My bird likes to eat my houseplants. Should I be worried? Many birds naturally eat plants as part of their diet.  Birds will chew on and possibly consume plants in the course of play  and curiosity.  It is important for owners to be aware of which plants are safe to birds. Few actual studies are available in regard to plant toxicity and specific species of birds and so we should err on the side of caution.  Some plants will just make a bird sick and some can kill. (see – Toxic Plants handout)

 

Which plants are Safe?

The following list of indoor and outdoor plants that have been reported as having no adverse affects on animals. Please reference the Toxic Plants handout as well. Remember that any plant eaten in excess may cause harm or gastrointestinal upset.  If there is concern regarding specific plants not listed here, consult your veterinarian, local Poison Control Center, or a reputable plant nursery for more information.

 

Acacia

Ball fern

Blushing bromeliad

Achira

Bamboo

Bold sword fern

Acorn squash

Bamboo palm

Boston fern

African Daisy

Bamboo vine

Bottlebrush

African violet

Banana

Bottle Palm

Alfalfa

Banana squash

Bougainvillea

Algaroba

Barberry

Brazilian orchid

Aluminum plant

Beech

Bride's bonnet

Alumroot

Begonia species

Bristly greenbrier

American rubber

Belmore sentry palm

Bromeliads

Anthericum comosum

Big shellbark hickory

Broom hickory

Antirrhinum multiflorum

Birch

Brodiaea pulchella

Arabian gentian

Bird’s Nest Fern

Butterfly ginger

Aralia

Bitter pecan

Butterfly iris

Arbutus

Bitternut

Bullbrier

Areca, Butterfly Cane

Black haw

Bur gourd

Aregelia

Black hawthorn

Burro's tail

Artillery plant

Blaspheme vine

Buttercup squash

Ash

Blood Leaf

Butterfly Cane

Aspen

Blooming sally

Butterfly squash

Aspidium falcatum

Bluebottle

 

Aspidastra

Blue bead

Caeroba

Aubepine

Blue daisy

Calamint

Autumn olive

Blue echeveria

Calathea insignis

 

Blue-dicks

Calendula(Pot Marigold)

Baby’s Tears

Blue-eyed daisy

Calthea lancifolia

Bachelors buttons

Blunt leaf peperomia

California pitcher plant

 

 

 

California Holly

Cinnamon

Cushion moss

Callistemon radyandrus

Cinquefoil

Cyrtudeira reptans

Callistemon viminalis

Cirrhopetalum

 

Callistemon citrinus

Cissus Kangaroo Vines

Dahlia

Calochortus nuttalli

Claw Cactus

Dainty

Camellia

Clearweed

Dainty rabbits-foot fern

Chamonile

Cliff brake

Dallas fern

Canada hemlock

Cocks comb

Dancing doll orchid

Canary date palm

Cocktail orchid

Dandelion

Candle plant

Coleus

Date

Candycorn plant

Collinia elegans

Davallia bullata mariessi

Cantebury-bell

Color-band

Davallia   richomanoides

Cape jasmine

Columnar

Desert trumpet

Cape primrose

Comfry

Dichelostemma

Carob

Common camellia

Dichorisandra reginae

Carob tree

Common catbrier

Dill

Caroba

Common garden canna

Dinteranthus vanzylii

Carobinha

Common greenbrier

Dogwood

Carolina hemlock

Common snapdragon

Donkey tail

Carrion flower

Common staghorn fern

Dracaena

Carrot flower

Confederate jasmine

Duffy fern

Carrot fern

Coolwort

Dwarf date palm

Casaba melon

Copperlead

Dwarf feather fern

Cast Iron plant

Copper rose

Dwarf palm

Cat brier

Coralardisia

Dwarf Rose-Stripe Star

Cat ear

Coral bells

Dwarf royal palm

Cattleya labiata

Coralberry

Dwarf whitman fern

Celosia globosa

Cornflower

 

Celosia plumosa

Cottonwood

Earth star

Celosia spicata

Crab Apple

Easter cattleya

Chamaedorean

Crape myrtle

Easter daisy

Chaparral

Crataegus phaenopyrum

Easter lily cactus

Chenille plant

Crataegus spp.

Easter orchid

Chestnut

Creeping charlie

Echeveria

Chicken-gizzard

Creeping gloxinia

Edible banana

Chickens and hens

Creeping Jenny

Elephant-Ear Begonia

Chickweed

Creeping mahonia

Elephant foot tree

Chicory

Creeping pilea

Elk’s Horn

Chin-lao-shu

Creeping rubus

Elm

China aster

Creeping zinnia

Emerald ripple peperomia

China root

Crepe myrtle

English hawthorn

Chinese plumbago

Crimson bottlebush

Epidendrum

Chlorophytum

Crimson cup

Episcia spp.

