Poisonous houseplants

Some plants are best avoided if you have small children or pets

Feb 7, 2018

Some houseplants and cut flowers are toxic or poisonous to humans and/or animals. The severity of the symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening, depending on the toxin and the amount of exposure. If you have a curious child, cat or dog, it may be best to have only non-toxic plants.

It isn't unusual for a rash of social media posts warning people about strangers poisoning animals in their yards or dog parks. This is highly unusual activity. Moreoften when the suspected animal is treated, the cause of the poisoning is found to be mushrooms (which are increasing in numbers in many areas thanks to climate change) or pesticides, especially the homemade ones with a sugar base to them. It is absolutely critical you eliminate both of these from your yard if you have animals or youngsters back there.

Please note that this list captures the toxicity of most common plants we get questions about. It is not suitable for deciding if a plant is safe to use in all situations. For example, hot peppers and sea buckthorn may perfectly safe to consume but you would not want to plant them in a therapy garden in a penetentiary due to their potential danger when mis-used.

Interestingly, some plants thought to be poisonous are not. Poinsettia is one example; African violet is another. Here is a partial list of plants to watch for:

Common name(s)	Botanic name	Toxic parts
Arrowhead plant, Nephthytis	Syngonium podophyllum	All parts
Amaryllis	Hippeastrum	Bulb
Angels' wings, Caladium, Elephant's ear	Caladium hortulanum	All parts
Azalea, Rhododendron, Rhodora, Rose Laurel, Rosebay	Rhododendron spp.	Leaves
Bird-of-Paradise	Poinciana gilliesii	Fruit and seeds
Bittersweet, Deadly nightshade, European bittersweet	Solanum dulcamara	All parts, especially berries
Chrysanthemum, Daisy, Feverfew, Marguerite	Chrysanthemum spp.	Leaves, stems
Croton	Codiaeum variegatum	All parts
Crown of Thorns	Euphorbia milii	All parts
Dumbcane	Dieffenbachia spp.	All parts, especially juices
Foxglove	Digitalis purpurea	Leaves, seeds
Holly	Ilex aquifolium	Leaves, bark, berries
Hyacinth	Hyacinthus orientalis	Leaves, juices, bulb
Hydrangea	Hydrangea sp.	Bark, leaves, flower buds
Ivy: English ivy, Needlepoint ivy, Ripple ivy, Common ivy	Hedera spp.	All parts
Jerusalem cherry, Christmas cherry	Solanum pseudocapsicum	All parts, especially unripened fruit and leaves
Lily	Lillium spp.	All parts toxic to cats
Lily-of-the-Valley	Convallaria majalis	All parts
Mistletoe: American mistletoe, European mistletoe	Phoradendron leucarpum and Viscum album	Leaves
Narcissus	Narcissus sp	Bulb
Philodendron, Heart leaf philodendron, Saddle leaf philodendron	Philodendron spp.	Leaves, juices
Oleander	Nerium oleander	Leaves
Pothos, Devils Ivy	Scindapsus aureus	All parts
Umbrella Plant	Cyperus alternifolius	All parts

For more comprehensive list of noxious and poisonous plants, check out the ASPCA database for information suitable for a variety of household pets (including horses!).

What to do if you suspect poisoning: