Our dogs enjoy our landscapes even more than we gardeners do. Or, your yard may be on the neighborhood walking route or urban streetscape, where you’re sure to have frequent canine visitors.

To avoid replacing shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers only to have them die back with repeat stops, starting with dog pee-proof plants gives the best foundation for lasting growth (and a dog-friendly space).

Both male and female dogs produce toxins that kill sensitive plants. The nitrogen and salt content cause the most damage, burning the foliage and damaging the cellular tissues and roots. While no plant is entirely dog pee proof, the best resistance comes with those that tolerate high nitrogen and salty conditions. The durable plants often withstand coastal exposures and deicing salts, too. 

Save more sensitive specimens for containers and raised beds, while banking on leafy greens and strong-stemmed selections for occasional puppy traffic. To increase survivability, give the leaves and the surrounding area a rinse on sunny days during regular watering sessions. This may dilute some of the excess salts and nitrogen to reduce unbearable concentrations.

Creeping Phlox

Spreading groundcover that shrugs off occasional damage.

Creeping phlox is a low-growing, spreading groundcover with dense foliage and fragrant purple-blue blooms. The easy-care perennials are durable, growing everywhere from rock gardens to erosion stabilization zones. Because of their tough nature, these plants may resist dog pee damage. They’re also not the most appealing to approach in terms of their needled texture, but are non-toxic and pet-friendly.

The semi-evergreen, needle-like leaves create a loose carpet of spreading stems. In the spring, creeping phlox shows off with a blanket of petite flowers. They emerge in clusters on the tips of stems.

‘Sherwood Purple’ is a strong performer with lilac flowers on short, erect stems that rise above the foliage. It grows vigorously and uniformly for a full display of color and foliage. ‘Fran’s Purple’ is slightly larger and boasts mildew resistance. ‘Home Fires,’ also disease-resistant, is robust and blooms in pink.

Sedum

Thrives on neglect and handles heat, drought, and salt.

Sedum, or stonecrop, is a relatively indestructible perennial, making it a contender plant for withstanding dog pee (though not immune to damage from continual visits). Drought and heat-tolerant, sedum thrives with neglect. With adequate light in well-draining soils, the succulent foliage brings visual interest across conditions. 

With leaves in unique shapes and colors, sedums vary from low-growing and spreading to mounding and upright. Stonecrop enlivens dry sites, often blooming in late summer and into fall with colorful flower clusters and lasting seedheads. They provide late-season nectar for pollinators and forage for birds when they go to seed.

Camellia

Evergreen shrub that tolerates nitrogen and coastal stress.

Camellias are flowering evergreen shrubs with leafy stems in handsome dark, glossy green. They bloom in fall, winter, and early spring, depending on the species. They’re attractive in the landscape year-round and a delight in the cool season when little else is blooming.

Camellias can take nitrogen and coastal exposures, making it possible for them to be more dog pee-tolerant than other plants. They grow best in the warmth and humidity of the American South, where they shine with large single and double blooms from the palest pinks to the deepest reds.

Camellia sasanqua blooms throughout the fall and winter with a profusion of smaller flowers. Camellia japonica shows color slightly later, in late winter and early spring, and has big, ruffled flowers.

Acanthus

Handles nitrogen-rich soils with ease.

Acanthus, or bear’s breeches, has leaves that unfurl in architectural form. The long, broad foliage is dark, glossy green and deeply cut with soft spines and textural interest. The leafy perennial tolerates nitrogen and is durable in urban situations, making it a good choice for our particular plant challenge.

In addition to their structural foliage, acanthus produces tall spikes of pinky-white flowers with deep purple bracts. The bold spikes emerge in summer and last for weeks.

Acanthus grows with little maintenance in dry or moist soils with good drainage. It makes a striking mass planting for impact. In climates with hot summers and intense sun, situate them in more shade, especially in the afternoon.

Daylily

Tough perennial for sunny spots and heavy traffic areas.

Speaking of tough perennials, daylilies are noteworthy for their adaptability. They grow anywhere from a refined foundation or border planting to highways and roadsides. Their attractive, bladed foliage is rugged, and their striking flowers supply continual color during their bloom cycle.

As tough perennials, daylilies grow across climate zones, whether hot or cold, and live for years with little care. They’re an option for sunny zones along the sidewalk or border area most frequented by our canine companions. Daylilies tolerate high nitrogen and salty conditions. Some species are invasive in varying regions of North America. Avoid planting these in the ground if they tend to invade natural areas in your region.

