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The short answer: most popular houseplants are toxic to dogs and cats on paper, but only a handful are dangerous. The ten plants that generate the most calls to Pet Poison Helpline are true lilies, cherry/chokecherry, azalea, tulip, peace lily, hydrangea, aloe, philodendron, daffodil and pothos, and most of those cause a sore mouth and vomiting that resolves at home. The genuinely life-threatening houseplants are sago palm (liver failure in dogs; 12% of 130 dogs in one study died), true lilies (kidney failure in cats from one or two leaves, a flower or the pollen), and the cardiac-glycoside plants (oleander, desert rose, lily of the valley). In ten years of ASPCA poison-control records (241,261 cases), plants were the second most common exposure in cats, and the lily was the single most reported cat poison. Below: the plants that kill, the 25 common ones that only hurt, 25 that are safe by ASPCA's list, what to do if your pet has eaten one, and how to keep a plant-filled home with animals in it.
Written by Marc Brannigan, Co-Founder & CEO of HempMy Pet. Last updated 25 October 2026. Every "toxic" and "non-toxic" verdict on this page is taken from the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center plant database unless another source is named.
The Houseplants That Can Kill a Dog or Cat
If one of these is in your home with a pet, move it out. Everything else on this page is a sore mouth; these are organ failure.
| Plant | Toxin | Who is at risk | What it does | How much is a problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sago palm (Cycas revoluta), also sold as king sago, cardboard palm, coontie | Cycasin (all parts; seeds highest) | Dogs above all; also cats and horses | Vomiting and bloody diarrhoea within hours, then liver failure: jaundice, bruising, clotting failure, seizures. In a 130-dog case series, 82% developed signs and 12.3% died or were euthanised; dogs whose liver enzyme (ALT) was already high on arrival did far worse. | One or two seeds can be fatal to a dog. Any ingestion is an emergency. Activated charcoal given early by the vet cut the odds of death by 82% in that series. |
| True lilies (Lilium: Easter, tiger, Asiatic, stargazer, Oriental) and daylilies (Hemerocallis) | Unknown; water-soluble, in every part including pollen and vase water | Cats only. Dogs get a stomach upset at most. | Acute kidney failure in 24 to 72 hours. Vomiting and lethargy first, then the cat stops urinating. Untreated, mortality is high; treated with fluids within 18 hours, most cats survive. | One or two leaves, one flower, grooming pollen off the coat, or drinking the vase water. Any exposure is an emergency, even if the cat seems fine. |
| Oleander (Nerium oleander), desert rose (Adenium), lily of the valley, foxglove, milkweed | Cardiac glycosides | Dogs, cats, horses | Drooling, vomiting, abdominal pain, then slow or irregular heartbeat, collapse, death. | Small amounts. Oleander is an outdoor shrub in warm states but is sold as a patio plant; desert rose is a popular succulent-style houseplant. |
| Azalea and rhododendron, also Japanese pieris, mountain laurel | Grayanotoxins | Dogs, cats, horses | Vomiting and diarrhoea within 1 to 4 hours; larger amounts cause weakness, low blood pressure, heart rhythm changes, tremors. A few leaves is usually a stomach upset; a lot is a cardiac case. | Merck puts the serious threshold at "larger ingestions"; a small dog chewing a potted azalea qualifies. |
| Cyclamen | Terpenoid saponins (tuber worst) | Dogs, cats, horses | Drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea; a large amount of tuber causes heart rhythm problems, seizures and death. | Leaves and flowers: stomach upset. A dug-up tuber: emergency. |
| Kalanchoe (flaming Katy, mother of thousands) | Bufadienolides (cardiac) | Dogs, cats | Vomiting and diarrhoea; abnormal heart rhythm is rare but documented. | Usually a stomach upset; large ingestions need a vet. |
Sources: Lake BB et al., The characterization of cycad palm toxicosis and treatment effects in 130 dogs, Australian Veterinary Journal 2020 · Bertero A et al., Indoor Companion Animal Poisoning by Plants in Europe, Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2020 (one or two seeds; one or two leaves or one flower of lily) · Schmid RD, Houseplants and Ornamentals Toxic to Animals, Merck Veterinary Manual (Pet Poison Helpline top-10 list; grayanotoxin and cardiac glycoside sections) · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants entries for sago palm, lily, oleander, desert rose, azalea, cyclamen, kalanchoe.
