List of Poisonous Seeds & Plants for Dogs

Many plants and their seeds can be harmful for dogs, potentially causing illness or even death. Even some very popular garden plants can cause serious toxic reactions in dogs if they are ingested. Knowing what to avoid can help you keep your home and your dog's environment safe. Consult a veterinarian promptly if you suspect your dog may have ingested a poisonous plant.

The castor bean plant is extremely poisonous to dogs and even to humans. The seeds are the most dangerous part of the plant. Effects of a dog eating the castor bean plant include nausea, bloody diarrhea, weakness, excessive thirst, convulsions and coma. Castor bean plants are evergreen trees that can grow up to 40 feet tall. They produce seed pods shaped like an egg that are reddish-brown and covered in soft spines.

Azalea bushes are popular for lawns, especially in the southern United States, but they can be very dangerous to dogs. If your dog eats part of the azalea bush, especially the leaves, he may experience stomach pain, abnormal heart rate, coma and even death. Azalea bushes grow up to about 6 feet tall and produce green foliage with trumpet-shaped flowers which can come in many different shades.

Many people have poinsettia flowers in their homes around the holidays. While poinsettia plants are not deadly for dogs, they can cause irritation to the stomach, mouth, eyes and skin. Poinsettias are usually used as house plants and produce large red, green or white leaves.

The leaves and the seeds, or berries, of a lantana plant are poisonous for dogs, causing nausea, weakness and bloody diarrhea. Sometimes dogs die suddenly within two to four days of eating the plant. Lantana plants are evergreen shrubs that can grow up to 6 feet tall. They produce clusters of small flowers in lots of different colors, such as white, yellow, orange or pink.