Lots of worried dog owners have asked me about Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatilis) and whether it is safe for dogs. As someone who grows these happy yellow flowers with her dogs, I’m happy to say that Basket of Gold is safe for all animals.
The Quick Answer
Basket of Gold is NOT poisonous to dogs. The ASPCA has said that this pretty perennial is safe for horses, dogs, and cats. Fear not, your dog can play freely among these plants without any harm.
What Exactly is Basket of Gold?
For those not familiar with this garden beauty, here’s what you should know:
- Common names: Also called Gold Basket, Basket of Gold Alyssum, or Aurinia
- Size: Compact plant growing 6-12 inches tall and spreading 12-18 inches wide
- Appearance: Forms low-growing mounds with grayish-green foliage
- Flowers: Produces masses of bright yellow blooms in spring
- Growing zones: Hardy in USDA zones 3-7
Why Dogs and Basket of Gold Get Along
Here’s why I love recommending this plant to fellow dog owners
- Zero toxicity: Contains no harmful compounds that could hurt your pup
- Tough plant: Can handle some trampling from excited dogs
- Low maintenance: Doesn’t need chemicals or fertilizers that might harm pets
- Natural barrier: Great for edges where you want to keep dogs out of gardens
Growing Tips for Dog-Friendly Gardens
So you want to add Basket of Gold to your dog-friendly garden? Here’s what I know:
- Plant in full sun or partial shade in hot climates
- Ensure excellent drainage – soggy soil is a no-no!
- Space plants 12-18 inches apart
- Works great in:
- Rock gardens
- Border edges
- Between stepping stones
- Container gardens
Potential Minor Concerns
While Basket of Gold isn’t toxic there are a few tiny things to watch for
- Eating large amounts might cause mild tummy upset (like any plant)
- Yellow flowers might temporarily stain light-colored fur
- Plants can get damaged if dogs regularly run through them
Safe Alternatives and Toxic Look-alikes
Just because Basket of Gold is safe doesn’t mean all yellow flowers are! Here’s what to watch out for
Safe Yellow Flowers:
- Basket of Gold
- Wild Mustard
- Calendula
Toxic Yellow Flowers to Avoid:
- Daffodils
- Yellow Iris
- Yellow Jessamine
My Personal Experience
I’ve grown Basket of Gold in my garden for years with my two Labs running around, and we’ve never had any issues. The plants have survived countless games of fetch, and my dogs have occasionally nibbled the leaves with no problems whatsoever!
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to add some spring color to your dog-friendly garden, Basket of Gold is a fantastic choice! It’s tough, pretty, and most importantly – completely safe for our four-legged friends. Just remember to:
- Plant in well-draining soil
- Give it plenty of sun
- Keep an eye on new puppies who might dig
- Enjoy those gorgeous yellow blooms!
Even though Basket of Gold is safe, you should always keep an eye on your pets when they’re in the garden to make sure they don’t eat any plants.
Have you grown Basket of Gold with dogs? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below!
Note: While we’ve done our research, always consult your vet if you’re concerned about your pet’s plant interactions!
Lily of the Valley
There are a ton of reasons why lilies of the valley are such popular garden plants: They are sweet-smelling; they have adorable, little white bell-shaped flowers; and they can thrive in shady places. But though they may be pretty, lilies of the valley are poisonous to dogs.
“Even a small exposure to any part of the plant can cause heart problems for dogs—changes in heart rate and rhythm,” Dr. Stern warns.
Eating a few leaves or bulbs can also lead to the following symptoms:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Low blood pressure
- Disorientation
- Seizures
- Coma
- Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
Oleander is a common landscaping plant, especially on the West Coast. This bushy shrub can grow as high as 12 feet, and it’s prized for its cluster of flowers in shades of yellow, white, pink, and red.
Every inch of this plant is poisonous to dogs—from the flower petals to the pointy, long leaves.
“Like lily of the valley, oleander also contains cardiac glycosides,” Dr. Stern explains, adding that symptoms can include:
- Changes in heart rate and heart rhythm
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Drooling and excess salivation
- Possible death
Philodendrons have heart-shaped leaves and long vines, and are a very popular houseplant. Beware, though: These plants contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate your dog’s mouth and lips.
If they’ve swallowed some leaves, other symptoms include:
- Pawing the mouth
- Drooling
- Retching
You see these flowering shrubs in many back and front yards across the country.
All parts of these flowering beauties contain grayanotoxin, and the reaction your pup gets depends on how much they’ve eaten.
“The most common sign with the ingestion of azaleas is stomach upset,” Dr. Stern says.
It’s very rare for dogs to eat a lot of azaleas, but when they do, they can get:
- Very weak
- Tremors
- Low blood pressure
- Irregular heart rate and rhythm
Complete List of Extremely Poisonous Plants for Dogs
Any plant can make your dog sick, but toxic plants can cause serious problems, like vomiting a lot or organ damage, depending on the plant and how much your dog eats.