Holly Fern

Grows best in shady, moist corners.

Holly ferns are a tough fern for warm climates that handles a bit of sun and drought when established. The durable performers have wide, lustrous, dark green fronds. The coarse leaflets of each frond resemble holly leaves, but the texture is soft with gently arching stems. Holly ferns remain evergreen in areas with mild winters.

The easy-to-grow ferns are handsome in a group. They prefer nitrogen-rich, organic soils with even moisture, though they withstand less than ideal compositions. They also have moderate salt tolerance. The best leafy crown comes with regular water.

For added winter insulation for the crown, let fronds remain in place at season’s end (whether green or dormant). Remove ragged, winter-worn fronds in spring as new growth emerges.

Amsonia

Feathery leaves turn golden in fall.

Amsonia hubrichtii (threadleaf bluestar) is a North American native perennial that occurs naturally in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma. It’s fine, feathery foliage gives way to starry powder blue blooms in spring. Eastern bluestar from the east and southern U.S. has more willowy leaves in deep olive green and periwinkle bloom clusters. Both have golden-yellow fall color, multiseason appeal, and an ability to withstand urban situations.

Their versatility makes the genus one to try for dog pee plant zones. Bluestar is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and withstands heat and humidity. With a sunny location and moisture during prolonged dry spells, it needs little else to flourish. Unlike the nitrogen-loving selections on our list, this one does fine in average to lean soils.

Mexican Bush Sage

Aromatic foliage may discourage animal visits.

Mexican bush sage has thick, velvety leaves and stems that may resist dog pee. It also has aromatic foliage that may deter dogs in the first place. The heat-loving selection relies on warm conditions and well-draining soils. It needs little tending to bloom profusely with a neat, full form. 

Mexican bush sage features deep purple and white blooms in late summer through fall. The pollinator favorites produce nectar-rich tubular flowers late in the season when others fade. The blooms crowd long stems and contrast with the silvery gray leaves.

Feather Reed Grass

Deep roots and dense crowns handle tough sites well.

Ornamental grasses are among the top plants to try for beds where dog pee may be common amongst plants. Extensive roots make them resilient across growing situations, from sidewalk strips to roadsides. They’re also impenetrable with dense crowns. Feather reed grass is a graceful specimen among the lot, with seedheads that look golden in the sun.

‘Karl Foerster’ is a widely used variety of feather reed. Bronze-red feathery panicles turn deep gold in autumn. The seedheads persist into winter (though the seeds are sterile and won’t germinate). As a cool-season grass, ‘Karl Foerster’ does most of its growing in the cool temperatures of spring and fall. While heat-tolerant, growth slows in summer, though color holds well.

‘Karl Foerster,’ with uniform, upright foliage and plumes, received the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit and the Perennial Plant Association Perennial Plant of the Year Award. For a twist, look for its sport ‘Overdam,’ with silvery-blush variegated foliage, slightly arching blades, and dusty rose flowers.

Aromatic Aster

A fall-blooming native that thrives in poor soils.

Aromatic aster, native to the central and Northeastern U.S., has violet-blue flowers from September through November and a dense, mounding habit. It grows in poor soils, including sand or clay, and withstands drought. Because of its rugged construction, it’s a fit for urban spaces and may handle occasional dog pee stops. 

When crushed, the leaves of aromatic aster are fragrant. ‘October Skies’ is a top performer with a cloud of bright purple flowers from September to October with stiff stems and a shrubby form. The cultivar draws beneficial insects and is a hoverfly favorite. It’s also pest and disease-resistant.

Rosemary

Woody stems and needle leaves stay tough.

Fragrant herbs are advisable on the dog route to potentially deter their stops. Woody stems, too, and vigorous adaptability to challenging conditions make herbs like lavender, mint, thyme, and oregano worthy options to try.  Creeping rosemary, with its form, fragrance, needled foliage, and salt tolerance, makes it a viable choice.

Rosemary leaves and flowers have a lemony, cypress, camphor scent and flavor. A Mediterranean plant, the herb thrives with plenty of sun and quick-draining soil. It’s a drought-tolerant, carefree perennial. Cascading forms like ‘Huntington Carpet’ trail and spill, and these plants have the best dog pee resistance.