Valentine’s Day: What are good pet safe flowers for a bouquet?

From top left: roses, freesia, sunflowers, orchids, waxflower, and from bottom left: gerbera daisies, statice, stock, lisianthus, snapdragons, and ferns. All are non toxic to cats!

Below is a list of beautiful cat friendly floral options. These flowers are perfect for any Valentine who has cats or even is a cat <3

Rose: Good news! The classic Valentine rose is pet safe! Sweet smelling with soft petals, there is a good reason the rose is the poster child for Valentine’s Day. With proper care, cut roses can last 7-14 days.

Sunflower: While the sunflower is not a traditional Valentine’s Day bloom, this cheery flower is sure to put a smile on their face. When the blooms begin to wilt, pull off the petals around the eye for a unique, forever dried flower.

Orchid: These luxurious, tropical flowers are a perfect gift for any Valentine. Orchids can be arranged potted or a fresh cut addition to a bouquet. Blooms on a potted orchid can last up to 3 months with proper care, and fresh cut stems can last a few weeks.

Gerbera Daisy: These happy, adorable blooms are perfect for a Valentine with a playful and childlike demeanor. Gerbera daisies come in a wide variety of colors and sizes, making their sweet heads an excellent addition to your bouquet.

Stock: Stock’s unique name comes from its original Renaissance English name “Stock-Gillyflower”– or gillyflowers that grow on a stock or stem. Other gillyflowers include sweetly scented carnations, dianthus, and wallflowers. Stock is edible for people as well as pets! However, most fresh cut flowers are grown for looking not for eating (who knows what pesticides or fertilizers were sprayed on to keep them looking so beautiful!). If you are looking for edible flowers, try a local farmers market or grow the blooms yourself to ensure that the flowers are safe for eating.

Snapdragon: Luckily, these beautiful vertical blooms have a bitter taste to cats so your little friend will not want to eat them. Snapdragons come in many beautiful colors and add some verticality to the design of your floral bouquet.

Freesia: This sweet smelling filler flower is a perfect addition to any Valentine bouquet. Freesia has an average vase life of 4-5 days.

Lisianthus: Lisianthus is one of my favorite flowers, and they will give any bouquet a fresh picked, wildflower feel. Lisianthus earns the nickname “long lasting Lisi” for its longer vase life. It comes in pinks, whites, creams, burgundy, and purples.

Statice & Limonium: Limonium and Statice are perfect pet-safe filler flowers for your bouquet. Pair these dainty blooms with roses, sunflowers, or gerbera daisies for a lush, full arrangement. Limonium and statice are easy to dry as well– simply hang them upside down for a week or two and voila! You have forever flowers.

Waxflower: Wax flower is a lovely little filler flower that smells slightly of sweet tarts or a fruity candy. They are native to Australia and are a member of the myrtle family.

Fern: Ferns are an excellent green to add to your arrangement. There are many different varieties that, when paired together, will give your bouquet excellent texture and color. A few of my favorites are sword fern, leather leaf, and plumosa.

Any “pet safe” flower may cause mild GI issues or upset stomach if heavily ingested. Different pets will react to specific flowers differently– call your vet if you are worried about you pet’s symptoms after ingestion of any flower or plant. This list was curated with information from the ASPCA.