Chlorophytum bechetii

Crisped feather fern

Eucalyptus

Chocolate soldier

Crossandra

Eugenia

Christmas dagger

Croton

Euopean fan

Christmas palm

Cucumber

 

Christmas orchid

Cushon aloe

False aralia

 

 

 

Fairy fountain

 

Fan tufted palm

Hagbrier

Kaempferis

Feather fern

Hardy baby tears

Kahali ginger

Feathered amaranth

Hardy gloxinia

Kalancchoe

Fiery reed orchid

Haws

 

Fig leaf gourd

Haws apple

Kenilworth ivy

Figleaf palm

Haworthia

Kentia palm

Fingernail plant

Hawthorn

Kenya palm

Fir

Hedgehog gourd

Kenya violet

Fire weed

Hellfetter

Kharoub

Fish tail fern

Hemlock tree

King nut

Flame african violet

Hen and chickens fern

King of the forest

Flame of the woods

Hens and chickens

King and queen fern

Flame violet

Hickory

Kuang-yen- pa-hsieh

Florida butter-fly orchid

Hindu rope plant

 

Forster sentry palm

Holligold

Lace flower vine

Fortunes palm

Holly fern

Lace orchid

Freckle face

Hollyhock

Ladies ear drops

Friendship plant

Honey locust

Lady lou

Frosty

Honey plant

Lady palm

 

Honeydew melons

Lagerstroemia indica

Garden marigold

Honeysuckle fuchsia

Lance Pleumele

Garden snapdragon

Hookera pulchella

Larch

Gardenia

Horse brier

Large Lady Palm

Garlic

Hoya

Laurel-leaved greenbrier

German violet

Hubbard squash

Leather peperomia

Gherkins

Hypocyrta spp.

Leng-fen tu'an

Ghost leafless orchid

 

Lemon Balm

Ghost plant

Ice plant

Leopard orchid

Giant aster

Imbricata sword fern

Lesser snapdragon

Giant holly fern

Indian Hawthorn

Lilac

Giant white inch plant

Irish moss

Linden

Gibasis geniculata

Iron cross begonia

Lipstick plant

Globe thistle

Iron tree

Little zebra plant

Gloxinia

Ivy peperomia

Little fantasy peperomia

Gold bloom

Ivy-leaf peperomia

Living rock cactus

Gold Dust Dracaena

 

Living stones

Gold-fish plant

Jackson brier

Locust pods

Golden bells

Jacob's ladder

Lou-lang-t'ou

Golden lace orchid

Jade Plant

Luther

Golden shower orchid

Japanese aralia

 

Good luck palm

Japanese holly fern

Madagascar jasmine

Grape hyacinth

Japanese moss

Magnolia bush

Grape Ivy

Japanese pittosporum

Marigold

Grape Vine

Jasmine

Maidenhair Fern

Great willow herb

Jewel orchid

Mahonia aquifolium

Green ripple peperomia

Joseph's coat

Malabar gourd

Greenbrier

Jungle geranium

Malaysian dracaema

 

 

 

Manila palm

Neanthe bella palm

Pink polka dot plant

Manzanita

Nematanthus spp.

Pink starlite

Mapleleaf begonia

Neanthebella

Pirliteiro

Maranta

Neoregelia

Pitaya

Marbled fingernail

Nephrolepsis

Pittosporum

Maroon

Nerve plant

Plantanus orientalis

May Apple

New silver and bronze

Plantanus occidentalis

Mary-bud

Night blooming cereus

Platinum peperomia

Measles plant

 

Platycerium alicicorne

Melons

Odontoglossum spp.

Plumbago larpentiae

Metallic peperomia

Old man cactus

Plush plant

Metallic leaf begonia

Old world orchid

Polka dot plant

Mexican firecracker

Orange star

Polystichum falcatum

Mexican rosettes

Oregon grape

Pony tail Palm

Mexican snowballs

Ossifragi vase

Poplar

Miniature date palm

 

Porcelain flower

Minature fish tail

Paddy’s Wig

Pot marigold

Minature maranta

Painted lady

Prairie snowball

Minature marble plant

Pampus grass

Prayer plant

Mistletoe cactus

Panamiga

Prickly bottlebrush

Mockernut hickory

Pansy orchid

Prostrate coleus

Monkey Plant

Paradise palm

Purple baby tears

Mosaic plant

Parlor palm

Purple passion vine

Moses-in-the-cradle

Parlor plant

Purple Velvet

Mosiac vase

Parsley

Purple waffle plant

Moss agate

Passion Flower

Purpleosier willow

Moss campion

Parsley fern

Pyracanthus

Moss fern

Peace begonia

 

