Plants poisonous to dogs

Gus, right, and Max head to the job site

Two of our Ecoyards members have a crazy knack for chewing stuff up — sticks, nursery pots, you name it. One day I came home to find these hellions (culprits pictured at right) had chewed up a lovely indoor fig tree. What if it had been toxic? It got me thinking about what’s in my garden that my dog, if he was good, should avoid.

Here are some poisonous plants for your dogs to avoid, says Cornell University Animal Sciences. The ASPCA also keeps a list of plants toxic to pets. Some like elephant ears and tulips may cause vomiting or excessive drooling. Others like oleander could be deadly. Lest I freak you out, in some cases there may be little risk because your dog may not prefer that plant or chew on/ingest enough to cause severe problems. If that does happen, the ASPCA has a 24-hour Animal Poison Control Center, 888-426-4435.

I’ve listed some toxic plants that are common in Northwest, but you should browse the Cornell database or ASPCA list for more in-depth information.

Plants toxic to dogs and other pets:

Flowering plants: hyacinth, narcissus, daffodil, bleeding heart, foxglove, iris, lily of the valley, autumn crocus.

Vegetables: rhubarb.

Ornamentals: azaleas, daphne, jasmine, laurels, wisteria, yew.

Trees and shrubs: black locust, elderberry, bitter cherry.