Our goals in creating a Florida native yard are to create an interesting and welcoming habitat for people, pets, and wildlife. However, if you’re a pet owner, there are some extra steps you should keep in mind when designing your Florida landscape or garden. This article will discuss everything you need to know about how to research plant toxicity, unsafe practices to avoid, and what to do in suspected poisonings.
Do your research!
The first step in creating a pet-safe landscape is planning. When designing your landscape, consider some important questions. Where will your pet be spending most of its time (i.e., the front yard, backyard, pool deck, etc.)? What plants will your pet have access to? What are the potential health risks of my plant selections?
When choosing plants for your garden and landscape, it’s crucial to know the level of toxicity of the plants you’re interested in, especially if those plants are installed in areas where your pet will be spending most of its time. Researching the toxicity of each plant can seem daunting, especially when you don’t know where to look for reliable sources. Luckily, we have compiled some dependable resources to get you started on your research! It’s important to keep in mind that there are many poisonous plants that may not be listed here. Please do not assume that a plant is safe just because it is not listed! These are great screening tools but not substitutes for veterinary advice.
It can be difficult to find information for some native plants, especially ones that are less common in the nursery trade. Do not rely on generative AI to determine if a plant is toxic. Generative AI has been shown to give inaccurate or incomplete information. Many plants have the same or similar common name to one another and some safe plants have poisonous lookalikes. Always verify the scientific name of plants you’re researching. In order to be sure that you’re receiving the most accurate information, we recommend verifying plant toxicity directly from reliable sources. Look for links to information from veterinary journals. When in doubt, reach out to your local native nursery for help!
Reliable sources:
The North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Best source for searching native plants.
- A caution symbol and a statement at the top of the page will tell you the plant’s poison severity and characteristics.
- If the plant you’re searching for doesn’t come up, you can usually find a page for the genus (a group of closely related species). If you find that other closely related plants are poisonous, you can assume that yours is too.
- You can assume that if a plant is poisonous to humans, it will also be poisonous to your pet.
ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic plants list
- Extensive list of common landscaping plants, edibles, and houseplants. Primarily exotic plants.
- Use Control + F to search for the plant you’re looking for
Cornell’s Plants Poisonous to Livestock database
- Good source for searching native plants.
- Look at the genus if the specific species you’re looking for is not listed.
- If a plant is poisonous to livestock, it may be poisonous to your pets as well.
Placement is key
Planting a pet-safe landscape doesn’t necessarily mean that all your plants have to be 100% non-toxic. “Poisonous” does not always mean deadly. The dose makes the poison. Some plants cause problems after larger exposures while others can be dangerous after very small exposures. For others, only one part of the plant is toxic, like its roots or berries. When doing your research on plant toxicity, keep in mind which parts of the plant are toxic and how severe the risk may be.
Consider placement in your yard when considering toxic or less safe plants. Take into account high-access zones, lower-access zones, and drift/dropoff areas (where plant material may fall and be reachable). What parts of your yard does your pet spend the most time? For example, if you keep your dog in your fenced backyard, you can plant less safe plants in your front yard. You can also use physical barriers, such as fencing, to keep toxic plants out of reach from your pets. Raised planters or beds are a great option, especially with smaller pets.
You can also consider your pet’s behavior around plants when thinking about where to place plants in your landscape. Does your pet try to eat plants in your yard or on walks? Is your pet young and exploratory? Maybe it’s safer to keep even mildly poisonous plants out of reach. Is your pet older or not really interested in plants? Then you may decide that some higher-risk plants are acceptable in lower-access areas.
If you have an established landscape, familiarize yourself with the toxicity of plants you already have growing in your yard or garden. You can safely transplant toxic plants into safer locations, if needed.
Other Pet-safe Gardening Practices
After planning and designing your landscape, it’s important to consider how your gardening practices may affect your pets.
Mulch
One thing to consider is mulch selection. We recommend using a natural pet-safe mulch. Avoid using dyed or chemically treated mulch. While most modern dyes are usually safe, be sure to check that they are labeled non-toxic. The biggest concern with dyed mulch is typically how the wood is sourced. The source of most dyed mulch is recycled wood, which can be contaminated with dangerous chemicals such as creosote and CCA (chromated copper arsenate). If you decide to use dyed mulch, look for products labeled as non-toxic, made from untreated wood, and produced by reputable suppliers that disclose their materials.
At Wilcox Nursery, we don’t carry any dyed mulch. We only source organic and untreated wood mulch. Our mulch selection includes: Pine straw, Pine bark nuggets, Pine fines, and Melaleuca mulch. These are all pet-safe and great mulch options, especially for native landscapes. You can search our mulch selection here!
Pesticides
Another important pet-safe practice to keep in mind is limiting the use of pesticides. The term pesticides refers to substances used to control pests, such as herbicides, insecticides, nematicides, fungicides, etc. Many pesticides can harm pets if they are misused, over-applied, stored improperly, or contacted before a treated area dries. Risk is dependent on the active ingredient, concentration, formulation, dose, and route of exposure. It’s important to be very careful when handling these products and to limit their use whenever possible. Always read the label for each product for application rates and safety information.
