Flowers say so much. Any expression or good wishes can be made with a flowery gift to friends, family members or loved ones. Not every type of flower is completely family-friendly, however, and there are some blooms that can be highly toxic to our four-legged family members. If you are giving flowers to someone special in your life, you’ll want to ensure you’re giving pet-safe flowers that won’t cause potential harm to others in the household.
Of course, you aren’t limited to flower gifts but could choose a flower-like gift, such as floral adorned homewares, soft, floral-patterned furnishings or a delicious box of chocolate flowers for Valentine’s Day.
To help in your flower finding, we have provided a short list of pet-safe flower gifts that look great and won’t cause any upset or ill effects.
Roses
Nothing says love and desire like the gift of roses for the special individual in your life. Whether it’s a Valentine’s bouquet, an anniversary celebration or simply to show you care, roses are a beautiful, sweet-smelling present that can be hand-gifted or sent through your florist for that special occasion.
Available in a variety of gorgeous shades from dusty pink to sunshine yellow and deep rich hues of red, roses of all colours are pet-safe flowers. The only thing you’ll have to beware of is the thorns that grow on some long-stem roses. These can be very sharp and have the potential to prick and scrape active pets running by, so keep them safely out of the way or choose roses without thorns.
Avoid other plant types with ‘rose’ in the name that don’t belong to the same floral family, including primroses, moss rose, desert rose and Christmas rose. These flowers can still be harmful to pets, especially when ingested.
Sunflowers
The flower of happiness, sunflowers are beautiful, bright flowers that can grow to extreme heights and look incredible in an arrangement. Boasting a full collection of beautiful sunny yellow petals, sunflowers are an edible plant and have even been used for medicinal purposes! The seeds are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals that are key to our natural diet.
Sunflowers are said to represent positivity and strength and make the perfect flowery gift for anyone who’s ill, recovering or needs a pick-me-up. As an added benefit, sunflowers automatically brighten any room while being completely safe to pets and humans!
Marigolds
A glorious annual flowering plant, marigolds are available in a gorgeous array of summer colours and are sure to bring some warmth and positive feelings into someone’s life when given as a gift.
Perfect for offering as a plant for the garden or in a bouquet arrangement, marigolds not only look good but have a distinctive aroma that adds to any home or flower garden. Marigolds are popular for their hardy growth and deeply saturated colours but also have the benefit of being a pet-friendly plant and available in an incredible 56 different species!
Orchids
Orchid flowers are beautiful to look at, have a lovely aroma and come in all sorts of colours and patterns, with the bonus of being a pet-safe plant! Phalaenopsis orchids (Aka Moon/Moss orchid), specifically, have been shown to be non-toxic to pets but this also extends to other members of the orchid family including Florida Butterfly orchids, King of the Forest orchids, Spice orchids, Christmas orchids and Dancing Doll orchids.
As with any plant, you’ll want to stop your pets from nibbling on your orchids. Eating the plant might cause some stomach problems like a bout of the runs or vomiting but the flowers and leaves aren’t harmful or toxic to pets. Some pet owners suggest dusting orchid leaves with cayenne pepper or cinnamon powder, both of which are disliked immensely by cats and should put your pooch off too.
Everyone loves to know that someone in their life is thinking of them, so the next time you want to brighten someone’s day or simply show them you care, find the perfect flower bouquet to send to them! With these species of flower, you can ensure you’re sending a gorgeous flower gift that all members of the family can enjoy.
featured image: Mark Red; image 1: Buenosia Carol
