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.

Cluster of glossy yellow buttercup flowers above deeply divided green leaves growing among pasture grass

Buttercup

Ranunculus L. species — Ranunculus spp.
Ranunculaceae Juss. — Buttercup or Crowfoot Family
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Fancy-leaved Caladium with large heart-shaped leaves patterned in green, white, pink, and red on long upright petioles

Caladium

Caladium bicolor (Aiton) Vent.
Araceae Juss. — Arum or Aroid Family
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California Goosefoot, Chenopodium californicum, a nitrate- and oxalate-accumulating plant for livestock and pets

California Goosefoot

Blitum californicum S.Watson
Amaranthaceae Juss. — Amaranth Family
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California Ivy with glossy dark-green three- to five-lobed leaves growing along a woody climbing vine

California Ivy

Hedera helix L.
Araliaceae Juss. — Ginseng, Ivy, or Aralia Family
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Calla Lily with large arrow-shaped dark-green leaves and a white funnel-shaped spathe surrounding an upright yellow central spadix

Calla Lily

Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng.
Araceae Juss. — Arum or Aroid Family
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Canary Ivy with large glossy three- to seven-lobed green leaves, reddish petioles, and reddish hairs along a woody climbing vine

Canaries Ivy

Hedera canariensis Willd.
Araliaceae Juss. — Ginseng, Ivy, or Aralia Family
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Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis, a lobeline-containing toxic wildflower for pets and livestock

Cardinal Flower

Lobelia cardinalis L.
Campanulaceae Juss. — Bellflower Family
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Carnation plant with narrow blue-green opposite leaves and fragrant ruffled pink flowers with deeply toothed petal edges

Carnation

Dianthus caryophyllus L.
Caryophyllaceae Juss. — Pink or Carnation Family
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Carolina Maple tree with opposite three- to five-lobed serrated leaves, reddish petioles, paired red winged samaras, and vivid red-orange autumn foliage

Carolina Maple

Acer rubrum L.
Sapindaceae Juss. — Soapberry Family
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Castor Bean plant with large glossy palmately lobed leaves, upright clusters of spiny red-green seed capsules, and shiny mottled oval seeds

Castor Bean

Ricinus communis L.
Euphorbiaceae Juss. — Spurge Family
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Catsear with a basal rosette of coarse hairy lobed leaves and branched solid flower stalks bearing several yellow dandelion-like flower heads

Catsear

Hypochaeris radicata L.
Asteraceae Bercht. & J.Presl — Aster, Daisy, or Sunflower Family
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Charming Dieffenbachia houseplant with a thick upright cane and large broad green leaves marked with cream-white central blotches, streaks, and speckles

Charming Dieffenbachia

Dieffenbachia seguine (Jacq.) Schott
Araceae Juss. — Arum or Aroid Family
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Chinaberry Tree with fernlike bipinnately compound leaves, clusters of pale lavender five-petaled flowers, and round yellow fruits hanging from spreading branches

Chinaberry Tree

Melia azedarach L.
Meliaceae Juss. — Mahogany Family
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Chinese Evergreen with upright clusters of glossy dark green lance-shaped leaves, short cane-like stems, and a small green-white aroid flower consisting of a spadix enclosed by a pale spathe

Chinese Evergreen

Aglaonema modestum Schott ex Engl.
Araceae Juss. — Arum or Aroid Family
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Chinese forget-me-not (Cynoglossum amabile) with hairy gray-green lance-shaped leaves, upright branching stems, and loose sprays of small vivid blue five-lobed flowers.

Chinese Forget-Me-Not

Cynoglossum amabile Stapf & J.R.Drumm.
Boraginaceae — Borage or Forget-Me-Not Family
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Chinese Holly shrub with glossy rectangular dark green leaves bearing several prominent hornlike spines.

Chinese holly

Ilex cornuta Lindl. & Paxton
Aquifoliaceae Bercht. & J.Presl — Holly Family
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Christmas Rose plant with dark evergreen palmately divided leaves, short flower stalks, and large white winter flowers with five petal-like sepals surrounding golden yellow stamens

Christmas Rose

Helleborus niger L.
Ranunculaceae Juss. — Buttercup Family
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Potted garden chrysanthemum or mum with dense dark green lobed leaves and numerous rounded flower heads composed of tightly clustered colorful ray and disk florets.

Chrysanthemum / Mums

Chrysanthemum spp.
Asteraceae — Aster, Daisy, and Sunflower Family
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Clammy Goosefoot growing as a low spreading weed with sticky glandular hairy stems, small oval shallow-lobed leaves, and dense clusters of tiny green flowers in the leaf axils

Clammy Goosefoot

Dysphania pumilio (R.Br.) Mosyakin & Clemants
Amaranthaceae Juss. — Amaranth Family
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Flowering Clematis vine with opposite compound leaves, twining leaf stalks, showy four-sepaled purple flowers, and feathery silver seed heads climbing a garden trellis

Clematis

Clematis spp.
Ranunculaceae Juss. — Buttercup Family
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American Bittersweet woody vine with alternate pointed serrated leaves and terminal clusters of orange capsules split open to reveal scarlet-red fleshy arils around the seeds

Climbing Bittersweet

Celastrus scandens L.
Celastraceae R.Br. — Stafftree or Bittersweet Family
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Climbing Nightshade, Solanum dulcamara, a solanine-containing toxic vine for pets and livestock

Climbing Nightshade

Solanum dulcamara L.
Solanaceae Juss. — Nightshade Family
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Clivia Lily, Clivia spp., a lycorine-containing Amaryllidaceae plant toxic to pets

Clivia Lily

Clivia miniata (Lindl.) Verschaff
Amaryllidaceae J.St.-Hil. — Amaryllis Family
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Geranium-Leaf Aralia or Coffee Tree with upright woody stems and glossy pinnately compound leaves divided into rounded, irregularly toothed green leaflets edged in cream-white

Coffee Tree

Polyscias guilfoylei (W.Bull) L.H.Bailey
Araliaceae Juss. — Ginseng, Ivy, or Aralia Family
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