Of 241,261 poisoning cases reported to the ASPCA's poison-control line over ten years, the most common single exposure in cats was not a chemical or a medicine. It was a lily.
Swirski AL et al., Companion animal exposures to potentially poisonous substances reported to a national poison control center in the United States in 2005 through 2014, JAVMA 2020. Plants were the second most common exposure category for cats (after human medicines); for dogs, chocolate led.
25 Common Houseplants That Are Toxic, and What They Actually Do
These are the plants in most living rooms. All are on ASPCA's toxic list; almost all cause a painful mouth and vomiting rather than anything worse. Severity is our reading of the ASPCA and Merck descriptions.
| Plant (common names) | Toxin | Dogs / Cats | Signs (ASPCA) | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insoluble calcium oxalate plants (the aroid family). Needle-shaped crystals fire into the mouth when chewed. Immediate pain, pawing at the mouth, drooling, swelling, vomiting. Rarely, throat swelling that affects breathing. Does not damage the kidneys. Most recover at home. | ||||
| Pothos / devil's ivy (Epipremnum aureum) | Insoluble calcium oxalates | Both | Oral irritation, intense burning of mouth, tongue and lips, drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing | Mild to moderate |
| Philodendron (heartleaf, split-leaf, all species) | Insoluble calcium oxalates | Both (and horses) | As above | Mild to moderate |
| Monstera / Swiss cheese plant | Insoluble calcium oxalates | Both | As above | Mild to moderate |
| Peace lily (Spathiphyllum) — not a true lily | Insoluble calcium oxalates | Both | As above. Does not cause the kidney failure of true lilies in cats. | Mild to moderate |
| Dieffenbachia / dumb cane | Insoluble oxalates + a protein-digesting enzyme | Both | The worst of the group: intense burning, heavy drooling, swelling that can obstruct the airway | Moderate; vet if swelling or breathing changes |
| Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema) | Insoluble calcium oxalates | Both (and horses) | Oral pain, swelling, drooling, vomiting | Mild to moderate |
| ZZ plant (Zamioculcas) | Calcium oxalates (Pet Poison Helpline) | Both | Oral irritation, drooling, vomiting | Mild |
| Calla lily, caladium / elephant ear, arrowhead vine, alocasia | Insoluble calcium oxalates | Both | Oral pain, drooling, vomiting | Mild to moderate |
| Schefflera / umbrella tree | Calcium oxalates, saponins, terpenoids | Both | ASPCA: most common effect is mild vomiting and diarrhoea | Mild |
| Saponin plants. Soapy compounds that irritate the gut. Vomiting, sometimes with blood, diarrhoea, drooling, loss of appetite. Unpleasant, rarely dangerous. | ||||
| Snake plant / mother-in-law's tongue (Sansevieria) | Saponins | Both | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea | Mild |
| Dracaena (dragon tree, corn plant, lucky bamboo/ribbon plant) | Saponins | Both | Vomiting (sometimes bloody), depression, loss of appetite, drooling; dilated pupils in cats | Mild to moderate |
| Aloe vera | Saponins, anthraquinones (the latex under the skin; the clear gel is considered edible) | Both (and horses) | Vomiting, lethargy, diarrhoea. See our aloe vera entry. | Mild |
| English ivy (Hedera helix) | Triterpenoid saponins | Both (and horses) | Vomiting, abdominal pain, drooling, diarrhoea; leaves more toxic than berries | Mild to moderate |
| Yucca | Saponins | Both (and horses) | Vomiting | Mild |
| Other mechanisms. | ||||
| Jade plant (Crassula) | Unknown | Both (and horses) | Vomiting, depression, incoordination | Mild to moderate |
| Fiddle leaf fig, rubber plant, weeping fig (all Ficus) | Ficin (enzyme) and psoralens in the milky sap | Both | Mouth and stomach irritation, vomiting; skin irritation from the sap | Mild |
| Asparagus fern (not a true fern) | Sapogenins | Both | Skin rash with repeated contact; berries cause vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea | Mild |
