Australia is a country of pet lovers. Animal Medicines Australia’s 2025 national survey estimates that 73% of Australian households include at least one pet. Dogs live in 49% of households and cats in 34%. For millions of people, decorating a home is therefore also about considering the animals who share it.

Many popular living plants and cut flowers contain botanical compounds that can harm cats or dogs. Choosing a well made artificial alternative can remove the living plant tissue, sap, botanical pollen and vase water from that particular floral display. It allows people to keep the flower forms and colours they love while making a more considered choice for their home and their pets.

73% of Australian households

include at least one pet, according to Animal Medicines Australia’s 2025 survey.

Nearly one in four Australians

had allergic rhinitis in 2022, based on Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data.

Why artificial flowers make sense in a pet loving home

A pet loving home does not need to be a flower free home. Artificial flowers offer another way to bring a favourite bloom, colour palette or seasonal arrangement into daily life without bringing the living plant into the room.

This can be especially useful when a cat likes to investigate a new vase, a dog follows every scent through the house, or a family simply prefers to remove known toxic plants from the indoor environment. The benefit is practical, but it is also emotional. Choosing artificial flowers can be an act of care for both the home you love and the animals who make it feel like home.

Hand painted watercolour of a dog smelling cream ivory artificial Calla Lilies held by its owner in an Australian home — Inspired by D&B FLORIQUE’s Calla Lily — Cream Ivory, this hand painted scene shows how a recognisable flower form can remain part of a pet loving home without bringing a living Calla plant indoors.

Popular flowers pet owners should recognise

Plant toxicity is specific to the plant and the animal. A common name can also be misleading, so the scientific name matters. The examples below are not an exhaustive list, but they show why many pet owners review living flowers before bringing them home.

Living flowers and the pets they may affect
Living flower or plant	Pets affected	Why it matters	Artificial design option
True lilies Lilium and Hemerocallis	Cats	RSPCA Australia warns that petals, stems, leaves, pollen and even vase water can present a severe kidney risk to cats.	Use an artificial floral direction to keep an elegant trumpet or petal shape without a living lily.
Calla Lily Zantedeschia	Cats and dogs	The living plant contains insoluble calcium oxalates that can cause intense mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing.	Cream Ivory Calla Lily or Aubergine Violet Calla Lily.
Hydrangea	Dogs and cats	Hydrangea contains cyanogenic glycosides. Reported signs after ingestion include vomiting, depression and diarrhoea.	Hydrangea — After Rain Blue White keeps the rounded blue and white flower form in an artificial stem.
Azalea and Rhododendron	Dogs and cats	The Australian Animal Poisons Helpline advises that even small ingestions may cause gastrointestinal signs, while larger ingestions can affect the nervous and cardiovascular systems.	Build the desired colour and volume with an artificial rose, hydrangea or composed bouquet instead.

If a pet has chewed or swallowed a living plant and you are unsure about toxicity, contact a veterinarian or the Australian Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738.

Bring the flower you love home in another form

The point is not to remove flowers from everyday life. It is to choose a form that fits the household. An artificial Calla Lily can keep the clean curved line of the bloom. An artificial hydrangea can provide the rounded volume and blue white colour many people want for an entry table or bedroom. A completed design such as Powder Blue Rose can bring several flower shapes together without placing living flower tissue or botanical pollen in that arrangement.

Why this matters to D&B FLORIQUE

Our director shares her home with a much loved dog. For us, choosing refined artificial flowers is not about giving up the flowers we love. It is a way to keep colour, composition and seasonal change in daily life while making a more considered decision around the animals who live beside us.

Quality matters in that decision. Nuanced colour, convincing petal details, balanced scale, secure joins and a well planned composition allow the artificial arrangement to contribute to the room as a design piece. Explore our Artificial Flowers and Foliage, or use Bespoke Services when the arrangement needs to suit a particular home, pet routine, height or placement.