Here are all the plants known to produce the more serious side effects (you can also find a list with photos on the ASPCA’s website):
- Adam and Eve (also called Arum, lord-and-ladies, wake robin, starch root, bobbins, and cuckoo plant)
- African wonder tree
- Aloe
- It’s also called the belladonna lily, the Saint Joseph lily, the Cape belladonna, the naked lady, and the Barbados lily.
- Ambrosia mexicana (also known as Jerusalem oak, feather geranium)
- The American mandrake is also called the Indian apple root, the umbrella leaf, the wild lemon, the hog apple, the duck’s foot, and the raccoonberry.
- American mistletoe
- American yew (also known as Canada yew, Canadian yew)
- Apple (even crabapples; the stem, leaves, and seeds are poisonous to dogs, but the fruit is safe)
- Apricot (stems, leaves, and pit contain cyanide)
- This plant is also called Nephthytis, green gold naphthysis, African evergreen, and trileaf wonder.
- Schefflera, umbrella tree, octopus tree, and starleaf are some other names for the Australian ivy palm.
- Autumn crocus (also known as naked ladies)
- Azalea
- Ti plant for babies, also called ti-plant, good-luck plant, or Hawaiian ti plant
- Barbados pride (also known as peacock flower, dwarf poinciana)
- Barbados Pride 2: This plant is also called Bird of Paradise, Poinciana, and Brazilianwood.
- Begonia
- Bergamot orange
- You can also call this flower a crane flower or a bird’s tongue flower.
- It is also called false Queen Anne’s lace and greater ammi.
- Bitterroot (also known as dogbane hemp, Indian hemp)
- American bittersweet, waxwork, shrubby bittersweet, false bittersweet, and climbing bittersweet are some other names for this plant.
- Black calla, also called Solomon’s lily, wild calla, and wild arum
- There are many names for black laurel, such as dog hobble, dog laurel, fetter bush, and sierra laurel.
- Black walnut
- Bog laurel (also known as pale laurel)
- Borage (also known as starflower)
- Boxwood
- Branched ivy, which is also called English ivy, sweetheart ivy, and California ivy
- Brunfelsia (also known as lady-of-the-night, kiss-me-quick, Franciscan rain tree)
- Buckwheat
- Burning bush (also known as spindle tree)
- Buttercup (also known as figwort)
- Butterfly iris
- Calamondin orange
- Calla lily, also called trumpet lily, arum lily, pig lily, white arum, florist’s calla, and garden calla
- Caraway
- Cardboard palm (also known as cardboard cycad)
- Carnation
- Castor bean plant
- Chamomile
- Chandelier plant (also known as devil’s backbone)
- Cherry (stem, leaves, and pit)
- It’s also called the bead tree, the China ball tree, the paradise tree, the Persian lilac, the white cedar, the Japanese bead tree, the Texas umbrella tree, and the pride-of-India tree.
- Chinese evergreen
- Chinese jade (also known as silver jade plant, silver dollar)
- Chives
- Chrysanthemum (also known as mums)
- Clematis (also known as virgin’s bower)
- Clivia lily
- Coffee tree
- Coleus is a plant that is sometimes called bread-and-butter plant, Spanish thyme, or East Indian thyme.
- Corn plant (also known as dragon tree)
- Cow parsnip (also known as giant hogweed)
- Cowbane
- Cyclamen
- Daffodil (especially the bulbs)
- Dahlia
- Daisy
- Desert rose (also known as desert azalea, mock azalea)
- This plant is also called climbing nightshade, poisonous nightshade, woody nightshade, and blue nightshade.
- Dieffenbachia (also known as dumb cane)
- Dog daisy
- Eastern star
- Elephant ears (also known as taro, malanga, and Caladium)
- Elephant-ear begonia
- Emerald fern (also known as emerald feather, asparagus fern)
- Epazote (also known as Mexican tea)
- Eucalyptus
- Fetterbush (also known as maleberry, staggerberry)
- Fleabane (also known as horseweed, showy daisy)
- Florida beauty (also known as gold dust dracaena, spotted dracaena)
- Foxglove
- Gardenia (also known as Cape jasmine)
- Garlic
- Geranium
- Giant dracaena (also known as palm lily, grass palm)
- Gladiola
- The glory lily is also called the gloriosa lily, the climbing lily, and the superb lily.
- Snake plant or golden bird’s nest plant is a good luck plant.
- Grapefruit (skin and plant parts; fruit isn’t toxic)
- Heavenly bamboo (also known as sacred bamboo)
- Hellebore (also known as Christmas rose, Easter rose)
- Holly is another name for inkberry, winterberry, American holly, English holly, European holly, Oregon holly, and European holly.
- Hops
- Horse chestnut (also known as buckeye)
- Hosta
- Hyacinth
- Hydrangea
- Indian rubber plant (also known as fig, weeping fig)
- Iris (also known as flag, snake lily, water flag)
- Iron cross begonia
- Jack-in-the-pulpit
- The jade plant is also called the baby jade plant, the dwarf rubber plant, the Chinese rubber plant, and the Japanese rubber plant.
