How To Identify Poisonous Plants In The Home

cat plant

(Image credit: Kelly McCarthy)

last updated 10 June 2021

Toxic plants for pets can cause heartbreak. We all love our pets and when you are a plant lover as well, you want to make sure that your houseplants and your pets can live together happily. Knowing what toxic houseplants you have in your home or being able to identify poison plants is important to keep your pet happy and healthy.

Identify Poison Plants

With so many houseplants available today, it's difficult to know which are poisonous houseplants. While there is no tell-tale sign that a plant is poisonous, there are a few standard signs that can help you identify potentially toxic plants. These signs for possible poison plants are:

Milky sap
Naturally shiny leaves
Plants that have yellow or white berries
Umbrella shaped plants

While following this list will not eliminate all toxic houseplants, it will help steer you clear of a great many of them.

Common Poison Houseplants

Below are some of the most common houseplants that are toxic:

Common Non-Toxic Houseplants

There are also many non-toxic plants for pets. These include:

If you are a pet owner, you know that keeping your house free of poisonous houseplants is important. Learning to identify poisonous plants and buying only non-toxic houseplants will keep your pet happy and healthy.

Heather Rhoades founded Gardening Know How in 2007. She holds degrees from Cleveland State University and Northern Kentucky University. She is an avid gardener with a passion for community, and is a recipient of the Master Gardeners of Ohio Lifetime Achievement Award.