- Author: Jeannette Warnert
“It's the puppies and kittens you have to worry about,” Basso said. “Pet owners should become familiar with the toxic plants, even if they don't have them in their own homes and yards. After all, we walk our dogs, and cats will roam.”
Basso shared an experience of a dog owner in Northern California who had a lavender plant near the dog's water dish.
“He let the lavender fall into the dog's water dish and the dog had a seizure after drinking from it,” she said. “I, too, wouldn't have had a second thought about such a common plant.”
Basso advises pet owners to be careful, but not paranoid, about plants.
“I have many of the plants that are considered poisonous in my own home,” she said. “But I have never had a poisoning incident over the years with my many pets.”
Speaking at a Zoom presentation sponsored by the Woodward Park Library, Basso shared the names of plants that can cause mild symptoms like drooling, and those that cause much more serious concerns, even leading to death. Her list is not exclusive; there may be other less-common plants that can pose a danger to animals. Basso noted that all the plants she is sharing do well in the San Joaquin Valley and are commonly found in Fresno County homes and landscapes.
(For pictures of the plants and more information, see the Zoom presentation.)
Azaleas. Can cause vomiting, diarrhea, cardiac failure.
Asparagus fern. Causes gastric/intestinal upset and allergic dermatitis.
Box wood. Causes vomiting and diarrhea.
Calla lilies. They cause irritation to mouth and lips.
Chives. Causes blood in the urine and increased heart rate.
Daffodils. Cause vomiting, diarrhea, tremors and cardiac problems leading to death.
Day lilies. All lilies in the family are poisonous to dogs and cats. They can cause vomiting, tiredness, kidney failure and even death.
English Ivy. Causes increased salivation and abdominal pain.
Ficus and other euphorbias. They produce a white, milky substance within the stems and leaves that can cause blindness.
Fox glove (Digitalis). Can cause cardiac failure.
Garlic. Vomiting and breakdown of red blood cells
Geraniums (Pelargoniums). Cause vomiting, depression and dermatitis.
Hellebores. Can cause drooling, abdominal pain, diarrhea.
Holly. It has low toxicity, but can cause vomiting, diarrhea and depression.
Hydrangea. Cause vomiting, depression. It can eventually kill a dog or cat if they keep chewing on it.
Mistletoe. Can cause vomiting, diarrhea, low heart rate. (People bring in mistletoe during the holidays. This is not a good idea.)
Oleander. These grow all over Fresno, even on freeway medians, because they are drought tolerant and hardy. If eaten, it can cause drooling, abdominal pain and cardiac problems.
Onions. Causes vomiting and the breakdown of red blood cells.
Poinsettia. Causes excessive drooling.
Rhubarb. The leaves are deadly to pets. They cause kidney failure and excessive salivation.
Sweet peas. They can cause weakness, tremors, and even death in dogs and cats.
Tulips. Causes vomiting, diarrhea and depression. The bulb is worse than the flower.
White cyclamens. It can cause excessive salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, heart rhythms and even death.
Wisteria. Can cause vomiting, diarrhea and depression.
Common indoor plants toxic for pets:
Aloes. Can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and occasionally, tremors. Severe dehydration is also a risk.
Amarillys. A very popular Christmas flower that can be purchased at nurseries, grocery and big box stores. They can cause vomiting, diarrhea and tremors.
Begonia. Can cause vomiting and excessive salivating in dogs and cats.
Dracaena. It can cause toxic vomiting and excessive salivating.
Dieffenbachia (dumb cane plant). It can cause oral irritation, swelling and drooling.
Geraniums: They can cause cardiac failure, leading to death.
Jade plant. They can cause vomiting, depression and lack of coordination.
Monstera deliciosa. This plant contains cyanide.
Pathos. It can cause oral irritation and excessive drooling.
Peace lily. Can cause vomiting.
Snake plant. Can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Weeping fig. It can cause skin and gastric/intestinal irritation.
ZZ plant. Can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
Basso also shared a list of plants that are perfectly safe for pets:
Alyssum
Bachelors' buttons.
Boston fern.
Bottle brush.
Canna lily.
Cast iron plant.
Christmas cactus.
Coral bells.
Crape myrtles.
Creeping Charlie
Echevaria.
Parlor palms or golden butterflies.
Spider plants.
Zebra Hawthorn.
- Author: Jeannette Warnert
“I'm always interested in plants with a fragrance, like rosemary,” he said.
Hemesath returned home and was working on his computer half an hour later when one of his eyes began to itch and burn. At the advice of a neighbor, he washed it out 6 or 7 times, but the burning worsened and his wife took him to the emergency room. Doctors prescribed an antibiotic ointment. The next morning, he said, his eye was swollen closed. And nearly a week later, he still didn't have clear vision in the affected eye.
