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Native Grasses Safe For Dogs To Eat? #875528

Asked July 01, 2024, 2:58 PM EDT

Hi, I am planning on starting a little dog friendly grass garden in a container(s) in my yard for my dog to eat. However, I didn't wanna just go with stuff marketed as "pet grass" because I'm worried they're invasive varieties that will spread even if they're in containers. My neighborhood already has a pretty big issue with non-native invasives. So, I'm wondering if you know of any grasses native to Cuyahoga county that are safe for dogs to eat. I've googled to my hearts content but can't seem to find this info. If it matters, my dog is a small dog breed called Havanese.

Cuyahoga County Ohio

Expert Response

Dear Robynette,

I can see your problem in finding information about native grasses suitable for the little dog. I found a couple of sources, though the one is from California, which is not as helpful.

Pet-friendly gardens | UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden

Additionally there is a nice bit of information dealing with pets and gardening:

GARDENING-WITH-DOGS.pdf (theodorepayne.org)

Most grasses native to Ohio are rather tall. I'm not sure they would be all that useful to a little dog.  This article from Penn State I found very interesting. It talks about petscaping - landscaping to be pet friendly. Some of these ideas may prove helpful and Penn State is more closely aligned to our climate.

Petscaping: Creating a Pet-Friendly Garden (psu.edu)

I hope the above information proves helpful. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.


Sue Schillig Replied July 02, 2024, 8:08 PM EDT

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