Is Black Hickory toxic to cats?

No — black hickory is listed by the ASPCA as non-toxic to cats. It is a sensible choice for a home with a cat; a curious nibble will not poison them, though no plant is meant to be eaten. The Carya (hickory) genus is uniformly listed by the ASPCA as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, with named species such as pignut and shagbark explicitly on the non-toxic list; black hickory falls under this non-toxic genus. As with all hickories, whole nuts are a choking/GI-obstruction hazard and moldy nuts can carry tremorgenic mycotoxins, so keep fallen nuts from pets.

Yes — the ASPCA lists black hickory as non-toxic to cats and dogs. A cat that chews a large amount of any foliage can still get a mild, brief stomach upset, so discourage grazing, but it will not be poisoned.

The ASPCA classification Growli uses applies to both cats and dogs: Black Hickory is non-toxic to dogs as well. See the full black hickory pet-safety guide for both species.

Reliable ASPCA non-toxic picks for a cat home include spider plant, calathea, parlor palm, peperomia, and most true ferns. Browse the best cats-safe plants list to check more before you buy.