| Begonia (incl. rex begonia) | Soluble calcium oxalates, mostly in the tuber | Both (and horses) | Vomiting, drooling. Kidney damage is a grazing-animal problem, not a nibbled-leaf one. | Mild |
| Amaryllis | Lycorine (bulb worst) | Both (and horses) | Vomiting, depression, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, drooling, tremors | Moderate if the bulb is eaten |
| Tulip, daffodil, hyacinth (forced bulbs indoors) | Tulipalin / lycorine / narcissus-type alkaloids, concentrated in the bulb | Both (and horses) | Vomiting, drooling, diarrhoea; large bulb ingestions: tremors, low blood pressure, heart rhythm changes, convulsions (daffodil) | Moderate; a dug-up bulb is a vet call |
| Tradescantia / inch plant / wandering dude | Sap irritant | Both (and horses) | Skin rash (dermatitis), sometimes mild stomach upset | Mild |
| Poinsettia | Irritant sap | Both (and horses) | ASPCA's own words: "generally over-rated in toxicity." Mouth irritation, sometimes vomiting. | Mild |
| Chrysanthemum / pot mum | Sesquiterpene lactones, pyrethrins | Both (and horses) | Vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling, incoordination, skin irritation | Mild to moderate |
| Eucalyptus, lavender, geranium (scented plants) | Essential oils (eucalyptol; linalool; geraniol) | Both (and horses) | Drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite; the plant is far less of a risk than the bottled oil. See eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass. | Mild |
All verdicts, toxic principles and clinical signs from the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center plant database, checked 25 October 2026; ZZ plant from Pet Poison Helpline, which lists it with the other calcium-oxalate plants. The oxalate mechanism and "good to excellent prognosis, full recovery expected, often without veterinary intervention" wording is from Merck's houseplant chapter. The ASPCA database lists a plant as toxic if any part can cause any sign at any dose, which is why nearly every popular houseplant appears on it; the severity column is there to put that in proportion.
Why These Plants Hurt: Four Mechanisms
Pothos, philodendron, monstera, peace lily, dieffenbachia and the rest of the aroid family store calcium oxalate as bundles of needle-like crystals (raphides). Chewing fires them into the tongue and gums. The pain is instant, which is why most pets stop after one bite, and why most cases are a drooling, pawing animal that is fine by the next day. The one real danger is dieffenbachia, whose added enzyme can make the throat swell.
Snake plant, dracaena, aloe, ivy and yucca contain foaming compounds that irritate the stomach and intestine. Vomiting and diarrhoea, occasionally with a little blood, and a pet that looks sorry for itself. Nasty, self-limiting, and very rarely more than that.
Oleander, desert rose, lily of the valley, foxglove and kalanchoe carry digitalis-like compounds; azalea and rhododendron carry grayanotoxins that jam sodium channels in nerve and heart muscle. These are the plants where "a few leaves" can mean a heart-rhythm emergency, and where the vet will want to monitor the heart for the rest of the day.
Cycasin in sago palm is a liver toxin and a carcinogen; the seeds carry the most. The lily toxin has never been identified, but it is water-soluble and destroys the cells lining a cat's kidney tubules. Both can kill with a quantity that would be a non-event for any plant above. Neither has an antidote; survival depends on how fast treatment starts.
Cats are the only species that develops kidney failure from lilies. They also groom, so pollen brushed onto the coat gets swallowed, and they climb, so "out of reach" means something different. Cats lack a liver enzyme pathway that dogs have, which matters more for essential oils than for leaves; our cat safety entry explains it.
Dogs dig up and eat the part of the plant with the most toxin: tulip and daffodil bulbs, cyclamen tubers, sago palm seeds. A cat nibbles a leaf; a dog eats the pot. That is why sago palm deaths are overwhelmingly dogs, and why "how much" matters more for a dog than "which".