The plant, Hemesath discovered, is silver spurge (Euphorbia rigida), one of dozens of drought-tolerant plants with toxic properties that are grown in California. A scenario similar to Hemesath's prompted San Diego County UC Master Gardener Francie Murphy to get the word out about toxic plants.
Murphy was trimming a stem on her pencil milk bush when sap spurted into one eye, causing stinging pain. Murphy ended up in the emergency room too.
After her experience, she and a team of Master Gardeners secured funding from the County of San Diego to develop a website and handouts to inform the community about toxic drought-tolerant plants found in many California landscapes.
Drought-tolerant plants like cacti, yucca, agaves and aloes have adaptations to protect themselves from wildlife in search of the moisture within the leaves and stems. Some have spikes or spines to ward off people and animals, other plants don't have outward signs of danger.
A key feature of the website is a database of nearly 100 plants with photos and descriptions that explain how they are unsafe and how they can be used safely in the landscape.
Fire sticks (Euphorbia tirucalli) – Sap in any form, including dry sap, is irritating and can be toxic if it gets on skin or in eyes.
Oleander (Nerium oleander) – The entire plant is toxic if ingested. The wood can be severely irritating if burned in a fire or BBQ.
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) – The entire plant is toxic if ingested.
Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) – The entire plant of many species is toxic if ingested.
Sago palm (Cycas regoluta) – All parts of the plant are toxic to humans and pets, and the tips of leaves are surprisingly sharp.
Mexican bird of paradise (Caesalpinia spp.) – Plants, seedpods, seeds and leaves contain toxins, which can cause gastrointestinal irritation, nausea and vomiting.
Resources for more information:
- UC Master Gardener Plant Safely website, https://ucanr.edu/sites/PlantSafely/
- Drought-tolerant plants can save water, but beware of those that are toxic
Related:
Toxic Plants for Dogs, Cats and Horses
What plants are poisonous to dogs, cats and horses? How many of those plants are in your garden and your pasture? Keep your animals safe by learning to identify those plants that can be poisonous to your animals. Many of these plants we have taken for granted and never worried about it. Join MG Karen on Zoom to find out.
Saturday, November 18, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Woodward Park Library - Zoom presentation
- Author: Rebecca Ozeran
- Posted by: Gale Perez
Some plants thrive even in dry years, while others need wet years to really blossom. It's no surprise, then, that this year the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Fresno office has received several inquiries about potentially toxic plants and how to deal with them. Even if these species have always been present in the seed bank or on neighboring land, this year was a good year for toxic plants to grow large where previously they grew very small – or didn't grow at all.
Common plants that can cause livestock poisoning include annuals such as cockleburs, hairy fleabane, and yellow starthistle, and perennials like curly dock, larkspurs, and milkweeds. Annuals especially tend to respond vigorously to available soil moisture as they need to germinate a new generation each year from seed. Depending on how rapidly these plants develop roots, they may be able to produce a second generation (or more) even in the summer season. Populations of toxic plants may expand this year due to the good growing conditions.
Prevention
Maintaining healthy, diverse stands of forage to compete with toxic plants and to provide ample non-toxic options is the best prevention of plant poisonings in livestock. Grazing moderately is an important practice to maintain a healthy, diverse community of forage plants. Grazing too heavily can reduce desired species and allow toxic plants to become more common. Many toxic plants are not palatable, so they are avoided when other, desirable forage is available. However, animals may not be able to avoid harmful plants if a pasture is dominated by them. In those cases, it may be best to remove animals from that pasture and/or provide them with an alternate feed source until the toxic plant is reduced.
When managing fields for hay production, minimizing the population of toxic plants is critical. Animals can't be selective around different plant parts in hay bales or flakes, and many toxic plants are harmful even in very small quantities.
Risk and monitoring
At this time in the summer, many common toxic plants in California are highly visible in contrast to dry, golden annual grasses. Monitoring could be as simple as driving or walking along fencelines and especially checking high-impact areas such as corrals, holding pens, water troughs, and mineral licks. Riparian areas are also important monitoring areas, such as the banks of creeks and streams. These can be key host sites for toxic plants, and animals like to spend time in those cooler areas during the summer. Animal exposure to toxic plants may be higher when the annual forages have dried up and lush green plants may be enticing.
When monitoring key areas on your property, take photos and/or samples of unfamiliar plants. You can send pictures or bring samples to your local UCCE office (find yours here) for assistance in identifying the plants and any necessary management strategies. If you bring a sample, please be sure to bag the whole plant, including the roots if possible. If you take pictures, try to have a photo that shows the full plant, as well close-ups of the leaf shape, flowers or fruits/seeds, and any other unique features such as spines or hairs.
You can also use the online weed ID tool at the Weed RIC website to narrow down possible plants yourself. Be sure to change the Search Location to California!
