What climbing plants are not poisonous to dogs? A Step-by-Step Guide

Are honeysuckle vines poisonous to dogs?

All parts of the honeysuckle, including the vine, flower, and berry, are poisonous to dogs, who can not properly digest the plant’s toxic properties, consisting of cyanogenic glycosides and carotenoids.

Clematis contains an irritating glycosides, and when ingested by pets, can cause drooling, vomiting and diarrhea. Thankfully, this plant has a very bitter taste, which deters most pets from consuming large amounts.

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Your dog’s habits are just as important to consider when deciding what is safe and what isn’t. For instance, if your pup considers the garden their personal salad bar, then you should avoid anything that’s known to cause sickness or toxicity in dogs because your pup is simply much more likely to explore the garden through their mouths and make themselves ill.

Most dogs usually won’t eat anything that seems unappetising, which helps to keep them safe from anything that could make them sick.

We will go through a few common houseplants first and then list other “safe” houseplants. If you happen to grow herbs inside your house, you’ll find them listed in our list of safe plants for dogs below. This list is quite extensive but in no way exhaustive, so we encourage you to research anything rare or specialist you might be growing!

Yes, spider plants are perfectly safe houseplants for dogs to be around. These plants breed prolifically and thrive in almost any environment, making them one of the most common houseplants around so it’s a good thing they’re dog-friendly. With a few of these dotted around and draping off shelves, you’re sure to start living your indoor jungle dreams.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Jasminum species plants are not poisonous to dogs. Winter Jasmine is a vining shrub to 15-feet tall. Yellow, scentless flowers appear in very early spring on leafless stems followed by dark-green summer foliage. Summer Jasmine produces very fragrant white flowers throughout the growing season. These plants grow to 30-feet high for trellis cultivation. J. officinale “Aureum” has golden foliage. “Argenteo-variegatum” has white-edged leaves.

Star Jasmine is Trachelospermum jasminoides. This is not a true jasmine but is a valuable evergreen plant with intensely fragrant flowers beginning in spring and continuing into early summer. The vine grows to 30-feet long and is evergreen. It requires a support such as a trellis. Star Jasmine is also called Confederate Jasmine because it grows in the Southern U.S. in USDA hardiness zones 8 to 10, the area that once was the Confederate States of America. The ASPCA lists this plant as nontoxic to dogs.

Pet lovers welcome their dogs into the garden. Dog-loving gardeners train their pets to be well behaved additions to the home gardening experience. Still, curious pets, particularly young dogs and puppies, risk exposure to toxic plants. Protect older animals, whose sense of sight and smell has diminished, from plants that produce irritants or are poisonous. Trellis plants exist that are perfectly safe for pets and their owners.

Madagascar Jasmines scientific name is Stephanotis floribunda. The deeply fragrant flowers are used extensively in bridal bouquets, giving the plant the common name of Brides Flower. This tropical plant is grown on a trellis indoor or in the greenhouse where not adapted. It may be moved to a protected outdoor deck or patio to bloom during the frost-free months. This charming, fragrant plant climbs 10 to 20 feet. According to the ASPCA, Madagascar Jasmine is not poisonous to dogs.

Roses are safe for dogs. Climbing rose choices in size and color are wide and varied. Jeanne laJoie is a climbing pink miniature rose growing to 10-feet long. Plant this small-flowered mini alongside the large-flowered pink blend Eden for a summer flowering display in pink and cream. Zepherine Droughin is nearly thornless, blooming heavily with deep pink roses in spring on a plant growing to 12-feet high. Peggy Martin is an easy-to-grow spring bloomer in light pink. Choose climbing roses for trellises according to color preference, growth habit and local growing conditions.

What Trellis Plant Is Not Poisonous to Dogs?

A sad day is realizing that your wall-climbing houseplants are not safe for pets. Don’t viney plants look crazy lush hanging from a planter or climbing a moss pole or wall? They sure do. Devils Ivy, Pothos and Monstera adonsonii are the best for wall climbing, but are technically toxic to pets. If you have a curious or obnoxious furball, you may want to err on the safe side and get some safe for cats and dogs.

Some people like myself and Alina, who’s photo above inspired many to reverse engineer their trailing plants to climb, have cats who rarely, if ever, plant munch. Some sent down from heaven don’t eat any at all. But some cats treat plants like lunchables and munch away without a care. Actually, most cats don’t care about anything or your happiness.

Sure, you could keep toxic plants suspended from the ceiling or on a shelf, which is always a great idea, but I get it, you want climbing plants. Or at least the ability to have hanging plants in places that may be in paw-reach. So, after many questions from readers, here is a list of climbing and trailing pet safe plants that can go anywhere in your home.

These plants do best in a planter that allows their arms to cascade over the top in an ever-so-lux fashion. Because they are not climbers, these babies will work best draping over a shelf or in a sunny window. All of these trailers like bright indirect sun, and kept very lightly moist. If these fast-growing ladies grow too quickly, they can be pruned and added to the top of the plant to root and look fuller.

While none of these plants really “climb” without a bit of help, they really enjoy a nice moss pole, trellis, or command hooks to cling to. These indoor climbing plants are safe for cats and dogs and can be trained easily to climb a wall or structure. The hoyas like bright light and to be kept very lightly moist, while the begonia and peperomias prefer medium to bright light conditions and to not dry out.

Pets or pet-consumption not an issue? Here are some of my favorite climbing plants that are NOT safe for pets but are lovely trailers: Devils Ivy PothosRhaphidophora tetrasperma Monstera adonsoniiMonstera dubia Tradescantia (all types)

Whether you have pets or not, adding climbing plants into your collection is a nice way to shake things up. They look different and can completely transform a wall without painting or buying another floral wall hanging from Society6. Once I get my hands on a couple of these I’ll be doing a tutorial on how to make these climb everything in your house – walls, fireplaces, even roommates.

*Shoutout to Alina for sending me her awesome photos she didn’t delete from her phone. You can check her out here because her house is gorgeous and you can literally spend hours on her IG watching her paint. Also thanks to Mandy and Bryn from @farmer_chui on IG!

Note: this post contains affiliate links to help you find the plants I talk about