Clivia sp.
Amaryllidaceae
Clivia Lily; Clivia; Kaffir Lily; Caffre Lily; Bush Lily; Natal Lily; Cape Clivia; Klivia; Clivies; Clivia miniata; Clivia spp.
Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, primarily lycorine, with related alkaloids including crinidine, clivacetine, clivonine, cliviasine, and clividine. The bulb, root crown, and underground portions are generally the most poisonous parts, although all parts of the plant should be treated as toxic.
Moderate to severe gastrointestinal upset, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, drooling, hypersalivation, nausea, inappetence, lethargy, depression, and general appearance of unwellness. In cases of large ingestion, especially involving the bulb or root crown, signs may include low blood pressure, weakness, tremors, convulsions, seizures, paralysis, cardiac arrhythmias, collapse, and possibly death.
Clivia Lily, Clivia spp., also known as Clivia, Kaffir Lily, Caffre Lily, Bush Lily, Natal Lily, Cape Clivia, Klivia, and Clivies, is a flowering ornamental in the family Amaryllidaceae. It is commonly grown as a houseplant or container plant for its long, strap-like green leaves and clusters of bright orange, yellow, red, or cream-colored flowers. Although the common name includes the word “lily,” Clivia is not a true lily in the genus Lilium.
That distinction matters, especially for cat owners. True lilies in the genus Lilium, and daylilies in the genus Hemerocallis, can cause severe acute kidney failure in cats. Clivia Lily does not belong to that toxicologic group. It is instead an Amaryllidaceae plant, more closely aligned with Amaryllis, Daffodil, Narcissus, Snowdrop, and related bulb plants that contain lycorine and other alkaloids. Clivia can absolutely make pets ill, and large ingestions can become serious, but it should not be described as the same kidney-failure lily syndrome seen with true lilies in cats.
Clivia species are toxic to pets because they contain Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, including lycorine, crinidine, clivacetine, clivonine, cliviasine, and clividine. These alkaloids are capable of producing gastrointestinal, neurologic, and cardiovascular effects depending on the amount ingested, the plant part consumed, and the individual animal’s size and sensitivity.
The bulb, root crown, and underground portions of Amaryllidaceae plants are generally the most poisonous parts, and that same practical caution should be applied to Clivia. The leaves and flowers should also be treated as toxic, but chewing the bulb or root crown presents a greater concern because those portions may contain higher concentrations of alkaloids and may expose the animal to a larger dose in a smaller amount of plant material.
Lycorine is a toxic crystalline alkaloid found in many members of the Amaryllidaceae family, including Clivia, surprise lilies, Lycoris, Daffodils, Narcissus, and other related plants. In sufficiently high doses, lycorine can be highly poisonous and potentially lethal when ingested. Lycorine intoxication has both gastrointestinal and central nervous system effects. Typical clinical signs include nausea, vomiting, drooling, abdominal pain, diarrhea, lethargy, and the general appearance of unwellness.
These alkaloids are strongly emetic, meaning they tend to induce vomiting. The exact mechanism is not fully settled, but the practical result is important: many pets that chew Clivia become nauseated and begin vomiting before they can comfortably consume a large amount. This emetic effect helps explain why serious acute intoxication is uncommon in ordinary pet exposures, even though the plant should still be treated as toxic.
In cases of larger ingestion, especially where the bulb or root crown has been chewed, more serious signs may occur. These may include low blood pressure, weakness, tremors, seizures, convulsions, paralysis, cardiac rhythm abnormalities, collapse, and possibly death. Current poison-control summaries for Kaffir Lily or Clivia describe drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension, tremors, seizures, and potential cardiac rhythm abnormalities when enough plant material is ingested.
Regardless of its toxicity, Clivia has also been used medicinally in some places, which is one reason certain groups harvest Clivia miniata. Lycorine is believed to inhibit protein synthesis and may also decrease ascorbic acid biosynthesis, although the latter is subject to some controversy and is generally considered inconclusive. As with many medicinal plants, the presence of biologically active compounds is precisely why unsupervised ingestion by pets is unsafe.
As the toxins of Clivia spp. have an emetic effect, the amount typically ingested is small. In the majority of cases, symptoms will be limited to nausea, vomiting, drooling, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The majority of pets that ingest plants belonging to the genus Clivia will fall ill and begin to vomit before consuming a quantity large enough to cause life-threatening toxicosis.
That said, Clivia should not be treated casually. A pet that digs into the pot, chews the root crown, eats a significant amount of bulb material, or develops persistent vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, tremors, collapse, abnormal heart rhythm, or seizures needs veterinary attention. As with any toxic or potentially toxic plant, the safest approach is good environmental awareness: keep Clivia plants away from pets that chew houseplants, dig in containers, or investigate potted plants.
Immediate Response to Clivia Lily Ingestion
- Remove the Source: Prevent further ingestion by removing the pet from the Clivia plant, leaves, flowers, bulb, root crown, roots, potting soil, or any remaining plant material.
