😻 Pet Safe Native Plants

My neighbor's pup, River, in a bed of crocuses.

​It’s an unusually warm early spring day, windows open, and I can hear two dogs happily greeting each other outside. It got me thinking — garden season is almost here, and so many of my Garfield neighbors share their yards and gardens with their pets.

If you’ve ever asked, “What can I plant that’s safe for my pets?”, you’re not alone! My friend Crystal, owner of Rust Belt Natives nursery in Hazelwood, gets this question all the time. She researched it and added pet-safety notes to her 2026 plant list. I picked out my personal favorites — plants I grow in my own small urban garden that are easy, beautiful, pollinator-friendly, and safe for pets.

Here are my top picks:

• Bottle Gentian — A late summer/fall bloomer with deep blue flowers that stay completely sealed. Bumblebees actually pry them open to get inside — so cool to watch!

• Mountain Mint — If you want to attract pollinators, this is your plant! It blooms from mid to late summer, smells wonderful, and its delicate white flowers are almost always buzzing with honeybees. It’s a joy to have in any garden.

• Coral Bells — This is a fantastic choice for beginners because it is incredibly versatile. It stays semi-evergreen for about five months of the growing season, meaning you’ll have something lovely to look at for a long time. I grow mine in everything from shade to full sun, and even in containers on my patio. It forms a pretty mound of leafy foliage and sends up delicate stalks of small red flowers in the fall.

• Goat’s Beard — If you have a shady or partly shaded spot in your yard, this one is striking. It produces gorgeous, feathery white plumes of flowers in late spring. I have mine growing under a small tree, and it is one of my all-time favorites.

• New England Aster — I consider this plant an absolute must-have. It’s tough, hardy, and easy to grow, but what makes it truly special is its role in supporting migrating monarch butterflies. As a late-season bloomer, it provides one of the last sources of nectar before monarchs make their incredible journey all the way to Mexico for the winter. Planting one of these means you are directly helping these butterflies fuel up for one of nature’s most amazing migrations.

You can find more pet-friendly plants on the 2026 Plant List on Rust Belt Natives’ website at www.rustbeltnatives.com — it’s a wonderful resource whether you’re just getting started or looking to expand your garden.

Note from the author: This article is also featured in the April 2026 Bulletin for the Gardening Advice and Earthly Delights column