On the weekends I enjoy taking long walks with my sidekick Mason, a Labrador retriever. Recently Mason has started nibbling on and eating flower blossoms from the plants we encounter during our walks. Does your pet like to nibble on plants in the woods or in your landscape? If so, you have probably wondered, like me, are these plants going to hurt my furry friend?

So, I did some research and believe it or not, a surprising number of the plants in Florida may be toxic or irritating to our pets. Toxicity is a defense mechanism used by plants to protect against grazing. As a consequence, many of these toxins will make the plant smell or taste bad and pets will generally avoid them. However, young pets, like Mason, may eat them out of curiosity or boredom.

I should note that just because a plant is listed as toxic does not necessarily mean that ingesting that plant is fatal. Many of the plants on the toxic list will cause diarrhea and vomiting, but no life-threatening conditions – other plants can be dangerously toxic to your pet.

The plants listed below are common to Clay County and may cause a problem. This is a sampling of some indoor plants that are toxic to pets: alocasia, amaryllis, Ti Plant, English Ivy, dieffenbachia, Chinese evergreen, philodendron, corn plant, cyclamen, desert rose, dracaena, peace lily, pothos, poinsettia and schefflera.

Some landscape plants that may cause a problem include: azalea, bird of paradise, caladium, cape jasmine, Carolina jessamine, chrysanthemum, daffodil, day lily, kalanchoe, lantana, oleander and sago palm.

The plants listed above have been reported as having systemic effects on animals and/or intense effects on the gastrointestinal tract. This list is not meant to be all-inclusive, but rather a compilation of the most frequently encountered plants in our area.

I encourage you to research this topic for yourself. Once you start reading, it’s an eye-opener to realize how many plants can be toxic or irritating depending on what part of the plant is eaten, or if it’s in excessive amounts. You can do further research using this University of Florida resource http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/agriculture/toxic-plants/ or search for toxic plants at https://www.aspca.org.

Also, symptoms related to plant poisoning are numerous and vague, and are best left for the experts. As always, if your pet is acting strangely or seems sick, call the veterinarian. In an emergency, call a veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center 24-hour emergency hotline at 888-426-4435. Also, if you would like help identifying plants your landscape call UF/IFAS Extension Clay County at (904) 284-6355 or email brad784@ufl.edu.

While you might not consider eating most of these plants, our pets are sometimes less discriminating about what they will nibble on – but being aware of the potential hazard may save your pet some discomfort and help avoid an expensive trip to the vet.

Mason is quite entertained with this new-found activity and I feel more comfortable now knowing which plants to avoid. I hope you do too!