Pet Friendly Evergreen Plants & Shrubs That Can Survive Nitrogen in Dog Urine
Dog urine can be high in nitrogen and it It is the nitrogen in dog pee that can harm some plants. Part of the appeal of evergreens is that they can bring color to your yard year-round, depending on where you live. Many pet safe gardeners create landscapes or “dogscapes” using shrubs as privacy barriers. But who wants a bunch of wilted, brown, dying plants surrounding their property? Yuck! I certainly wouldn’t.
Keep in mind that training your dog not to constantly tag your plants will be key to maintaining a nice pet friendly garden that is also kind to your eyes and nose. Smile. Just as some people create a dig zone for their dogs, creating an area for you dog to do the majority of his/her waste, will save your plants. Your plants will thank you, especially the year-round evergreen inhabitants that are working hard to survive 365. I make it a habit to pour some grey water where Lovie pees to dilute the urine for odor and environmental impact.
Another tip: You can put some lime-sulfur solution in the pee spots to neutralize the nitrogen.
So with that in mind, I did a some research based on what is on the ASPCA list of non toxic plants for dogs, cats, and horses that can tolerate or prefer nitrogen rich soil, and I created a list. Here are some evergreen shrubs are relatively tolerant of nitrogen and are less likely to be harmed by reasonable/ infrequent exposure to dog urine.
Nitrogen Tolerant Evergreens Safe for Dogs & Their Pee
| img | Plant | Sun/Shade | Water | Privacy Screen | Drought Tolerant | Zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most Tolerant | ||||||
 | Creeping Mahonia | Part shade | Medium | No | Yes | 5-8 |
 | Rosemary | Full sun | Low | No | Yes | 8-10 |
 | Thyme | Full sun | Low | No | Yes | 5-9 |
| Moderately Tolerant | ||||||
 | Cast Iron Plant | Shade | Low-Medium | No | Yes | 7-11 |
 | Russian Olive | Full sun | Low-Medium | Yes | Yes | 3-7 |
 | Texas Sage | Full sun | Low | Yes | Yes | 8-11 |
| Also Tolerant | ||||||
 | Camellia | Part shade | Medium | Yes | No | 7-10 |
 | Confederate/Star Jasmine | Sun-Part shade | Medium | Yes (climbing) | Moderate | 8-10 |
| Dwarf Date Palm | Full sun-Part shade | Medium | Yes | Moderate | 9-11 | |
 | Weeping Bottlebrush | Full sun | Medium | Yes | Moderate | 9-11 |
Citations:
[1] https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6629
[2] https://www.marthastewart.com/8380132/perennial-vs-annual-definition-plants
[3] https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/techniques/know-life-cycles-plants-annuals-biennials-perennials
[4] https://lawnlove.com/blog/pros-cons-annual-perennial-plants/
[5] https://www.botanical-online.com/en/botany/plants-perennials-characteristics