Management resources
To learn more about plants that are toxic to livestock, you can download the UC ANR publication, Livestock-poisoning Plants of California, for free b y clicking HERE. This resource includes useful photos of common harmful plants as well as detailed information about the health impacts of different plants on cattle, sheep, goats, and horses.
Once you have a confirmed plant ID, you can find out what management practices can control the species you have. Weed reports from the UC ANR publication Weed Control in Natural Areas in the Western United States are one of the best resources that describe all possible control methods, and how well they can work. You can download specific weed reports here or purchase the full book from your local UCCE office, or online here.
If you have livestock with signs of plant toxicity, contact your veterinarian for support. If livestock have died, you can contact the CAHFS lab nearest you to get an estimate for a necropsy or other toxicology tests.
- Author: Chris McDonald
Participants commit to improving the safety of their landscape after receiving Cooperative Extension information about safely planting drought-tolerant plants, contributing to improved community health.
The Issue
How UC Delivers
Dr. Chris McDonald, UCCE Natural Resources Advisor and Carolyn Martus, staff research associate, developed a list of commonly sold drought-tolerant plants that are also toxic or harmful. We took our list of 100 plants and created species profiles for each plant that summarized why the plant was harmful and offered advice on how to plant them safely. With the help of UCCE digital media specialist, Benjamin DiAnna, we developed a bookmark, brochure and the Planting Safely in Drought-Tolerant Landscapes website that provides summary information and shows gardeners how to enjoy these plants safely. We also hosted a web-based presentation to show people how to use the website. The project was a team effort and also involved many San Diego Master Gardeners.
The Impact
Our public education campaign to teach people how to plant safely has helped Californians continue to protect our natural resources and improve water-use efficiency in the landscape while also improving the health of everyone in the community. During our workshop, 100% of participants committed to improving the safety of their landscape. Many of these plants can injure you, for example researchers have found that Euphorbias, such as fire sticks and crown of thorns, can cause serious eye injuries that can require attention by medical professionals. This website and education materials can be used to improve community health and wellness.
/h3>/h3>/h3>“I had a friend whose dog ate a leaf of a Sago Palm and nearly died. It was a shock to learn that some of our favorite plants can be so toxic!” Valorie Shatynski, UCCE Master Gardener.
By Marsha Ebert, Butte County Master Gardener, and Joseph Connell, Farm Advisor Emeritus, October 16, 2015
The best solution is to avoid growing toxic plants where pets or toddlers will have frequent unsupervised access. If a toxic plant is eaten it's important to know what part of the plant (e.g. flowers, leaves, berries or bulbs) was eaten and how much of it was ingested. It's critical to know the name of the plant (both the common name and the scientific name) for a health professional to decide the appropriate course of action. When you purchase plants, keep the tags identifying the plant or keep track of the names on a written list so you can provide the needed information to your veterinarian or health care provider when necessary.
Plants on the California Poison Control System's toxic list have been rated according to their types of toxicity. Plants on the list that are toxic to humans are generally toxic to pets as well. Visit their website for a list of toxic plants and their ratings. As you can see from the toxic plant rating guide, some types of toxicity are much more serious than others.
Some of the plants on the list that are safe for humans can be toxic to pets. Common plants that stand out on the list as harmful to pets include:
Hermocallis spp. – Day lily, Basket lily
Cordyline spp. – Palm lily, Ti plant
Dracaena spp. (many species) – Lucky bamboo, Dracaena, etc.
Lilium spp. (many species) – Easter lily, Casa Blanca lily, Tiger lily, etc.
Schefflera arboricola – Dwarf schefflera
Vitus vinifera and V. californica – Grapes and wild grapes
WHAT TO DO FOR A PLANT POISONING
• Do NOT induce vomiting.
• Remove any plant parts from the mouth or hands.
• Wash around the mouth and hands and give a few sips of water.
• Check for any irritation of the skin, mouth or tongue.
• Call the California Poison Control System at 1-800-222-1222 (open 24 hours a day).
• Even if you are not sure, call the poison center for help. It will not be a waste of time.
• Do not wait for symptoms to appear. Treatment will be more difficult once symptoms have developed.
• If you are advised to go to the hospital, take the plant or part of the plant with you.
Poison center staff or veterinarians cannot reliably identify plants over the phone from a description of the plant. An unknown plant described as having shiny green leaves is not enough information to know what the plant is. Know your plants! If you don't know them, take the plant or samples of shoots with leaves, berries, or flowers with you when you seek medical care. Although not toxic, don't forget to check your pet for foxtails. The foxtail grass has a barbed seed head that can work its way into a pet's nose, eyes, mouth, or ears, and between their toes. Foxtail season usually runs from May through December. If a foxtail has become deeply embedded or the area around it is red and swollen, call your veterinarian.