Stop! These Plants Could Poison Your Pet
See non-toxic, pet-safe alternatives to meet your home decor needs.
Getty Images / Adriana Duduleanu EyeEm
After the influx of pet adoptions and plant purchases of the past year, it’s more important than ever to be aware that new, beautiful houseplants could be toxic to cats and dogs. In fact, some of the most common houseplants contain naturally occurring chemicals that are highly poisonous for your fur babies.
Veterinary technicians at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals warn that ornamental bulbs, such as daffodils, lilies and autumn crocus are particularly toxic.
“Ornamental bulbs can be a problem for pets year-round, but in the fall, when gardeners tend to plant bulbs for spring blooming, the opportunities for exposure to large quantities of bulbs increase,” wrote Elizabeth Van Winkle of the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center. “Curious dogs may be tempted to get into a bag of unplanted bulbs or to dig up fresh plantings. Fertilizers such as bone or blood meal can also attract dogs to bulb gardens.”
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For animals that ingest toxic plants, symptoms may include vomiting and diarrhea. In an emergency, you can call the society’s Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 or your local veterinarian.
In the meantime, the ASPCA has a complete list of all toxic plants for your pets, and recommends keeping your plants out of reach to keep Fido safe. Even better, educate yourself about what to bring home and what to avoid.
Here are 10 popular houseplants that are toxic, with non-toxic, pet-safe alternatives to meet your home decor needs.
Daffodil
The bulb of this bright yellow flower is one of the most toxic plants for both dogs and cats. To keep your pet protected from digging up these flowers, consider sunflowers to brighten up your space.
Pets: Dogs and cats
Toxicity Level: Severe
Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drooling, low blood pressure, tissue irritation
Peony
Peonies, how we love you, but be aware that these fragrant flowers cause gastrointestinal distress when eaten by pets. If you want to maintain a highly-scented, fluffy flower, buy or plant roses instead.
Pets: Dogs and cats
Toxicity Level: Moderate
Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration
Iris
The iris flower, leaves, stems, and bulbs all contain high concentrations of toxins for your furry friends. For another purple flower, choose a Mexican petunia, a safe and easy to manage plant.
Pets: Dogs and cats
Toxicity Level: Moderate
Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drooling, lethargy
Tulip
Tulips flowers bloom in shades of orange, pink, purple, and yellow, making them a colorful addition to your home. The bulbs are highly toxic. The stems, leaves and flowers are too, although less so. The crocus flower, while primarily purple, is a smaller version of tulips and withstands harsh weather when planted.
Pets: Dogs and cats
Toxicity Level: Moderate
Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drooling
Peace Lily
A classic elegant flower, the peace lily is highly toxic to cats and mainly causes oral irritation and discomfort. For a white flower alternative, plant fragrant star jasmine.
Pets: Cats
Toxicity Level: Severe
Symptoms: Vomiting, excessive drooling, irritation of mouth
Azalea/Rhododendron
The azalea (rhododendron) bush is commonly planted outside and grows into a bush with bright pink flowers. If you want another large, brimming bush, consider planting a magnolia tree.
Pets: Dogs and cats
Toxicity Level: Severe
Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, heart failure
Corn Plant
One of the more common indoor plants, the corn plant’s leaves contain multiple toxins that can lead to severe sickness in your pets, particularly cats. For a similar tropical tree-like plant, choose a ponytail palm tree, a hardy succulent that can grow both indoors and outdoors.
Pets: Dogs and cats
Toxicity Level: Moderate to severe
Symptoms: Vomiting, excessive drooling, dilated pupils in cats
Tomato Plant
While the tomato fruit itself is non-toxic for pets, the leaves and stems contain harmful toxins for both dogs and cats. For a juicy, easy-to-grow fruit, try planting strawberries instead.
Pets: Dogs and cats
Toxicity Level: Mild
Symptoms: Excessive drooling, slow heart rate
Aloe Vera
While aloe vera has healing properties for humans, it is highly toxic to cats and especially dogs. If you want the look of an aloe vera plant without the toxins, consider growing zebra haworthia, a spiny succulent that resembles aloe vera.
Pets: Dogs and cats
Toxicity Level: Moderate to severe
Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, lethargy
Gladiolus
A perennial and easy to manage flower, the gladiolus produces beautiful stacked blooms, making it a popular garden plant and cut flower, but it is toxic to pets. For a similar, full look, try snapdragons instead.
Pets: Dogs and cats
Toxicity Level: Moderate
Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drooling, lethargy
This story erroneously advised planting Easter lilies for pet-friendly households. Note that these plants are unsafe for cats.