25 Houseplants That Are Safe for Dogs and Cats
Every plant below is listed as non-toxic to dogs and cats by the ASPCA. "Non-toxic" means no poison, not "edible": a cat that eats half a spider plant will still vomit.
| Plant | Botanical name | Light | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spider plant | Chlorophytum comosum | Bright indirect | Cats love to chew it; harmless, but it comes back up. Hang it if the chewing bothers you. |
| Boston fern | Nephrolepis exaltata | Medium, humid | True ferns are safe. Asparagus "fern" is not a fern and is on the toxic list. |
| Calathea (peacock plant, rattlesnake plant, zebra plant) | Calathea / Goeppertia | Low to medium | Also safe for horses. Fussy about water; use filtered. |
| Prayer plant | Maranta leuconeura | Low to medium | Folds its leaves at night. Safe for all three species. |
| Areca palm | Dypsis lutescens | Bright indirect | The big safe palm. Note: sago "palm" is not a palm and is the most dangerous plant on this page. |
| Parlor palm | Chamaedorea elegans | Low | Tolerates dim rooms. Safe for dogs and cats. |
| Bamboo palm | Chamaedorea seifrizii | Medium | Not the same as "lucky bamboo", which is a Dracaena and toxic. |
| Ponytail palm | Beaucarnea recurvata | Bright | A succulent, not a palm. Safe for dogs, cats and horses. |
| Peperomia (baby rubber plant, watermelon peperomia) | Peperomia spp. | Medium | Not related to the toxic rubber plant (Ficus). |
| Hoya / wax plant | Hoya carnosa | Bright indirect | Trailing, flowering, safe. Good for the high shelf that used to hold the pothos. |
| Moth orchid | Phalaenopsis | Bright indirect | The supermarket orchid is safe for dogs, cats and horses. |
| African violet | Saintpaulia | Medium | Safe for all three species. |
| Christmas cactus | Schlumbergera | Bright indirect | Safe. Its holiday neighbour, the poinsettia, is mildly irritating; the amaryllis is the one to worry about. |
| Cast iron plant | Aspidistra elatior | Low | Nearly unkillable and safe for dogs, cats and horses. |
| Money tree | Pachira aquatica | Bright indirect | Listed non-toxic; ASPCA notes nausea or loose stool is possible if a lot is eaten. |
| Haworthia (zebra haworthia) | Haworthia spp. | Bright | The safe aloe look-alike. Aloe itself is on the toxic list. |
| Hens and chicks / echeveria | Echeveria elegans | Bright | Safe rosette succulent. Jade plant and kalanchoe, which look similar on the shelf, are not. |
| Burro's tail | Sedum morganianum | Bright | Safe trailing succulent; string of pearls, which it is often sold beside, is listed as toxic by Pet Poison Helpline. |
| Bromeliads (blushing bromeliad, earth star) | Neoregelia, Cryptanthus | Bright indirect | Safe. Empty the central cup occasionally so it does not become a cat's water bowl. |
| Polka dot plant | Hypoestes phyllostachya | Medium | Non-toxic; ASPCA notes mild vomiting or diarrhoea if a lot is eaten. |
| Nerve plant / fittonia | Fittonia spp. | Low to medium, humid | Safe for dogs, cats and horses. Good terrarium plant. |
| Pilea (aluminum plant, friendship plant) | Pilea cadierei, P. involucrata | Medium | Safe. The Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides) is the same genus and widely reported as safe, but it is not in the ASPCA database, so we cannot verify it here. |
| Banana plant | Musa | Bright | Safe for dogs, cats and horses. A big safe statement plant for the spot the fiddle leaf fig used to occupy. |
| Gloxinia | Sinningia speciosa | Medium | Safe flowering plant. |
| Hibiscus (indoor tropical) | Hibiscus syriacus | Bright | Safe for dogs, cats and horses. |
| Lipstick plant | Aeschynanthus | Bright indirect | Safe trailing plant with red flowers. |
All entries verified against the ASPCA plant database on 25 October 2026. The ASPCA's own pet-friendly plant list covers a similar set. Common names are unreliable: "lily", "palm", "fern" and "ivy" are each used for safe and dangerous plants, so check the botanical name on the tag against the database before you buy.
Common Name Traps
- "Lily." Peace lily, calla lily and lily of the valley are not true lilies: the first two are oxalate plants (sore mouth), the third is a cardiac plant (dangerous). True lilies (Lilium) and daylilies kill cats. If the tag says Lilium or Hemerocallis and you have a cat, do not bring it home.
