Plants Poisonous to Cats

View plant names by scrolling below or print your wallet-size version of the list of plants poisonous to cats for easy access when you're shopping!

About 700 varieties of plants may be poisonous to your pet. Some will cause gastrointeritis, mouth alterations, cardiac or respiratory failure.

Greenery is important for cats to aid their digestion -- grow grass in pots indoors for them to munch on! It is safer to not let cats eat anything you are unsure about. Immediate veterinary attention is required if you suspect your cat has ingested something toxic.

I also found another source of information on toxic plants you should avoid with cats. Visit the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Centre for a very thorough list, and there are pictures available there as well.

Plants Poisonous to Cats
Updated August 7, 2006

Photos available where linked. When viewing, keep in mind that plants usually come in different varieties and colours.

• alfalfa (medicago sativa)
• almond pits (prunus dulcis)
• aloe vera (aloe vera)
• amaryllis (hippeastrum)
• apple seeds (malus pumila)
• apricot pits (prunus armeniaca)
• arrowhead vine or nephthytis (syngonium podophyllum)
• asparagus fern (asparagus densiflorus)
• azalea or rhododendron (rhododendron)
• balsam pear (momordica charantia)
• beech (fagus sylvatica)
• begonia (begonia)
• bindweed or morning glory (convolvulus, ipomoea)
• bird of paradise (strelitzia reginae)
• bittersweet or staff vine (celastrus)
• black locust (robinia pseudoacacia)
• box or common boxwood (buxus sempervirens)
• buckeye or horse chestnut (aesculus)
• buttercups (ranunculus)
• caladium or elephant's ear (alocasia)
• castor bean (ricinus communis)
• cherry bark, leaves, pits, seeds, & twigs (prunus)
• christmas cactus (schlumbergera bridgesii)
• chrysanthemum (chrysanthemum)
• coleus (coleus hybridus)
• creeping charlie (pilea nummulariifolia)
• creeping fig (ficus pumila)
• crown of thorns (euphorbia milii)
• cyclamen (cyclamen)
• daffodil (narcissus)
• daphne (daphne)
• deadly nightshade (atropa bella-donna)
• delphinium or larkspur (delphinium, consolida)
• dieffenbachia or drunk cane (dieffenbachia)
• emerald duke
• euonymus or spindle tree (euonymus)
• foxglove (digitalis)
• golden chain tree (laburnum)
• geranium (pelargonium)
• heart leaf or philodendron (philodendron scandens)
• holly (ilex)
• honeysuckle berries (lonicera)
• hydrangea (hydrangea)
• iris (iris)
• ivies, all (hedera)
• jack-in-the-pulpit (arisaema triphyllum)
• jasmine (gelsemium, jasminum)
• jerusalem cherry (solanum pseudocapsicum)
• lilies, all (lilium)
• lily-of-the-valley (convallaria)
• lupine (lupinus)
• majesty
• marble queen or pothos (epipremnum aureum)
• mescal bean (sophora)
• mistletoe berries (santalales)
• mock orange (philadelphus coronarius)
• monkshood (aconitum)
• morning glory or bindweed (convolvulus, ipomoea)
• mushrooms (amanita muscaria)
• nephthytis or arrowhead vine (syngonium podophyllum)
• oleander (nerium oleander)
• peach bark, leaves & pits (prumus persica)
• periwinkle (catharanthus roseus)
• philodendron or heart leaf (philodendron scandens)
• poinsettia (euphorbia)
• poison hemlock (conium maculatum)
• potato, green parts & eyes (solanum tuberosum)
• pothos or marble queen (epipremnum aureum)
• pot mum
• precatory bean (abrus precatorius)
• privet (ligustrum)
• red princess
• rhododendron or azalea (rhododendron)
• rhubarb (rheum)
• rosary pea (abrus precatorius)
• saddle leaf
• skunk cabbage (lysichiton)
• spindle tree or euonymus (euonymus)
• spider mum
• spinach (spinacia oleracea)
• split leaf
• spraneri fern
• staff vine or bittersweet (celastrus)
• tobacco (nicotiana)
• tulip (tulipa)
• weeping fig (ficus benjamina)
• wisteria (wisteria)
• yews, all (taxus)

This list is not official or exhaustive. Contact your veterinarian to get in-depth animal poison info.