Every plant profile in our library records a pet-toxicity status sourced from the ASPCA's toxic and non-toxic plant database (with Pet Poison Helpline and university Extension sources where the ASPCA does not list a species by name). We added them up. The headline: roughly half of the houseplants people actually buy are not safe for a cat or dog that chews leaves — and the riskiest plants are often the trendiest.
This is a summary of our open dataset. The full per-plant table — with the toxic principle and ASPCA status for all 270 plants — is free to browse and download (CSV + JSON) on our plant toxicity dataset page.
The headline numbers
Across 270 plants:
- 51% are pet-safe — listed by the ASPCA as non-toxic to cats and dogs.
- 24% are mildly toxic — usually insoluble calcium oxalate or saponin oral irritants (burning mouth, drooling, vomiting), uncomfortable but rarely dangerous.
- 25% are toxic — including some with genuinely serious toxic principles (cardiac glycosides, lycorine, grayanotoxins, persin).
So a coin-flip: pick a popular houseplant at random and there is about a 49% chance it is on the ASPCA's toxic list in some form. For a household with a leaf-chewing cat or a curious puppy, that is worth knowing before you buy.
Riskiest and safest plant groups
Toxicity is not evenly spread. Grouped by plant type:
| Plant group | Pet-safe | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Herbs | 71% | Safest — basil, mint (mild), most culinary herbs are fine |
| Houseplants (classic foliage) | 58% | Mixed — many safe, but the aroids drag it down |
| Edibles / vegetables | 56% | Mostly fine; a few exceptions (e.g. tomato foliage) |
| Flowering | 48% | A coin flip — depends heavily on the species |
| Tropical foliage | 31% | Riskiest — the trendy aroids are mostly toxic |
The takeaway most pet owners miss: the most photogenic, most-bought "statement" plants are the most likely to be toxic. Monstera, philodendron, pothos, anthurium, alocasia, dieffenbachia and dracaena are all on the ASPCA toxic list — almost the entire modern aroid trend. If you want a big, lush, genuinely pet-safe plant, the calatheas (prayer-plant family), parlour palm, and many ferns are the exceptions.
The toxicity name-traps that catch people out
Researching each plant against the ASPCA surfaced a set of naming confusions that routinely mislead even careful owners. These are the ones worth flagging:
- "Asparagus fern" is not a fern — and it is toxic. It is Asparagus aethiopicus, and the ASPCA lists it as toxic to cats and dogs. The "fern" in the name implies the safety of true ferns; it does not apply here.
- Red spider lily is not the ASPCA's "Spider Lily." Lycoris radiata (red spider lily) contains lycorine and is toxic, but the ASPCA's "Spider Lily" entry is a different genus (Hymenocallis). Matching by common name alone gives the wrong answer.
- Calamondin (Panama orange) is a true citrus — and citrus is toxic. The little ornamental orange tree is Citrus × microcarpa; the ASPCA lists it (as "Calamondin Orange") as toxic to cats, dogs and horses via essential oils and psoralens.
- The ASPCA page titled "Fiddle-Leaf" is not the fiddle-leaf fig. That page is for Philodendron bipennifolium; the fiddle-leaf fig is Ficus lyrata, whose toxicity comes from the genus-level Ficus listing (ficin/ficusin sap). Citing the wrong page is a common error.
- "Mother of thousands" is more than a stomach upset. Kalanchoe daigremontiana contains bufadienolides — cardiac glycosides that act on the heart — so it sits well above the typical oral-irritant houseplant.
- Arborvitae's risk is neurological, not just digestive. Thuja foliage contains thujone, a neurotoxin; large ingestions can cause more than the mild GI upset many sources imply.
The lesson running through all of these: check the botanical name, not the nickname — and confirm pet safety against an authoritative source rather than a plant tag.
How to use this
- Browse or download the full 270-plant table on the plant toxicity dataset (CSV + JSON, free, ASPCA-sourced).
- Looking for safe options? See our guide to pet-safe houseplants.
- Worried about a specific plant? Check its
/pet-safe/{plant}page for the ASPCA status and the toxic principle.
If you suspect your pet has eaten a toxic plant, contact your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 in the US, or Animal PoisonLine on 01202 509 000 in the UK.
If you want this checked before you buy rather than after, we tested which apps flag ASPCA toxicity at all in the best plant app for pet owners.
Frequently asked questions
What share of houseplants are toxic to cats and dogs?
In our library of 270 popular houseplants, edibles and herbs, 49% are toxic or mildly toxic to cats and dogs per the ASPCA, and 51% are pet-safe. About 25% are genuinely toxic and 24% are mild oral irritants.
Which type of houseplant is most dangerous for pets?
Tropical foliage plants are the riskiest group: only about 31% are pet-safe. This is because the popular aroids — monstera, philodendron, pothos, anthurium, alocasia, dieffenbachia — are nearly all on the ASPCA toxic list due to insoluble calcium oxalate crystals.
Which houseplants are safest for pets?
Culinary herbs are the safest group at about 71% pet-safe. Among foliage plants, the calatheas (prayer-plant family), parlour palm and many true ferns are reliable pet-safe choices, and the ASPCA lists Peperomia and Hoya as non-toxic.
Does 'toxic' mean a plant will kill my pet?
Usually not. Most ASPCA-listed houseplants are oral or stomach irritants — insoluble calcium oxalates or saponins that cause a burning mouth, drooling and vomiting. A smaller number contain serious toxic principles such as cardiac glycosides (kalanchoe), lycorine (amaryllis relatives) or persin. Any suspected ingestion still warrants a call to your vet.
Where does this toxicity data come from?
Each plant's status is taken from the ASPCA's toxic and non-toxic plant lists, with Pet Poison Helpline and university Extension sources used where the ASPCA does not list a species by name. The full per-plant table with sources is available on our plant toxicity dataset page.
Why do common names cause mistakes?
Common names are unreliable: 'asparagus fern' is not a fern (and is toxic), red spider lily is not the ASPCA's 'Spider Lily', and the ASPCA's 'Fiddle-Leaf' page is a philodendron, not the fiddle-leaf fig. Always confirm pet safety by the botanical name.