10 Best Dog Safe Plants UK 2022

For those after a quick look, here is our Top 5:

1. Premier Seeds Direct - Herb Basil Genovese Finest Seed for £1.79
2. Gardeners Dream - Calathea Leopardina Houseplant for £14.99
3. Easy Plants - Parlor Palm Elegans for £17.99
4. Worlds Collection Store - Sage Officinalis Plants for £13.95
5. Perfect Plants - Maranta Leuconeura for £9.99

Are dog-safe plants completely harmless? Not exactly. Dog-safe and non-toxic plants won't poison your dog by any means, but that doesn't necessarily mean they should be eating them. A dog's stomach isn't used to digesting plant matter, flowers or fresh herbs, and if ingested, many dog-friendly plants could still cause stomach upset and result in vomiting and diarrhoea.

 
Of course, none of this is life-threatening, so if your dog does happen to crawl into your flowerbed and help himself to a mouthful of your fragrant garden sage, it won't be too much of a problem. Still, they probably will see some side effects. 

1. Add a Splash of Colour With Flowers or Go For Dog-Friendly Cooking Herbs and Leafy Greens Such as Boston Ferns
2. Pick a Plant That Best Suit the Conditions That You Can Provide
3. Select Seeds for Complete Control or Nursery Plants for Ease of Maintenance
4. Consider How Vulnerable the Plant Is, Particularly for Puppies and Playful Dogs

The first thing to consider is the type. Are you after flowers, greens or herbs? Flowers are wonderful at providing a burst of colour to your home or garden, especially if the area is a little bare. You do need to be careful because many flowers are toxic, but common dog-safe flowers are rose, sunflower, snapdragons and pansies.

Then, you have herbs. While most herbs are perfectly fine for humans to ingest, the same cannot be said for dogs. Keep any toxic herbs well away from your pup, or better yet, work with non-toxic varieties such as basil, parsley, thyme, coriander or sage.

Finally, you have the lovely leafy greens that many plant enthusiasts are filling their apartments with. Unfortunately, many popular plants tend to be too toxic for dogs, including pathos, ivy, elephant ear, monstera and fig leaf. There are still plenty of safe varieties to choose from though, including Boston fern, golden cane palm, Calathea and lipstick plants.

Whether you need a confined space to train new pups or send a naughty pet for a time-out, our selection of dog pens may be ideal!

When it comes to the perfect conditions, the first thing to consider is where the plant will live. Looking to fill your sunny garden with lush foliage and bright flowers? Choose sun-loving plants. But if your garden doesn't get much full sun, pick plants that thrive in shady spots. You will also need to consider the type of soil in your garden.

To liven up your indoor space, consider subtropical plants, as they tend to do well inside. Again, you will need to look at the light exposure of each room. Some plants prefer direct sunlight, so they are best placed near a south-facing window, while others prefer darker environments. Humid-loving plants do well in steamy atmospheres like the bathroom.

Unfortunately, it's rare to get a bunch of plants that all follow the same watering, pruning, dusting and sunlight conditions, so you'll need to look at each one individually. A great tip to determine whether your plants need water is to poke the soil and see if it's wet. If it is, leave it alone and come back a few days later.

 
If you're a newbie, no matter how good your intentions might be, plants often take a bit more work than you might initially think, so it's best to pick a low-maintenance variety. These will be hardier and much less likely to die, even when not given their due attention! 

To get the most out of your green friend, you want to make sure that they have the room they need to grow to their full potential. Many plants will remain small, but some, such as vines, have the potential to never really stop growing.

 
So, think about this before you end up having your plant take over your entire living room before you know what to do with it. As a general rule, if you want to minimise your plant growth, leaving it in a smaller pot should do the trick.

Got an older dog with joint problems? Check out our picks for the best orthopedic dog beds!

The next thing you might want to consider is whether to start your plant from seed or purchase a fully grown or nursery plant. There are benefits for each, but in general, if you're a newbie gardener, it's best to go for either a nursery or a fully grown.

Growing from seed needs a much more hands-on approach. You will need to research how to start the seedling, whether they can be grown directly into the ground or soil, and how to transport them into their final resting place. This can all take some getting used to and does require a bit of extra skill.

Buying a fully grown or nursery plant (one that has started to grow) is much easier as most of the hard work has been done already – you just need to keep it alive! That said, all plants are susceptible to diseases and infestations. So depending on how well it has been looked after, it might already have contracted something that will make it hard to care for – something that won't happen with seeds. 

Especially on particular hot days, a dog cooling mat can help to keep your pup's temperature down. 

As all dog-owners know, our little pooches are playful, curious and sometimes downright boisterous! They absolutely love to dig in the soil, even if it's just a plant pot, not to mention a full flower bed. Dogs are especially prone to investigating leafy plants that sway in the wind, mimicking a toy that they simply must have.

If your dog is of the playful sort, consider the delicacy of the plants. Some are much hardier than others and can handle occasionally being pulled down, tipped over or having their leaves bitten. But others can easily wilt, drop leaves and die out if they are even slightly disturbed. 

Of course, you can consider placing your especially delicate plants a little out of the way – or choosing those that hang rather than sit on the floor – but they may never be entirely safe with a hyperactive puppy bouncing around!

This ranking has been compiled by the writing team at mybest UK via careful evaluation of the points made in the buying guide and thorough research of each product and comparing multiple verified customer reviews across the EC sites used.

mybest UK's Homepage

• Explore our categories and 2000+ articles
  

mybest UK's Instagram

• Follow us to keep up to date with our product showcases!

Written and Researched by Roxy Pratley