- "Palm." Areca, parlor, bamboo and ponytail palms are safe. Sago palm is a cycad, not a palm, and is the most lethal plant in the garden centre.
- "Fern." Boston fern is a true fern and safe; check other ferns by botanical name. Asparagus fern is a lily relative and toxic.
- "Bamboo." Bamboo palm is safe; lucky bamboo is a Dracaena and causes vomiting.
- "Rubber plant." Baby rubber plant (Peperomia) is safe; rubber plant (Ficus elastica) is not.
- "Ivy." English ivy is toxic; Swedish ivy (Plectranthus) and grape ivy (Cissus) are on ASPCA's non-toxic list.
My Dog or Cat Ate a Houseplant: What to Do
Identify the plant first. The botanical name on the tag, or a photo, is the single most useful thing you can give the vet or the poison line.
| What happened | Risk | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Any contact with a true lily or daylily, cat (chewed, pollen on fur, drank vase water) | Emergency | Vet or emergency clinic now, even if the cat seems fine. Treatment started within about 18 hours (decontamination and 48 hours of IV fluids) usually saves the kidneys; after 24 to 72 hours, it often does not. |
| Any part of a sago palm, especially seeds, any pet | Emergency | Vet now. Early vomiting induction and activated charcoal are the interventions that changed survival in the 130-dog study; do not wait for signs, which can take hours. |
| Oleander, desert rose, lily of the valley, foxglove, a lot of azalea, a cyclamen tuber, a dug-up daffodil or tulip bulb | High | Vet or poison line now. Heart monitoring is the reason to go in rather than watch. |
| A chewed leaf of pothos, philodendron, monstera, peace lily, Chinese evergreen, ZZ, calla | Low | Wipe or rinse the mouth, offer water or a little milk or plain yoghurt (calcium binds the crystals), watch for an hour. Vet if the face or throat swells, the pet cannot swallow, or breathing changes. Most are fine by morning. |
| Dieffenbachia | Low to moderate | As above, but watch the throat more carefully; this is the oxalate plant most likely to cause swelling that matters. |
| Snake plant, dracaena, lucky bamboo, aloe, jade, ivy, ficus, begonia, poinsettia, chrysanthemum | Low | Expect vomiting and possibly diarrhoea. Withhold food for a few hours, offer water, bland food for a day. Vet if vomiting repeats, there is blood, the pet is weak or wobbly, or it lasts past 24 hours. |
| A "safe" plant, in quantity | Very low | Vomiting from bulk, not poison. Water, watch, bland food. Vet only if it persists. |
| Unknown plant | Unknown | Photograph it, bag a sample, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661). Both charge a consultation fee and both are open 24 hours. |
Do not induce vomiting at home unless a vet or the poison line tells you to and how. Do not give hydrogen peroxide to a cat at all. Do not give activated charcoal on your own; it is a veterinary decision about which plant, how much and how long ago. Bring the plant tag or a photo, and tell the vet the pet's weight and the time of exposure.
Signs to Watch For, and When They Appear
- Within minutes: pawing at the mouth, drooling, head shaking, a swollen lip or tongue. Oxalate plants. Usually settles in hours.
- Within 1 to 4 hours: vomiting, diarrhoea. Saponin plants, azalea, bulbs, cyclamen, kalanchoe. Watch; vet if repeated or bloody.
- Within hours: weakness, slow or irregular heartbeat, collapse. Cardiac plants and large azalea ingestions. Emergency.
- Hours to a day: vomiting then bloody diarrhoea, yellow gums, bruising, seizures. Sago palm liver failure. Emergency, and by this stage the odds are already worse.
- 24 to 72 hours, cats: vomiting and lethargy on day one, then drinking a lot, then urinating very little or not at all. Lily kidney failure. Do not wait for this stage; the window for saving the kidneys is the first 18 hours.
- Days: a rash where the pet lay against a plant. Tradescantia, asparagus fern, ficus sap, chrysanthemum. Wash, move the plant, vet if it spreads.
How to Keep Houseplants and Pets in the Same Home
- Remove the killers outright. Sago palm, true lilies and daylilies (cat households), oleander, desert rose, lily of the valley. No shelf is high enough for a cat and no fence is enough for a dog that digs. These leave; the rest can be managed.
