Toxic Plants

My bird likes to eat plants. 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?

The following list of indoor and outdoor plants catalogues many of the plants considered to be potentially toxic. If there is concern regarding specific plants not listed here then consult your avian veterinarian, a local Poison Control Center, or a reputable plant nursery for more information.  Some plants have been included on this list even if there is a remote possibility of concern.

Alderberry Buckthorn

Bleeding Heart or

Chinaberry Tree

Aloe Vera

Dutchman’s Breeches

Chinese Evergreen

Amaryllis

Bloodroot

Chinese Lantern

American Yew

Blue Bonnets

Christmas Cactus

Andromeda japonica

Blue-green Algae

Christmas Candle

Anemone

Bottle Brush

AŶgel͛s Tƌuŵpet

Boxwood

Christmas Cherry (berries)

Apple (seeds)

Bracken Fern

Christmas Rose

Apricot (pit, leaves and Bark)

Branching Ivy

Chrysanthemum

Asparagus fern

Buckeye

Cineraria

Autumn Crocus (Meadow

Buckthorn

Clematis

Saffron)

Buddhist Pine

Coffee Plants

Avocado (fruits ,pit and

Bulb Flowers

Coral Plant

leaves)

Burdock

Cordatum

Azalea

Buttercup

Corn Plant

Cowslip

Babies Breath

Cadelabra Tree

Crocus

Baby Doll Ti

Caladium

Croton

Balsam Pear

Calico Bush

Crown of Thorns

Baneberry

Calla Lily

Crown Vetch

Bean Plants

Cardinal Flower

Cyclamen

Belladona

Castor Bean (Castor Oil Plant)

Bird of Paradise

Catclaw (twigs and leaves)

Daffodil

Bittersweet

Ceriman

Daisy

Bitter Melon

Chalice Vine or Trumpet Vine

Daphne

Black Elderberry (not berry)

Cherry Trees (leaves, bark,

Datura (berries)

Black Locus

seeds - Not pulp of fruit)

Day Lilly

China Doll

Deadly Nightshade

Death Amanita

Heliotrope (leaves)

Lords-and-Ladies

Death cap mushrooms

Hemlock (Poison and Water)

Lupine or Blue Bonnets

Death Camas

Henbane

Delphinium

Hibiscus

Mandrake

Devil’s Ivy

Hogwort

Marble Queen

Dieffenbachia

Holly

Marijuana

Dracaena Palm

Honey Locust

May Apple or Mandrake

Dragon Tree

Honeysuckle

Mescal Bean

Dutchman’s Breeches

Horse Beans

Mexican Breadfruit

Egg-Plant leaves

Horse Chestnut

Milkweed

Elderberry

Horse Nettle

Miniature Croton

Elephant’s Ear (Taro)

Horsetail

Mistletoe

Emerald Feather

Hurricane Plant

Mock Orange

English Holly

Hyacinth

Monkshood

English Ivy

Hydrangea

Moonseed

English Yew

Morning Glory

Ergot

Impatiens

Eucalyptus

Indian Laurel

Mountain Laurel

Euphorbia

Indian Rubber Plant

Mushrooms (Amanita, other

European Pennyroyal

Indian Turnip

wild species)

Euonymus

Iris

Evergreen (most)

Ivy (Boston, English + some

Narcissus

others)

Needle Point Ivy

False Hellebore

Nephthytis

Felt Plant

Jack-In-The-Pulpit

Nettles

Fiddle Leaf fig

Japanese Yew

Nightshades

Fig (sap)

Jasmine

Norfolk Pine

Firethorn

Java Bean (Glorybean)

Nutmeg

Flame Tree

Jequirity Bean

Flamingo Plant

Jerusalem Cherry

Oak

Fluffy Ruffles

Jessamine, Yellow (leaves,

Oleander

Fly Agaric Mushrooms

stem)

Four O’clock

Jimson weed

Paradise Plant

Foxglove

Jonquil

Parsnip Plant

Fruit Salad Plant

Juniper

Parsley (in excess)

Peace Lily Peach (pits, bark

Geranium

Kentucky Coffee Tree

and leaves)

German Ivy

Pear (leaves, seeds, bark)

Ginko

Lantana

Pencil Cactus

Glacier Ivy

Larkspur

Pencil Tree

Gladiola

Laurels

Penny royal

Glory Lilly

Lily (many species, Tiger,

Peony

Golden Chain

Easter, Oriental..etc).

Periwinkle

Ground Cherry

Lily-Of-The-Valley

Peyote

Lobelia

Philodendron

Hawaiian Baby

Locoweed

Pigweed

Hawaiian Ti

Locusts Honey

Plum (pit, bark and Leaves)

Heavenly Bamboo

Locusts, Black

Plumosa Fern

Poinsettia Poison Hemlock Poison Ivy

Sago Palm Sandbox Tree Schefflera

Virginia Creeper

Water Hemlock

Poison Oak

Poison Sumac Pokeweed Poncirus Poppies

Potato (new shoots, sprouts, leaves)

Pothos Precatory Bean Primrose Primula

Privet

Purple Sesbane

Shamrock Plant

Skunk Cabbage Snap Dragon Snow Flake Snowdrop

Snow-On-The-Mountain

Soloman’s Seal

Sorrel Spurges Spindle Tree (berries) Spurges

Star of Bethlehem String of Pearls (beads) Sweet Pea (plant)

Wattle

Waxberry Weeping Fig Western Yew White Cedar Wisteria

Yam Bean Yellow Jasmine

Yesterday, today, Tomorrow Plant

Yews Yucca

Ragwort Rain Tree

Ranuculus Buttercup Red Maple Rhododendron Rhubarb (leaves) Ribbon Plant

Rosary Peas Roseary Beans Rubber Plant

Sage

Taro Vine Tasy Ragwort Thornapple Tobacco Tobacco Tree

Tomato Plant (green fruit, stem, leaves)

Trumpet Vine Tulip

Verbena Vetch

If in doubt remove the plant!

Perches – Trees NOT to use

apricot cherry peach prune plum