Which Houseplants and Flowers Are Toxic to Cats and Dogs?

This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If your pet has eaten part of a plant, call your veterinarian or an animal poison control center.

Bringing home a bouquet or a new houseplant is an easy way to brighten a room, and an easy way to bring in something a pet should not chew. ASPCA Animal Poison Control receives thousands of plant-related calls every year, and the FDA has published its own warning about one flower in particular. Here is what to know before buying.

1. Lilies and cats: a true emergency

The FDA's warning is unusually strong. Lilies in the "true lily" and "daylily" families are very dangerous for cats, and the entire plant is toxic: stem, leaves, flowers, pollen, and even the water in the vase.

According to the FDA, eating a small piece of a leaf or petal, licking a few pollen grains off its fur while grooming, or drinking vase water can cause a cat to develop fatal kidney failure in less than 3 days. The toxin has not been identified, and it only affects cats. Dogs that eat lilies may get minor stomach upset but do not develop kidney failure.

The FDA's timeline after a cat is exposed:

The window for treatment is short. The FDA says early veterinary care greatly improves the outlook, but if treatment is delayed 18 hours or more, the cat will generally have irreversible kidney failure. A cat that nibbled a lily at 8 p.m. has reached that point by 2 p.m. the next day.

2. Which lilies are the dangerous ones

The FDA lists the most dangerous lilies for cats:

• Asiatic lily, including hybrids
• Daylily (Hemerocallis)
• Easter lily
• Japanese show lily
• Oriental lily
• Rubrum lily
• Stargazer lily
• Tiger lily
• Wood lily

The FDA's advice is not to bring these into a home with a cat, and not to plant them in a garden if your cat goes outside or neighbors have outdoor cats. If exposure happens, call your vet or a poison control center right away and bring the plant, or a photo of it, to help identify the type.

3. Other plants called "lily"

The FDA separates plants that share the name but act differently:

• Lily-of-the-valley contains toxins that cause abnormal heart rhythms, which can be life-threatening, in both cats and dogs.
• Gloriosa or flame lily roots and tubers can cause serious multi-system organ failure in cats and dogs.
• Calla lilies and peace lilies contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth and throat, causing pawing at the face, drooling, foaming, and vomiting. Signs usually resolve on their own.
• Peruvian lily can cause mild stomach upset in large amounts and does not cause kidney failure.

4. Sago palm: highly toxic to all pets

The ASPCA calls the sago palm (Cycas revoluta) extremely toxic and dangerous to all pets. It is common in landscaping, largely in Southern states but seen nationwide. ASPCA says the entire plant is toxic, including the seeds and fronds, and that studies have shown up to 50 percent of ingestion cases are fatal, though early treatment improves the odds.

Signs the ASPCA lists include vomiting, bloody stool, jaundice, increased thirst, and bruising, with risks of blood clotting problems, liver failure, and death. ASPCA also warns that the closely related cardboard palm (Zamia furfuracea), now turning up in garden stores, carries the same risks.

5. More plants from the ASPCA's top 10

ASPCA's list of the plants it received the most calls about includes several common houseplants and garden flowers:

• Azaleas and rhododendrons: large amounts can cause irregular heartbeat and seizures; small amounts usually cause mild stomach upset.
• Tulips and daffodils: stomach upset, sometimes severe; large pieces of bulb can cause a blockage.
• Hydrangeas: usually stomach upset.
• Peace lilies and pothos (devil's ivy): calcium oxalate crystals cause drooling, mouth pain, and stomach upset, but they are not absorbed and do not cause organ damage.
• Lantana: rarely, liver failure with large or repeated exposure; usually stomach upset.
• Hostas: stomach upset.

The ASPCA also notes that any plant material can cause vomiting and stomach upset in dogs and cats, even plants considered non-toxic.

6. Before you buy a plant

1. Search the ASPCA's Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants database by common or scientific name; it lists toxicity separately for dogs, cats, and horses.
2. Skip true lilies and daylilies entirely if you have a cat, including in bouquets.
3. Keep sago and cardboard palms out of reach, or out of the home and yard.
4. Save ASPCA Poison Control's number, (888) 426-4435, in your phone.

7. Key takeaways

• The FDA says every part of true lilies and daylilies, including pollen and vase water, can cause fatal kidney failure in cats within 3 days.
• Treatment delayed 18 hours or more after a cat eats a lily generally means irreversible kidney failure, so call a vet immediately.
• Lily-of-the-valley and gloriosa lily are dangerous to both cats and dogs; calla and peace lilies cause milder mouth irritation.
• The ASPCA says up to 50 percent of sago palm ingestions are fatal, and every part of the plant, seeds and fronds included, is toxic.
• Check plants in the ASPCA database before buying, and keep (888) 426-4435 handy.