A pollen aware space can be a generous detail

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates that around 6.1 million Australians, or 24% of the population, had allergic rhinitis in 2022. Common triggers include pollens from grasses, weeds and trees, as well as dust mites, mould and animal dander. Individual triggers vary, but the scale of the data shows why pollen awareness is relevant in Australian homes and workplaces.

Artificial flowers do not release botanical pollen. When a person already knows that fresh flower pollen or fragrance affects them, replacing a fresh arrangement with an artificial one removes flower pollen from that particular display while keeping the colour and visual welcome of flowers in the room.

Hand painted watercolour of a pollen sensitive person sneezing beside fresh blue white hydrangeas and soft white gerberas — For someone who reacts to fresh flower pollen or fragrance, an artificial arrangement can preserve the visual welcome without adding botanical pollen from the flowers in that display.

Thoughtful for you, your family and the people you welcome

In your own home

If you know that fresh flower pollen affects you, an artificial arrangement lets you style the entry, dining table, bedroom or home office without introducing botanical pollen from those flowers. The design can remain in place across seasons, so there is no need to repeatedly replace fresh stems.

For family members and guests

A family member may have hay fever. A regular visitor may be sensitive to pollen or strong fresh flower fragrance. Choosing an artificial centrepiece for a gathering is a small, considerate detail that allows the table or room to remain dressed without making fresh flowers the centre of someone else’s discomfort.

In a workplace or client facing space

Reception areas, consulting rooms, salons, restaurants and offices welcome many people whose sensitivities may not be known in advance. An artificial arrangement provides colour and a finished first impression without releasing flower pollen. For larger spaces, D&B FLORIQUE’s Corporate Partnerships service also considers counter space, movement, sightlines, viewing distance and the cleaning routine before recommending a design.

Keep the arrangement clean and easy to enjoy

Most premium artificial flowers are easy to care for with routine dry dust removal. Use the care method approved for the product, supporting delicate sections while using a clean soft brush or cloth. In a home or office with low dust, a monthly visual check can be a practical starting point. Clean sooner where there is heavier traffic, open air, cooking residue or stronger ventilation.

This simple care routine keeps the petal colour, flower centres and leaf details looking refined. It also supports the purpose of a pollen aware display by keeping the arrangement and surrounding surface clean.

Choose flowers for the life happening around them

The best floral choice is not only about which arrangement looks attractive in a photograph. It is also about who lives in the home, who visits the space and how the room is used. For a pet loving family or a pollen aware workplace, artificial flowers can bring beauty into the room with a more thoughtful brief.

Start with the flower form you love, then consider the pet, the people, the placement and the scale. Browse Artificial Flowers and Foliage, view completed work in the Gallery of Inspired Blooms, or contact D&B FLORIQUE through Bespoke Services for a design planned around your home.

Frequently asked questions

Do artificial flowers produce pollen?

No. Artificial flowers do not produce botanical pollen. This can make them a useful choice when the aim is to avoid adding flower pollen from an indoor arrangement.

Are artificial flowers a good choice for homes with cats or dogs?

They can be a thoughtful alternative when the living version of a flower is unsuitable for the pet in the home. An artificial flower does not contain the living plant tissue or sap associated with that plant. Choose a stable placement and an arrangement proportioned for the room and the household routine.

Can I decorate with Calla Lilies or hydrangeas without bringing in the living plant?

Yes. D&B FLORIQUE offers artificial Calla Lily — Cream Ivory, Calla Lily — Aubergine Violet and Hydrangea — After Rain Blue White. They keep the recognisable flower shape and colour without using the living plant.

How do artificial flowers support a pollen aware space?

Artificial flowers do not produce botanical pollen. Allergic triggers differ from person to person, so the practical benefit is specific. An artificial arrangement avoids adding flower pollen from that display, while an approved dry care routine helps keep the arrangement and surrounding surface clean.

How often should artificial flowers be cleaned?

For many low dust interiors, begin with a monthly visual check and remove dust when needed using the approved dry care method. Spaces with heavier traffic, cooking residue or open windows may need attention sooner.

Artificial Flowers for Pet Loving and Pollen Aware Homes