Which Plants are Resistant to Dog Urine? Complete Guide

Being a gardening enthusiast who loves keeping dogs can pose a formidable challenge. While we adore our furry friends, we have to contend with dog urine killing plants.

Training your dog to pee in designated areas in your yard can work, but you'd still have to enclose your plants with wire cages or fences. What if there was a better and easier way for your dog and plants to co-exist? The trick is incorporating dog urine-resistant plants in your landscape design.

 

Why Does Dog Urine Kill Plants?

Dog pee burns plants with an overkill of nitrogen salts mimicking a fertilizer overdose. Nitrogen is crucial for the development of plants and occurs naturally in the soil. However, when it's overabundant, it ravages the plants by altering the soil's PH levels, dehydrating the cells, and burning the roots.

When your dog pees on your plants, it interferes with the functions of the roots, specifically the uptake of water and nutrients. Ultimately, this turns your plant brown or yellow before killing it.

 

Choosing Plants Resistant To Dog Urine

Just because your dogs love peeing on plants doesn't mean dog owners can't have their favorite plants in the garden. All you have to do is introduce dog pee-resistant plants that heavily consume nitrogen.

Whether you want to plant vegetables, herbs, shrubs, perennials, evergreens, or ground cover plants resistant to dog urine, it's all within your reach with this list of plants.

 

Evergreens and Ground Cover Plants That Can Withstand Dog Urine

• Carpet Bugleweed

The Carpet bugle is a ground cover plant resistant to dog urine. Also known as Ajuga, this creeping plant will add impressive foliage to your outdoors while also controlling soil erosion.

• Elfin Thyme

Elfin thymes are multipurpose plants that should never miss in your garden, not only for their dog urine tolerance but for many other reasons. It's a woody, aromatic, creeping perennial that will engulf your garden like a thick, fragrant cushion.

• Miniature Stonecrop

The miniature stonecrop is an exceptional ground cover plant with small leaves that slowly spread to create a tight mat on the ground. The stonecrop is ideal for rock gardens and between your stepping stones. They draw butterflies to your garden and withstand dog pee superbly.

• Silver Carpet

Silver Carpets are verified dog pee-resistant garden plants. This evergreen perennial chokes out weeds from your flower bed and is hardy enough to withstand increased foot traffic.

• Bear's Breeches (Acanthus Mollis)

Apart from being a dog urine-resistant plant, Bear's Breeches, also known as Oyster plants, are stunning flowers.

• Burkwood Osmanthus

Burkwood Osmanthus are evergreen shrubs that grow up to 10 inches. The tall and compact plant usually blooms in springtime and prides itself on its highly aromatic flowers. In addition to its dog urine-resistant ability, it also effortlessly tolerates alkaline soils and enhanced pollution levels.

• Doublefile Viburnum

Doublefile viburnum ranks among the most popular shrubs in North America, and for excellent reasons. They are dog urine resistant, and they also grow very fast with minimal problems.

• Feather Reed Grass

Feather Reed Grass is an ornamental grass that offers stunning texture and beauty to your landscaping. Its tolerance to dog pee aside, this outstanding plant requires amazingly little care. Also, its planting site requirements are highly versatile.

• Holly Fern

Also referred to as the Japanese Holly Fern, this plant derives its name from its sharp-tipped, holly-like, serrated leaves. Its ability to withstand dog urine and thrive happily in the dark/shaded sections of your garden makes it a great choice.

• Japanese Spindle Tree

The Japanese spindle tree, also known as the Japanese Laurel, is an evergreen that tolerates dog urine. It's a hairless shrub with lots of branches. Apart from withstanding dog urine, it also tolerates strong winds, poor soil, shade, and fluctuations in rainfall and temperatures.

• Mexican Bush Sage

This evergreen perennial shrub is a popular pick with landscapers due to its flashy and ornamental velvety flowers. Also, it doesn't hurt that the Mexican sage is resistant to any pee that your dog might splash its way.

 

 

Herbs Resistant to Dog Urine

• Basil

Basil is a popular herb belonging to the mint family with numerous health benefits. This herb plays a fundamental role in various cuisines and introduces an undeniable flavor to pizzas, salads, pasta, and other dishes. It is dog pee-resistant, ensuring you keep enjoying its culinary benefits for a long time.

• Oregano

Oregano is another mint family member that can withstand dog urine. It's a pleasingly fragrant herb used in cooking. You can also transform it into an essential oil packed with antioxidants.

• Parsley

Also known as garden parsley, this herb has culinary and health benefits. Parsley is a flowering plant that's a beneficial addition to your garden. It is also renowned as one of the most potent disease-fighting herbs known to man.

• Peppermint

Imagine a herb that acts as a rat deterrent while withstanding the ravages of urine from your dog! That's peppermint for you. This remarkable herb is a hybrid of watermints and spearmints. More interestingly, it's a plant source for both menthol and menthone, and its uses range from culinary to medicinal.

• Rosemary

Rosemary is a deliciously fragrant evergreen herb with a fantastic array of health and culinary benefits. It also comes in handy when making perfumes.

 

7 Vegetables That Tolerate Dog Urine

As a gardening and landscaping fan, the sheer array of dog urine-resistant plants at your disposal is mind-blowing. Choosing can be an uphill task, but if you love from-the-garden-to-the-table plants, here are a few more choices.

1. Corn
2. Cabbage
3. Lettuce
4. Cucumbers
5. Squash
6. Tomatoes, and
7. Citrus Plants