Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Shrubs, shade and dogs
Want shrubs? Got shade? Got dogs? Hmmm, could be an issue. One shrub that won’t work is the Yew…
It’s toxic to nearly everything. The seed inside the berries is toxic to pets and people. This from Science Direct: The taxine alkaloids contained in yew berries, needles or bark are poisonous. The lethal dose for an adult is reported to be 50 g of yew needles. Patients who ingest a lethal dose frequently die due to cardiogenic shock, in spite of resuscitation efforts.
THAT said, some people eat what’s called the “aril”, the thing that looks like a berry, however, the SEED inside is TOXIC. Not worth it.
Hydrangeas are pretty but poisonous to pups. In fact, the leaves and buds are also toxic to cats and horses. These parts of the plant contain a chemical more commonly known as cyanide. If a pup chews on the plant, the chewing action releases the toxins.
Euonymus is poisonous if large quantities are ingested.
Leaves, flowers and nectar of rhododendrons and azaleas are toxic to dogs and honey from rhodo flowers can be toxic, even in humans.
The seed and the fruit of an alpine currant, a decent shrub for shade, is toxic to pets, however, there needs to be a male and female plant to get the fruit. A cultivar named ‘Green Mound’ is male and does not produce fruit, so it could be planted.
So what the heck can a dog owner plant? Aside from the non-fruit bearing currant, there’s a lovely shrub called Clethra. It’s commonly called Summersweet and uncommonly delivers heavenly scented flowers in shady locations from July to August!
