i am not baiting people with posts about pesticides. pesiticide use is very common in my area. most folks still use the sevin dust, i switched to liquid for both ease of application and less collateral damage to the environment.
...See More
latex over oil on trim-any non-toxic options
Q
Comments (1)
If it were me, I would sand well and use the acrylic primer. The reason is that even if I were to use an oil based primer, I would still sand, so what is the point? Do they want to skip the sanding entirely?
...See More
What's a nice shrub non toxic to dogs?
Q
Comments (9)
To answer your question, ASPCA has an extensive list of plants that they consider toxic and non-toxic for dogs: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/dogs-plant-list Here's their non-toxic list with illustrations: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants? Not many shrubs are among them. If you like roses, they could be marvelous choices for your situation. I would only suggest to select thornless or nearly thornless varieties. Some of these that are cold hardy and up to ca. 4-5 or so feet tall are Cardinal de Richelieu, Marie Pavie, some albas, and I'm sure there are many more... Roses are my personal favorite (besides lilacs) and if you are interested, you might inquire further on the forums for antique roses and roses.
...See More
nickel_kg
3 years ago
All my dogs have browsed on longer grass, once in a while. None of them, not even the chocolate lab puppy who eats ANYTHING, pays the least bit of attention to shrubs. Or to most flowers.

Still, it's not bad to avoid the most poisonous. But until we know what zone you are in (or what major city are you reasonably close to) there's no point listing shrubs. What grows in Florida wouldn't last in Montana, etc.
Dee thanked nickel_kg
Dee
Original Author
3 years ago
Wisconsin.
nickel_kg
3 years ago
Can you fence off an area for shrubs?
Dee thanked nickel_kg
Dee
Original Author
3 years ago
No, that would not look good at all.
Dee
Original Author
3 years ago
I think the winter interest I want to obtain in severely problematic.
Dee
Original Author
3 years ago
Yews are deadly, boxwoods are dangerous? Any variations of boxwood possible?
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
3 years ago
We’re getting closer...where in Wisconsin, which direction does the house face and how much room do you have?

tj
Dee
Original Author
3 years ago
Ozaukee County - north border of Milwaukee. Planting in 6 ft. deep bed along foundation wall, along predominantly west side of house.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
3 years ago
Can you not at least keep the dog out of the front yard? Then you could have an attractive and evergreen approach to your house and not worry about the dog. Or you can try spraying with capsicum (pepper) solution or bitter apple.

I have gardened with dogs all my life and with all manner of toxic plants and completely without issue. I really find questions like these puzzling. None of my dogs has ever shown any interest in eating plants. Is it a behavioral issue? A training issue? Dietary problems? It is not normal canine behavior and I would look to fixing it and then planting whatever you want.
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
3 years ago
Dee if small globes are what you seek there are a number of gold or green arborvitae that would wok fine for you.

tj
nickel_kg
3 years ago
Just for fun, and because I have dogs too, I've been googling dog-safe outdoor plants. Very frustrating as I'm sure you already know. Just one last suggestion from me: reconsider a fence. Green wire on green posts could easily fade into the background of a shrubbery.

Related Stories

PLANTING IDEAS Hedgers and Edgers: The 10 Best Shrubs for Structure

By Lauren Dunec Hoang

Find out about top picks for privacy screens, formal hedges and low-growing borders

GARDENING GUIDES Bring On the Blossoms: 9 Top Picks for Flowering Shrubs

By Lauren Dunec Hoang

Gorgeous spring- and summer-blooming shrubs deliver color, fragrance and pollinators to your garden

GARDENING GUIDES 8 Deer-Resistant Elegant Evergreen Shrubs to Plant This Fall

Who knew that such beautiful shrubs could be deer-resistant?

FLOWERS AND PLANTS 10 Essential Shrubs for Mid-Atlantic Gardens

By Curtis Adams

Easy-to-grow mid-Atlantic native shrubs celebrate the character of the region

GARDENING GUIDES 12 Gorgeous Flowers and Shrubs for Winter Gardens

By Lauren Dunec Hoang

These pick-me-up plants brighten gray days and add color, structure and fragrance when everything else is dormant

PLANTING IDEAS 5 Reasons to Bring Shrubs Into the Flower Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Mix up the garden experience and let the flowers and shrubs play together

TREES How to Buy Healthy Trees and Shrubs

By Falon Mihalic

A healthy young plant with a strong form is more likely to do well in your yard. Here’s what to look for at the nursery

GARDENING GUIDES 7 Ways to Rethink the Shrub

By Falon Mihalic

These versatile plants can do more than frame your home’s foundation or line an entry walk

FALL GARDENING 9 Deer-Resistant Flowering Shrubs to Plant This Fall

These exquisite shrubs will attract your attention but won’t tempt the deer that roam your neighborhood at night

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Drought-Tolerant Shrubs That Thrive in Full Sun and Reflected Heat

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Got a hot spot in your garden where plants often die? Try these tough shrubs that add beauty while shrugging off the heat

Sponsored

More Discussions

House numbers for curb appeal - ideas, please!

24

Can I Save My Green Giants?

9

House Update Ideas

0

Outdoor Plant Suggestions

0

Is this Rose Rosetta Disease? And Recommendations for Replacements

4