- Put oxalate plants up, not away. Pothos, philodendron and monstera are fine on a high shelf, a hanging hook or a plant stand a dog cannot reach. For cats, "high" has to mean somewhere with no route to it; a hanging basket in the middle of a room is more cat-proof than any shelf.
- Give the chewer something to chew. Cats that graze on plants usually want grass. A pot of cat grass (wheat, oat or barley) or a spider plant of their own takes the pressure off the rest. Lemongrass is not cat grass.
- Check before you buy, using the botanical name. Search the ASPCA database for the Latin name on the tag, not the common name. Takes thirty seconds in the garden centre.
- Treat cut flowers like plants. Most lily poisonings in cats come from a bouquet, not a pot. Ask the florist for lily-free arrangements, and keep tulip, daffodil and hyacinth stems out of reach of dogs.
- Cover the soil. Large pebbles or a mesh disc over the soil stops dogs digging for bulbs and stops cats using the pot as a litter tray, which is a bigger reason cats disturb plants than hunger.
- Skip the home-made deterrent sprays. Citrus, vinegar and chilli sprays are unreliable and some of them (citrus and essential-oil mixes) are a bigger risk to a cat than the plant was. Bitter apple on the pot rim is the one that has some record.
- Know your numbers before you need them. ASPCA Animal Poison Control 888-426-4435; Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661; your nearest 24-hour emergency clinic.
Where Hemp Fits, and Where It Does Not
Nothing on this page is treated with hemp. A pet that has eaten a sago palm seed or a lily needs a veterinarian and IV fluids, and anyone selling you a supplement for a poisoning is selling you something dangerous. Where our products belong is in the everyday life around the plants: the cat that paces and chews when its routine changes, the senior dog whose joints make the stairs to the plant room a project. HempMy Pet's full-spectrum hemp oil is served by weight with food, and we do not put essential oils in any product, for exactly the cat-safety reasons described above.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What indoor plants are poisonous to pets?
Most popular houseplants are on the ASPCA toxic list: pothos, philodendron, monstera, peace lily, dieffenbachia, snake plant, dracaena, aloe, jade, English ivy, fiddle leaf fig and ZZ plant among them. Nearly all of those cause mouth irritation or vomiting and nothing worse. The dangerous indoor plants are sago palm, true lilies and daylilies (cats), oleander, desert rose and lily of the valley, plus cyclamen tubers and spring bulbs if dug up and eaten.
What is the most toxic houseplant for dogs?
Sago palm. In a study of 130 dogs that ate it, 82% became ill and 12.3% died or were euthanised, from liver failure. One or two seeds can be fatal. Oleander and desert rose (cardiac glycosides) are the next tier. Pothos and philodendron, which top most "toxic plant" lists, are far down the danger scale by comparison.
What are the 10 most toxic plants for dogs?
Ranked by what they do rather than how often they are eaten: sago palm, oleander, desert rose, lily of the valley, foxglove, azalea/rhododendron, cyclamen (tuber), daffodil and tulip (bulbs), amaryllis (bulb), and kalanchoe. The ten plants that generate the most poison-line calls are different and mostly milder: lilies, cherry, azalea, tulip, peace lily, hydrangea, aloe, philodendron, daffodil and pothos.
Which indoor plants are most toxic to cats?
True lilies (Lilium) and daylilies, without question: one or two leaves, a flower, pollen groomed off the fur or a drink of vase water can cause kidney failure within three days. Sago palm, oleander, desert rose and lily of the valley are the other life-threatening ones. Peace lily and calla lily, despite the name, only cause a sore mouth.
Is pothos toxic to dogs and cats?
Yes, but mildly. Pothos (devil's ivy) contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that cause immediate burning in the mouth, drooling, pawing at the face and vomiting. It does not damage the kidneys or liver. Rinse the mouth, offer water or a little plain yoghurt, and call the vet only if the face or throat swells or breathing changes. Keep it hung or on a high shelf.
Are snake plants toxic to cats and dogs?
Yes, mildly. Snake plant (Sansevieria) contains saponins that cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. It is not life-threatening; the ASPCA lists those three signs and nothing more. Most pets leave it alone after one bitter bite.