Moss phlox

Peacock plant

Queen's spiderwort

Moss rose

Pearl plant

Queencup

Mossy campion

Pearly dots

Queens spiderwort

Mother-In-Law’s Tongue

Peperomia hederifolia

Queensland arrowroot

Mother fern

Peperomia peltifolia

 

Mother spleenwort

Peperomia rotundifolia

Rabbits foot fern

Mother of pearl

Peperomia sandersii

Rainbow orchid

Mountain camellia

Pepper face

Raphiolepsis

Mountain grape

PepperminPeperomia

Red african violet

Mulberry bush greenbrier

Persian violet

Red berried greenbrier

Mulberry tree

Petunia

Red edge peperomia

Musa paradisiaca

Pheasant plant

Red hawthorne

Muscari armeniacum

Piggy back plant

Red veined prayer

Muscari spp.

Pigmy date palm

Reed palm

Muskmellon

Pignut

Rex begonia

 

Pignut hickory

Rhynchophorum

Nadina

Pilea microphylla

Roosevelt fern

Narrow leafed pleomele

Pilea mucosa

Rose

Nasturtium

Pink Brocade

Royal velvet plant

Natal plum

Pink Pearl

Rubber plant, baby

 

 

 

Russian olive

Sweetheart peperomia

Walking anthericum

 

Sweet william

Wandering Jew

Saffron spike zebra

Sword fern

Washington hawthorn

Sand verbena

 

Water hickory

Satin pellionia

Tahitian bridal veil

Watermelon begonia

Sawbrier

Tailed orchid

Watermelon peperomia

Scabious

Tall feather fern

Watermelon pilea

Scarlet orchid

Tall mahonia

Wax plant

Scarlet sage

Teasel gourd

Wax rosette

Sensative Plant

Texas sage

Weeping bottlebrush

Shagbark hickory

Thea japonica

Weeping sergeant hemlock

Shan ku'ei-lai

Thimble cactus

Weisdornbluten

Shellbark hickory

Thistle

West indian gherkin

Shiny leaf smilax

Thorn apple

Western sword

Shrimp cactus

Ti Plant

White Clover

Silver bell

Ti hu-ling

White ginger

Silver berry

Tiger orchid

White edged swedish ivy

Silver heart

Toad spotted cactus

White heart hickory

Silver-leaf peperomia

Tous-les-mois

Whitman fern

Silver nerve plant

Trailing peperomia

Wild buckwheat

Silver pink vine

Tree cactus

Wild buckwheat

Silver star

Tree gloxinia

Wild hyacinth

Silver table fern

Tropical moss

Wild lantana

Silver tree anamiga

True cantalope

Wild sarsaparilla

Slender deutzia

Tu fu-ling

Wild strawberry

Small fruited hickory

Tulip poplar

Willow

Smilax tamnoides vas

Tulip tree

Willow herb

Spearmint

Turban squash

Windmill palm

Spice orchid

 

Winter cattleya

Spider ivy

Umbrella plant

Withered snapdragon

Spider plant

Urbinia agavoides

Woolflower

Spotted laurel

Usambara violet

 

Spruce

 

Yellow bloodleaf

Squarenut

Variegated laurel

Yellow-flowered gourd

Squirrels foot fern

Variegated oval leaf

Yerba Linda

Staghorn, Elk’s Horn

peperomia

Yucca

Star jasmine

Variegated philodendron leaf

 

Star plant

Variegated wandering ew

Zebra haworthia

Star tulip

Variegated wax plant

Zebra plant

Star window plant

Velvet plant

Zinnia sp.

Strawberry

Venus fly trap

Zucchini squash

String of Beads

Verona fern

 

Striped blushing

Verona lace fern

Safe Trees for Perches

Sugar pods

Vining peperomia

 

Sulfur flower

Violet

Citrus (all)

Summer hyacinth

Violet slipper gloxinia

Almond

Swedish ivy

 

Apple

Sweetheart hoya

Waffle plant

Apricot

 

 

 

 

Arbutus Ash Beech Birch

Cactus Wood Cottonwood Crab Apple Dogwood Elm

Fir

 

 

Grape vines Guava Hawthorn Larch Magnolia Madrona Mansanita Mulberry

 

 

Papaya Peach Pear

Pine (not with stick sap) Plum

Poplar Prune Thurlow Vine Maple