- Identify the Plant Part: Determine whether the pet chewed leaves, flowers, stems, the bulb, roots, or root crown. Bulb and root-crown ingestion should be treated as more concerning.
- Remove Plant Material from the Mouth: If ingestion was recent and it is safe to do so, remove visible plant matter from the mouth and flush the mouth thoroughly with water.
- Watch for Early Signs: Monitor for drooling, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, lethargy, depression, weakness, or general signs of illness.
- Watch for Serious Signs: Low blood pressure, collapse, tremors, seizures, convulsions, paralysis, abnormal heart rhythm, severe weakness, or persistent vomiting should be treated as emergency signs.
- Contact Veterinary Help: Consult a veterinarian, emergency veterinary clinic, Pet Poison Helpline, or another animal poison-control professional if ingestion involved the bulb or root crown, if the amount is unknown, if symptoms are persistent, or if the pet is a cat, small dog, puppy, kitten, elderly animal, pregnant animal, or medically fragile animal.
Inducing Vomiting and Decontamination
- Spontaneous Vomiting Is Common: Lycorine-containing plants are strongly emetic, and many pets will begin vomiting on their own after chewing or swallowing Clivia plant material.
- Getting Plant Material Out Matters: If a dog has very recently swallowed Clivia plant material, especially bulb or root-crown material, removing remaining material from the stomach may reduce continued exposure to lycorine and related alkaloids.
- Inducing Vomiting in Dogs Only: If ingestion was very recent and the dog is alert, breathing normally, able to swallow, and not showing weakness, collapse, repeated vomiting, severe depression, tremors, seizures, abnormal heart rhythm, low blood pressure, respiratory distress, or neurologic signs, a veterinarian or animal poison-control professional may recommend inducing vomiting with fresh 3% hydrogen peroxide.
- When Vomiting Is Probably Not Helpful: Unless it is recognized very early that a pet has ingested a lycorine-containing plant, or the amount involved is large, inducing vomiting may not be useful because the emetic effects of the toxin often cause spontaneous vomiting.
- Cat Warning: Hydrogen peroxide should not be used to induce vomiting in cats unless a veterinarian specifically directs it. Cats are more prone to irritation and complications from hydrogen peroxide, and home vomiting attempts may create more risk than benefit.
- Do Not Induce Vomiting in an Unstable Animal: Vomiting should not be attempted in any animal that is weak, collapsed, sedated, already vomiting repeatedly, having trouble breathing, unable to swallow normally, showing tremors, seizures, abnormal heart rhythm, low blood pressure, or neurologic signs.
- Activated Charcoal: Activated charcoal may be useful in adsorbing Amaryllidaceae alkaloids when given under veterinary or poison-control direction, especially after significant ingestion, but its usefulness may be limited if vomiting and diarrhea have already begun.
- Gastric Lavage: When significant amounts are involved, or when there is danger of prolonged vomiting or non-gastrointestinal effects, gastric lavage may be indicated in a veterinary setting.
Supportive Veterinary Treatment
- No Specific Antidote: Treatment for ingestion of plants containing lycorine is symptomatic and supportive. There is no specific household antidote.
- Fluids and Electrolytes: If vomiting and diarrhea are extensive, patients should be monitored for fluid and electrolyte loss. IV fluids may be required when dehydration, weakness, or persistent vomiting develops.
- Blood Pressure Monitoring: In cases where animals have ingested a large amount, hypotension has been reported, so blood pressure should be monitored and supported as needed.
- Cardiac Monitoring: Animals showing weakness, collapse, irregular rhythm, tremors, or large-ingestion signs may need monitoring for cardiac arrhythmias.
- Seizure or Tremor Control: Tremors, convulsions, or seizures require veterinary treatment and monitoring.
- Liver Monitoring: Hepatic damage has been reported in some large-ingestion Amaryllidaceae exposures, so liver function may be monitored when the amount ingested is significant or systemic signs are present.
- Gastrointestinal Support: A veterinarian may use anti-nausea medication, gastrointestinal protectants, pain control, and supportive care depending on severity.
Prognosis and Recovery
- Most Mild Cases: In the majority of ordinary pet exposures, signs are limited to nausea, vomiting, drooling, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, with recovery expected once the plant material is cleared and supportive care is provided.
- Bulb or Root-Crown Ingestion: Prognosis becomes more guarded when the bulb, root crown, or a large amount of plant material is consumed because those exposures may involve a higher alkaloid dose.
- Serious Signs: Tremors, seizures, collapse, hypotension, cardiac arrhythmias, paralysis, persistent vomiting, or severe dehydration should be treated as emergency signs.
- Prevention: Keep Clivia plants out of reach of pets, especially cats, puppies, and plant-chewing dogs, and prevent digging in pots where bulbs or root crowns may be exposed.