As promoters of native plants and insects, it is no surprise that we encourage you to limit pesticide use. However, we do acknowledge that on occasion, pests can get out of control and we may need to step in to keep our landscape alive and thriving.
Weed Control
You can limit the use of herbicides by preventing them from germinating. Mulch suppresses weed growth. Planting Florida native groundcover is another way to suppress or outcompete weeds in your yard.
There is no way to prevent all weeds. Hand pulling is laborious but does not require the use of herbicides. Getting into a routine of pulling weeds for an hour or two every week or 15-30 minutes a day will keep weeds under control.
If you do need to use an herbicide, horticultural vinegar is a relatively safe choice. However, horticultural vinegar is highly acidic and can be moderately volatile when exposed to heat, so avoid applying mid-day during the summer, wear eye protection, and avoid contact with skin until fully dry.
Insect Control
There are several useful methods of controlling pests in your garden before resorting to insecticide use. First, identifying your problematic insects will help point you in the right direction for pest management and prevent harming beneficial insects. Hand-pruning highly affected sections of your plant, in addition to manually removing problem insects by washing, wiping, or picking them off the plant, will help keep pest populations down. You can also encourage beneficial insects in your garden that prey on pests (such as parasitic wasps that feed on aphids) by planting native wildflowers.
If an infestation is not controlled by mechanical removal, choose the least disruptive and most targeted product for the identified pest. Seek out more natural or organic products that are safer for you and your pets. Organic and natural products still require caution; they can cause acute irritation, harm beneficial insects, or transfer while wet, just like synthetic insecticides. Some safer products are Earth’s Ally or Neem Oil. Look for products labeled pet-safe and always follow directions and safety instructions on the product label. Make sure toys, bowls, and bedding are away from any sprayed area. Even organic or pet-safe products can still be dangerous when wet. Let others in your household know to keep your pet away from the treated areas.
If you live in a neighborhood where many people have lawns, keep an eye out for posted signage of pesticide use. Avoid letting your dogs walk near their yard for 48 hrs.
Fertilizer
While fertilizer may not seem like a tempting treat to us, some of the organic components smell delicious to our pets. Ingredients like blood meal, bone meal, or worm castings may drive pets to eat fertilizer from bags or after it is applied. Using native plants can reduce the need to fertilize. COMAND Lawn & Turf is a pet-safe fertilizer alternative that can be applied year-round.
Supervision
Lastly, the best way to ensure your yard is pet-safe is to keep watch over your pet when they are in the yard. Avoid leaving your pet unattended in your yard, especially for extended periods. This is the best way to ensure that your pet does not consume large amounts of vegetation or inorganic material. Even in yards that are mostly non-toxic plants, consuming large amounts of vegetation of any kind will likely cause gastrointestinal upset in any dog or cat.
Be especially wary of leaving your pet unattended at night when you may not be able to see what they consume. Nighttime is when your pet may encounter the invasive and highly toxic Cane toad wandering around in your yard.
If your pet does eat something it’s not supposed to, knowing the substance and being able to respond quickly will ensure the best outcomes in this situation.
What to do in case of poisoning
It’s essential to be vigilant for signs of poisoning. Being aware of these symptoms and acting fast can save your pet’s life. This list applies to poisoning from both plants and pesticides. Symptoms will appear 30 minutes to 1 hour after exposure. If your pet is experiencing any of these symptoms after ingesting or inhaling a potentially toxic substance or plant, seek medical help immediately. Do not try treating it yourself.
Common symptoms include:
- Vomiting and dry heaving
- Excessive salivation, drooling, or foaming
- Acting disoriented or lethargic
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Tremors or seizures
- Irritation to the skin, eyes, or mouth
Florida Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) has basic information about animal toxicology and may be able to help. If the poison specialist feels that the poisoning is beyond his or her expertise, they will advise you to call a fee-for-service animal poison control hotline or contact your own veterinarian. You can view their pet poison fact sheet HERE.
ASPCA Pet Poison Control hotline at (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 are animal-specific hotlines available 24/7. Consultation fees may apply.
In conclusion, when designing and maintaining a pet-safe landscape or garden, the best way to keep your pets safe is to limit exposure to poisonous plants and substances. You can accomplish this by researching plant toxicity before adding new plants to your landscape, placing unsafe plants out of reach, using pet-safe gardening practices, and knowing the symptoms of poisoning.
References:
- https://www.thespruce.com/is-dyed-mulch-safe-to-use-2131983
- https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/landscape/fact-sheets/colored-bark-mulch
- https://www.petmd.com/dog/poisoning/pesticide-poisoning-in-dogs
- https://dogsbestlife.com/dog-health/pesticides-and-dogs/
- https://www.ibtimes.com/chatgpt-nearly-kills-woman-after-falsely-claiming-poisonous-plant-safe-3796613
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8313428-does-chatgpt-tell-the-truth
- https://floridapoisoncontrol.org/prevention/home-safety/for-animals/
- https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control
- https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/