Is peace lily toxic to cats?
Peace lily (Spathiphyllum) is toxic but it is not a true lily and does not cause kidney failure. It contains calcium oxalate crystals, so a cat that chews it gets a painful mouth, drooling and vomiting that passes. True lilies (Easter, tiger, Asiatic, stargazer) are the ones that destroy a cat's kidneys.
What houseplants are safe for cats and dogs?
By the ASPCA list: spider plant, Boston fern, calathea, prayer plant, areca palm, parlor palm, bamboo palm, ponytail palm, peperomia, hoya, moth orchid, African violet, Christmas cactus, cast iron plant, money tree, haworthia, echeveria, burro's tail, bromeliads, polka dot plant, nerve plant, pilea (aluminum and friendship plant), banana plant, gloxinia, hibiscus and lipstick plant. Non-toxic does not mean edible; a lot of any plant can cause vomiting.
Do cats know to stay away from toxic plants?
No. Cats have no instinct for plant toxicity, which is why lilies are the most commonly reported cat poison in ASPCA's records. The bitter taste and instant pain of oxalate plants usually stop a cat after one bite, but lilies and sago palm do not taste bad enough to protect them. Grazing is normal cat behaviour; give them cat grass and remove the dangerous plants.
Which flowers should I avoid if I have a cat?
Any bouquet with lilies (Easter, tiger, Asiatic, Oriental, stargazer, daylily); ask the florist for lily-free. Also tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, amaryllis, chrysanthemums and lily of the valley. Roses, sunflowers, gerbera daisies and moth orchids are on the ASPCA non-toxic list.
What should I do if my dog eats a toxic plant?
Identify the plant (tag or photo), remove any pieces from the mouth, and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) with the plant name, the dog's weight and the time. For sago palm, lilies (cats), oleander, desert rose or a dug-up bulb, go to the vet now; for a chewed pothos or snake plant leaf, rinse the mouth and watch. Do not induce vomiting at home unless told to.
The Short Version
Almost every houseplant is "toxic" by the ASPCA's definition and almost none of them are dangerous. Learn the six that are (sago palm, true lilies for cats, oleander, desert rose, lily of the valley, large doses of azalea or bulbs) and get them out. Hang the pothos and philodendron. Fill the floor with the 25 safe plants above. Keep the poison-line number in your phone, and if a cat has touched a lily or a dog has eaten any part of a sago palm, do not wait for signs.
Hemp for Cats → Hemp for Dogs →
Aloe Vera · Eucalyptus · Lavender · Lemongrass · Cat Safety · Activated Charcoal · What Can Dogs Eat
Marc co-founded HempMy Pet in 2016 with his business partner Natalie Mondine, the company's COO. HempMy Pet breeds its own hemp genetics, grows them on its certified-organic Colorado farm, and formulates every batch in-house under human-grade standards — seed to sale, nothing sourced overseas. Every batch is third-party tested and the certificates of analysis are published. He is not a veterinarian. More about us.
HempMy Pet ran its own 90-day study of 37 dogs with chronic joint discomfort. Of the 32 that completed it, 30 (93%) showed a benefit, and 94% of owners reported their dog's quality of life had improved. It was overseen by Dr. Robin Downing, DVM, MS of the Downing Center for Animal Pain Management, with Lori Kogan, Ph.D. and Peter W. Hellyer, DVM of Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, and published in the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. It was an open-label pilot with no control group. Read the methodology.
Why Dr. Downing: in 2005 she became only the third veterinarian in the world credentialed as a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management. She founded the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, is a Diplomate of the ACVSMR, a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner and a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, and was the AVMA's 2020 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year. Chronic joint pain is her life's work. Read the published paper (PDF).
Every toxic/non-toxic verdict, toxic principle and clinical sign on this page was checked against the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center plant database on the date above; the sago palm survival figures, the lily and cycad "how much" thresholds, and the poison-control statistics are taken directly from the peer-reviewed papers and the Merck Veterinary Manual chapter linked in the text. This article is general information for pet owners, not veterinary advice, and is reviewed as new evidence is published.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If your pet has eaten a plant and you are worried, contact your veterinarian or a pet poison line.