- Japanese yew (also known as Buddhist pine or Southern yew)
- Jerusalem cherry (also known as winter cherry)
- Jonquil
- Lambkill (also known as sheep laurel)
- Larkspur
- Laurel (also known as mountain laurel, bay laurel)
- Lavender
- Leek
- Lemon (skin and plant parts; fruit is non-toxic)
- Lemon grass
- Lemon verbena
- Lily of the valley
- Lily-of-the-valley bush (also known as andromeda japonica)
- Lime (skin and plant parts; fruit is edible)
- Lobelia (also known as cardinal flower, Indian pink)
- Locust
- Lovage
- Macademia nut
- Madagascar dragon tree
- Mapleleaf begonia
- Marijuana (also known as Indian hemp, hashish)
- Marjoram
- Mayweed
- Metallic leaf begonia
- Milkweed
- Mint
- Mole bean plant
- Morning glory
- Narcissus (also known as paper white)
- Nightshade (also known as black nightshade)
- Oleander
- Onions
- Orange (skin and plant parts; fruit isn’t toxic)
- Oregano
- Painter’s palette (also called flamingo flower, pigtail plant, flamingo lily, on the other hand)
- Parsley
- Peace begonia
- Peace Lily
- Peach (stem, leaves, and pit)
- Pencil cactus (also known as sticks of fire)
- Peony
- Periwinkle (also known as running Myrtle)
- Philodendron
- Plum (stem, leaves, and pit)
- Poinsettia
- Killer hemlock, winter fern, California fern, and Nebraska fern are some other names for poison hemlock.
- Pothos (also known as golden pothos, taro vine, devil’s ivy)
- Prayer bean, also called Thai rosary bean, Indian bean, or Indian licorice
- You can also call prickly ash an Angelica tree, prickly elder, Hercules’ club, or the devil’s walking stick.
- Primrose
- Privet (also known as wax-leaf)
- Purslane (also known as moss rose, rock moss)
- Ragwort (also known as golden ragwort)
- Ranger’s button (also known as swamp white heads)
- Red-marginated dracaena
- Red sage (also known as shrub verbena, Lantana, yellow sage)
- Rex begonia
- Rhubarb
- Sago palm
- Shamrock plant
- Skunk weed, which is also called skunk cabbage, swamp cabbage, and polecat weed
- Sorrel
- Spring parsley
- St. John’s wort (also known as Klamath weed)
- Striped dracaena
- Sweet pea (also known as everlasting pea)
- Sweet William (also known as pinks)
- Tahitian bridal veil
- Tarragon
- Tobacco (also known as tree tobacco, mustard tree, Nicotiania)
- Tomato plant
- Tulips
- Wandering Jew
- Watercress
- Wisteria
- Yarrow (also known as milfoil)
- Yucca
10 Household Plants That Are Poisonous To Dogs!
FAQ
Are plants toxic to dogs?
Although many plants are considered toxic to dogs, the levels of danger they present vary due to the type of plant and your dogs’ body. Some plants, for example, induce mild symptoms while others may warrant immediate veterinary care. Common signs of consuming a toxic plant include:
Are Foxglove plants poisonous to dogs?
Foxglove: These tall, pretty flowers are very dangerous for dogs in every way, from the seeds to the petals. Ingestion can cause cardiac failure and even death. Geranium: All varieties of this common container plant are poisonous to dogs. The symptoms include lethargy, low blood pressure, skin rashes, and loss of appetite.
Are peony plants toxic to dogs?
Peony: These gorgeous flowering plants contain the toxin paeonol in their bark. They may cause vomiting and diarrhea, if ingested in large amounts. Sago Palm: Often used as an ornamental shrub in temperate zones, it’s considered one of the most toxic plants for dogs. Every part of the plant is toxic, especially the seeds.
Are sago palms poisonous to dogs?
If you take your dog near a friend or neighbor’s house that has these pretty plants, be careful because the leaves and flowers are poisonous to dogs. Sago palm: This shrub may look harmless, but it is actually among the most toxic plants for dogs. Every part of the sago palm is poisonous, especially the seedpods.
Is Geranium poisonous to dogs?
Ingestion can cause cardiac failure and even death. Geranium: All varieties of this common container plant are poisonous to dogs. The symptoms include lethargy, low blood pressure, skin rashes, and loss of appetite. Iris: Ingesting any part of the plant can cause skin irritation, drooling, diarrhea, vomiting, and lethargy.
Which plants are safe for dogs?
Areca palm: If you’re looking to give your home a tropical feel, the areca palm is a beautiful and safe choice for dogs! Also known as the butterfly palm, this long-leaf plant grows best with plenty of sunlight. Baby rubber plant: The baby rubber plant has shiny leaves and makes a nice complement to rooms with indirect light.