I'm currently selecting plants for my yard and I've discovered that many of them are toxic to dogs. This raised a question for me: Are these toxic plants harmful to other wildlife as well? I understand it varies by plant, but I'm curious if animals instinctively know to avoid them. I really want to make sure I'm not unintentionally harming any local wildlife, like rabbits!
3 Answers
Generally, the compounds that make plants toxic also make them taste bad, so animals usually steer clear of them. If you're focusing on native plants, you probably don't need to worry about it much at all!
It really depends on your dog! Most toxic plants taste unpleasant, so they typically avoid them. My dog, though, will eat just about anything! We had to take some toxic plants out of our yard because he would go after them!
I think animals usually know what's safe to eat. I've planted some toxic plants to keep rabbits away from my dogs, and they selectively munch on non-toxic ones instead. The bunnies lounge around my yard just fine, and they definitely aren’t dropping dead!
Are the toxic plants you chose native to your area, or something else?