Pets by nature are curious creatures. That will, at times, get them into some trouble. It’s important to strike a balance between being able to have all the beautiful plants you would like in your home, garden and landscape and also keeping your pets (and children!) safe.
There is no substitute for providing a safe environment and all of us at America’s Best Flowers want you to do that for your pet and for yourselves. You can use this information to help make informed decisions about what are the right plant choices for you and your family. There are so many gorgeous plants; some which you would never know hold potentially life threatening risks for your pet.
Any plant ingested by your dog or cat may cause some vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, skin irritations or other symptoms of toxicity regardless of whether it is considered “toxic to pets” or not. If your pet does consume a plant or a portion of a plant, it’s important to know what the plant is, how much your pet consumed and how long ago it was that they consumed it. If you suspect your pet has been exposed to a toxic plant or any other poisonous substance, call your veterinarian or get them to an emergency veterinary clinic or hospital immediately!
Below we have provided the contact information for two organizations that specialize in pet poisonings. They can assist in determining if a plant is poisonous or not. Please note that both of these organizations do charge a fee for their service (charged to your credit card), but the cost is worth the potential to save your pet’s life.
Pet Poison Hotline:
http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com
24/7 Animal Poison Control Center
855-764-7661
ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals):
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
24 hours a day/365 days a year
(888) 426-4435
This is the contact information for two of Dane County’s emergency veterinary services:
| Veterinary Emergency Services 4902 E Broadway Madison 608-222-2455 | Veterinary Emergency Services 1612 North High Point Road, Middleton 608-831-1101 |
You may even want to print this page and put it on your refrigerator to have in case an emergency happens.
As we venture further into fall and the holidays approach, we’d like to specifically mention those plants common during this time of year and other potential toxicity sources of which pet parents should be mindful.
An “X” in this table means the plant is known to be commonly poisonous to that species.
| Plant Name | Dogs | Cats |
|---|---|---|
| Actaea-Baneberry, Doll's Eye, Bugbane, Cohosh | X | X |
| Alocasia | X | X |
| Aloe | X | X |
| Amaryllis species | X | X |
| American (Canadian) Yew-Taxus | X | X |
| American Holly (Ilex) | X | X |
| Angel's Trumpet | X | X |
| Apples and Crabapples (Malus) | X | X |
| Arrowhead Vine (Syngonium) | X | X |
| Asparagus Fern | X | X |
| Autumn Crocus Colchicum autumnale | X | X |
| Azalea, Rhododendron | X | X |
| Baby's Breath (Gypsophilia) | X | X |
| Begonia | X | X |
| Bird of Paradise | X | X |
| Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) | X | X |
| Black Walnut | X | |
| Bleeding Hearts-Dicentra, Dutchman's Breeches | X | X |
| Bloodroot | X | X |
| Borage | X | X |
| Boxwood | X | X |
| Burning Bush (Euonymus) | X | X |
| Buttercup (Ranunculus) | X | X |
| Caladium (Elephant Ears) | X | X |
| Calla Lily | X | X |
| Cardinal Flower (Lobelia) | X | X |
| Carnation | X | X |
| Castor Bean | X | X |
| Chamomile | X | X |
| Chinese Evergreen | X | X |
| Chives | X | X |
| Chokecherry | X | X |
| Chrysanthemum species | X | X |
| Clematis species | X | X |
| Coleus species | X | X |
| Colocasia (Elephant Ears) | X | X |
| Cordyline terminalis (Hawaiian Ti) | X | X |
| Croton | X | |
| Cyclamen | X | X |
| Daffodil, Narcissus | X | X |
| Dahlia | X | X |
| Daisy | X | X |
| Dianthus, Pinks, Sweet William | X | X |
| Dieffenbachia-Dumbcane | X | X |
| Draceana species (Corn Stalk Plant, Striped Draceana, Dragon Tree and more) | X | X |
| Elderberry | X | |
| Eucalyptus species | X | X |
| Ferns | X | |
| Flamingo Lily (Anthurium) | X | X |
| Flax | X | |
| Fleabane (Erigeron) | X | X |
| Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) | X | X |
| Gardenia | X | X |
| Garlic | X | X |
| Geranium species | X | X |
| Gladiola | X | X |
| Grapefruit | X | X |
| Hops | X | |
| Horsechestnut (Buckeye) | X | X |
| Hosta species | X | X |
| Hyacinth species | X | X |
| Hydrangea species | X | X |
| Indian Rubber Plant (Ficus) | X | X |
| Iris species | X | X |
| Ivy-English, Needlepoint, Variegated and Others (Hedera) | X | X |
| Jack In The Pulpit | X | X |
| Jade, Chinese Jade | X | X |
| Jonquil | X | X |
| Kalanchoe | X | X |
| Lantana | X | X |
| Larkspur (Delphinium) | X | X |
| Lavender | X | X |
| Leek | X | X |
| Lemon | X | X |
| Lemon Verbena | X | X |
| Lemongrass | X | X |
| Lenten Rose (Hellebore) | X | X |
| Lilies of all types- Asiatic, Easter Lily, Daylily, Startgazer Lily, Tiger Lily and more | X | X |
| Lily of the Valley | X | X |
| Lime | X | X |
| Locust | X | X |
| Lovage | X | X |
| Lupine | X | X |
| Macadamia Nut | X | |
| Marjoram | X | X |
| Mayapple (Podophyllum) | X | X |
| Milkweed | X | X |
| Mint | X | X |
| Mistletoe | X | X |
| Morning Glory | X | X |
| Moss Rose | X | X |
| Mother of Millions | X | X |
| Naked Ladies (Amaryllis) | X | X |
| Nicotiana | X | X |
| Oleander | X | X |
| Onion | X | X |
| Orange | X | X |
| Oregano | X | X |
| Ornamental Pepper | X | X |
| Paperwhite | X | X |
| Parsley | X | X |
| Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) | X | X |
| Peony | X | X |
| Periwinkle (Vinca) | X | X |
| Philodendron species | X | X |
| Plums, Peach, Cherry, Apricot (Prunus) | X | X |
| Poinsettia | X | X |
| Pothos, Golden Pothos | X | X |
| Primrose | X | X |
| Privet | X | X |
| Purslane | X | X |
| Rhubarb | X | X |
| Sago Palm | X | X |
| Shamrock Plant (Oxalis) | X | X |
| Snake Plant, Mother-In-Laws Tongue (Sansevieria) | X | X |
| St. John's Wort | X | X |
| Sweet Pea (Lathyrus latifolius) | X | X |
| Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera- Cutleaf Philodendron) | X | X |
| Tahitian Bridal Veil (Tradescantia) | X | X |
| Tarragon | X | X |
| Tomato | X | X |
| Tulip | X | X |
| Umbrella Tree (Schefflera) | X | X |
| Variegated Wangering Jew (Tradescantia) | X | X |
| Weeping Fig (Ficus) | X | X |
| Winterberry | X | X |
| Wisteria | X | X |
| Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) | X | X |
| Yucca | X | X |
This is by no means an all-inclusive list of everywhere your pet can find trouble. The list of toxic plants is meant only as a guide and is not intended to be used solely for judging whether a plant is toxic or not. Always consult a veterinarian, a pet poison control organization, an emergency veterinary hospital or some other animal professional when it comes to the health and well-being of your pet.
We recommend always erring on the side of caution and while many of us are animal-lovers, we state explicitly that our expertise is in plants only. All data on plant toxicity was taken from the ASPCA and Pet Poison Helpline websites and America’s Best Flowers shall not be held liable for any errors, misrepresentations, omissions or falsehoods. The burden of verification of all toxicity data falls upon the pet parent.
