PAWS Pet Poison Reference Library

Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants for Pets

PAWS was built to be one of the most detailed plant-safety references for pet owners, veterinarians, rescues, boarding facilities, and animal-care professionals. Browse 359 in-depth plant-safety guides for dogs, cats, horses, livestock, rabbits, birds, reptiles, and other animals. Each guide is built as a practical pet-poison reference, with plant identification, scientific names, toxic compounds, poisoning symptoms, first aid, veterinary treatment, prognosis, prevention, and research citations.

Adam-and-Eve or Wild Arum (Arum maculatum) with glossy arrow-shaped green leaves often marked by dark purple spots, a pale green hood-like spathe surrounding an upright purple-brown spadix, and a later upright cluster of bright orange-red berries.

Adam-and-Eve

Arum maculatum L.
Araceae Juss. — Arum or Aroid Family
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Algerian Ivy (Hedera algeriensis), a vigorous evergreen vine with reddish stems, large glossy dark green juvenile leaves divided into three to five broad lobes, aerial rootlets along climbing stems.

Algerian Ivy

Hedera algeriensis Rantonnet ex C.Morren
Araliaceae Juss. — Ivy, Ginseng, or Aralia Family
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Alocasia Elephant Ear plant with large upright arrow-shaped leaves on thick fleshy petioles, prominent contrasting veins, an underground corm or rhizome, and a pale hood-like spathe surrounding a central spadix.

Alocasia

Alocasia (Schott) G.Don
Araceae Juss. — Arum or Aroid Family
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Aloe vera succulent with a basal rosette of thick fleshy gray-green lance-shaped leaves, small pale teeth along the leaf margins, clear inner gel beneath the rind, yellow latex just under the outer skin, and a tall flower stalk bearing tubular yellow flowers.

Aloe

Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f.
Asphodelaceae Juss. — Asphodel or Aloe Family
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True Amaryllis or Belladonna Lily (Amaryllis belladonna) with a large rounded brown bulb, winter-growing strap-shaped green leaves, and a tall leafless purplish-green flower stalk bearing a cluster of fragrant funnel-shaped pale pink flowers.

Amaryllis

Amaryllis L.
Amaryllidaceae J.St.-Hil. — Amaryllis or Daffodil Family
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Ambrosia Mexicana or Jerusalem Oak Goosefoot (Dysphania botrys), an aromatic annual weed with upright branching stems covered in sticky glandular hairs, alternate deeply lobed oak-like green leaves, and numerous tiny green-yellow flowers arranged in elongated branched clusters.

Ambrosia Mexicana

Dysphania botrys (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants
Amaranthaceae Juss. — Amaranth Family
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American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens), a native deciduous woody vine with twining brown stems, alternate oval leaves with finely rounded teeth, terminal clusters of small greenish flowers, and dense branch-tip clusters of orange capsules splitting open to reveal bright scarlet arils and seeds.

American Bittersweet

Celastrus scandens L.
Celastraceae — Staff-Vine or Bittersweet Family
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American Holly (Ilex opaca), a pyramidal native evergreen tree with pale gray bark, stiff dull dark-green oval leaves bearing sharp marginal spines, small white flowers, and clusters of round red drupe-like fruits on female trees.

American Holly

Ilex opaca Aiton
Aquifoliaceae Bercht. & J.Presl — Holly Family
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American Mandrake or Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) growing in a woodland colony, with upright stems bearing one or two large umbrella-shaped leaves divided into broad lobes, a single nodding white flower hidden beneath two leaves, and an oval fruit that changes from green to golden yellow as it ripens.

American Mandrake

Podophyllum peltatum L.
Berberidaceae — Barberry Family
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American Mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum), an evergreen hemiparasitic shrub forming a dense rounded clump on a deciduous tree branch, with forked green stems, opposite leathery oval leaves, inconspicuous yellow-green flowers, and clusters of translucent white sticky berries.

American Mistletoe

Phoradendron leucarpum (Raf.) Reveal & M.C.Johnst.
Santalaceae — Sandalwood Family
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Japanese Pieris or Andromeda Japonica (Pieris japonica), a dense evergreen shrub with glossy narrow dark-green leaves, bronze-red new foliage, drooping chains of white urn-shaped flowers, and clusters of small dry seed capsules.

Andromeda Japonica

Pieris japonica (Thunb.) D.Don ex G.Don
Ericaceae — Heath or Heather Family
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Angelica Tree or Devil’s Walkingstick (Aralia spinosa), a tall suckering native shrub or small tree with sparsely branched prickly trunks, huge double- or triple-compound leaves clustered near the top, large airy sprays of small cream-white flowers, and rounded clusters of purple-black fruit.

Angelica Tree

Aralia spinosa L.
Araliaceae — Ginseng or Aralia Family
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Arrow-head vine with green arrow-shaped juvenile leaves and pale variegation growing along trailing stems

Arrow-Head Vine

Syngonium podophyllum Schott
Araceae
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Arum lily with a large white funnel-shaped spathe surrounding a yellow spadix above glossy arrow-shaped leaves

Arum Lily

Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng.
Araceae
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Arum maculatum with arrow-shaped green leaves and a pale green hooded spathe surrounding a dark purple spadix

Arum

Arum maculatum L.
Araceae
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Asiatic hybrid lily with upright six-tepaled flowers and narrow leaves arranged along an erect green stem

Asian Lily

Lilium Asiatic hybrids — Horticultural Division I
Liliaceae
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Asparagus fern with arching stems covered in fine needle-like green growth.

Asparagus Fern

Asparagus aethiopicus L. ‘Sprengeri’
Asparagaceae
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Atlantic Ivy (Hedera hibernica), an evergreen climbing vine with broad glossy green leaves.

Atlantic Ivy

Hedera hibernica Poit.
Araliaceae
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Australian Ivy Palm (Heptapleurum actinophyllum) with glossy elongated leaflets radiating like an umbrella from a long central petiole.

Australian Ivy Palm

Heptapleurum actinophyllum (Endl.) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett
Araliaceae
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Australian Nut tree (Macadamia integrifolia) with glossy leathery leaves arranged mainly in whorls of three, hanging cream flower clusters, and round green husks containing smooth, extremely hard brown shells and pale edible kernels.

Australian Nuts

Macadamia integrifolia Maiden & Betche
Proteaceae — Protea Family
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Young Norfolk Island pine with a symmetrical triangular form and evenly spaced tiers of soft green branchlets

Australian Pine

Araucaria heterophylla (Salisb.) Franco
Araucariaceae
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Autumn Crocus or Colchicum autumnale showing large lavender-pink six-parted flowers emerging without leaves in autumn, with separate broad green spring leaves, seed capsules, and a brown underground corm.

Autumn Crocus

Colchicum autumnale L.
Colchicaceae — Colchicum or Meadow Saffron Family
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Avocado tree with glossy elliptical leaves and green pear-shaped fruit containing large round seeds

Avocado

Persea americana Mill.
Lauraceae
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Pacific Rhododendron with leathery evergreen leaves and rounded clusters of pink trumpet-shaped flowers.

Azalea

Rhododendron spp.
Ericaceae
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