Washington Poison Center

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Plant List

NOTE: It's the dose that makes the poison. Some plants one bite can be harmful, other plants it may take eating the entire plant. The same plant in Florida may be less harmful in Washington, or more harmful. Call 1-800-222-1222 if you have a question about a plants toxicity.

Lists of safe vs. unsafe plants are never complete and can be hard to understand. Some toxic plants look like nontoxic plants when trying to name it by a photograph. It is best when buying a plant to check with the store clerk. For plants you currently have, bring them or clippings to your local garden store.

Common non-toxic (safe) plants.
The following plants are known to be safe or non-poisonous. It is important to remember, though, that children and animals can choke on any plant. This is not a complete list.

African violet	Donkey tail	Peperomia
Air fern	Dracena	Piggyback plant
Aluminum plant	Fitttonia, red	Pilea
Aralia	Fuchsia	Polka dot plant
Areca palm	Ferns (many are non-toxic)	Prayer plant
Baby tears	Forsythia	Pregnancy plant
Begonia (except sand begonia)	Gardenia	Primula
Begonia (except sand begonia)	Hawthorne	Purple passion
Birch berry	Hibiscus	Purple velvet
Bloodleaf plant	Honeysuckle	Rubber plant
Boston fern	Impatiens	Schefflera
Bromeliads	Inch plant	Snake plant
Butterfly	Jade plant	Snowball tree
Cactus, Christmas	Japanese aralia	Spider plant
Calathea, painted	Kalanchoe	Sumac
California poppy	Lady’s slipper	Swedish ivy
Camellia	Lipstick plant	Tiger lily (toxic to cats)
Coleus	Manzanita	Umbrella plant
Corn plant	Marigold	Velvet plant
Croton (most are non-toxic)	Mountian ash	Violets
Creeping Charlie	Nasturtium	Wandering Jew
Dandelion	Palm	Zebra plant
Dogwood	Patient Lucy

Common toxic (unsafe) plants.
Many toxic plants produce very minor symptoms such as a stomach upset, mouth and throat pain or skin rash. If large quantities are swallowed, or if a person frequently takes smaller amounts of the plant, more serious symptoms could develop. Some people are more sensitive to the toxic effects of plants than are others. It is very rare for plants to cause life-threatening symptoms. This is not a complete list.

Amaryllis – 2	Firethorn – 2,4	Philodendron – 3,4
Azalea – 1	Foxglove – 1	Periwinkle – 1
Begonia – 2,3	Glory lily – 1	Poinsettia – 2,4
Bird of Paradise – 2	Goldenchain tree – 2	Poison ivy – 2,4
Buttercup – 2,4	Holly berry – 2	Poppy – 2,4
Calla lily – 3,4	Horsechestnut – 2	Poison hemlock – 1
Camphor tree – 2	Hyacinth – 2,4	Potato plant – 1
Carnation – 2,4	Hydrangea blossom – 1,4	Pothos – 3,4
Castor bean – 1	Iris – 2,4	Pyracantha – 2,4
Chinese evergreen – 3,4	Jack-in-the-pulpit – 3,4	Rhododendron – 1
Chrysanthemum – 2,4	Jequirity bean – 1	Rhubarb leaves – 3
Cotoneaster berry – 2	Jerusalem cherry – 1	Rosary bean – 1
Cyclamen – 2,4	Jimson weed – 1	Skunk cabbage – 2
Daffodil bulb – 2,4	Juniper – 2	Snow-on-the-mountian – 2,4
Daisy – 2,4	Larkspur – 1	Spider lily – 2
Daphne – 1	Laurel cherry – 1	St. Johnswort – 1,4
Death camas – 1	Lily-of-the-valley –1,2	Tomato leaves – 1,4
Dumbcane – 3	Mistletoe – 2,4	Tulips – 2,4
English laurel – 1	Morning glory seeds – 1	Virginia creeper – 3,4
Elderberry – 1	Nightshade, Deadly – 1	Water hemlock – 1
Elephant ears – 3,4	Oleander – 1,4	Wintersweet – 1
Eucalyptus – 2,4	Oak tree – 2,4	Yew berry – 1

Toxicity Class:

1. Major Toxicity
These plants may cause serious illness or death. If ingested, immediately call the Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.

2. Minor Toxicity
Ingestion of these plants may cause minor illnesses such as vomiting or diarrhea. If ingested, call the Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.

3. Oxalates
The juice or sap of these plants contains oxalate crystals. These needle-shaped crystals can irritate the skin, mouth, tongue, and throat, resulting in throat swelling, breathing difficulties, burning pain, and stomach upset. Call the Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 if any of these symptoms appear following ingestion of plants.

4. Dermatitis
The juice, sap, or thorns of these plants may cause a skin rash or irritation. Wash the affected area of skin with soap and water as soon as possible after contact. The rashes may be very serious and painful. Call the Poison Center 1-800-222-1222 if symptoms appear following contact with the plants.