Alphabetical by scientific name.
A note on "safe" plants: The plants on this list are generally believed to be safe. However, if you suspect that a child (or adult) has eaten quantities of any of these plants (or any of their parts), or if you notice symptoms such as illness or dermatitis after handling these plants, call your Poison Control Center for additional information.
| Poison Control Center: Always keep the telephone number of your local Poison Control Center posted by all of your telephones. In California, the number for the California Poison Control System is: 1-800- 876-4766 = (1-800-8-POISON); TTY: 1-800-972-3323 |
It is assumed that the plants listed here are not being used as teas, herbs, or medicines.
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Abutilon | Abutilon spp. |
| Flowering maple | Abutilon spp. |
| Maidenhair fern | Adiantum spp. |
| Coral berry bromeliad * | Aechmea spp. |
| Urn plant bromeliad * | Aechmea spp. |
| Lipstick plant | Aeschynanthus spp. |
| Carpet bugle | Ajuga reptans |
| Albizia | Albizia julibrissin |
| Silk tree | Albizia julibrissin |
| Alyssum | Alyssum spp. |
| Snapdragon | Antirrhinum spp. |
| Aphelandra | Aphelandra squarrosa |
| Zebra plant | Aphelandra squarrosa |
| Ice plant | Aptenia cordifolia |
| Norfolk Island pine | Araucaria heterophylla |
| Strawberry tree | Arbutus unedo |
| Manzanita | Arctostaphylos spp. |
| African daisy | Arctotis spp. |
| Aspidistra | Aspidistra elatior |
| Cast iron plant | Aspidistra elatior |
| Bird's nest fern | Asplenium nidus |
| Astilbe | Astilbe spp. |
| False spiraea | Astilbe spp. |
| Meadow sweet | Astilbe spp. |
| Bamboo | Bambusa multiplex |
| Bottle palm | Beaucarnea recurvata |
| Ponytail plant | Beaucarnea recurvata |
| Queen's tears bromeliad | Billbergia spp. |
| Heart-of-flame bromeliad | Bromelia spp. |
| Butterfly bush | Buddleia davidii |
| Eternal flame | Calathea spp. |
| Rattlesnake plant | Calathea spp. |
| Calceolaria | Calceolaria spp. |
| Pocketbook plant | Calceolaria spp. |
| Bottlebrush | Callistemon spp. |
| Callistemon | Callistemon spp. |
| China aster | Callistephus chinensis |
| Camellia | Camellia japonica |
| Bellflower | Campanula spp. |
| Campanula | Campanula spp. |
| Canna lily | Canna generalis |
| Ice plant | Carpobrotus spp. |
| Cattleya orchid | Cattleya spp. |
| Cockscomb | Celosia spp. |
| Bachelor's button | Centaurea cyanus |
| Cornflower | Centaurea cyanus |
| Carob tree | Ceratonia siliqua |
| St. John's bread | Ceratonia siliqua |
| Palo Verde | Cercidium spp. |
| Rosary vine | Ceropegia woodii |
| Spider plant | Chlorophytum comosum |
| Areca palm | Chrysalidocarpus lutescens |
| Rockrose | Cistus spp. |
| Cleome | Cleome hasslerana |
| Spider flower | Cleome hasslerana |
| Job's tears | Coix lacryma-jobi |
| Coleus | Coleus hybridus |
| Goldfish plant | Columnea spp. |
| Coprosma | Coprosma spp. |
| Mirror plant | Coprosma spp. |
| Ti plant | Cordyline terminalis |
| Coreopsis | Coreopsis grandiflora |
| Cosmos | Cosmos bipinnatus |
| Hawthorn | Crataegus spp. |
| Dutch crocus * | Crocus vernus |
| Spring-blooming crocus * | Crocus vernus |
| Holly fern | Cyrtomium falcatum |
| Dahlia | Dahlia hybrids |
| False aralia | Dizygotheca elegantissima |
| Corn plant | Dracaena spp. |
| Dracaena | Dracaena spp. |
| Dragon tree | Dracaena spp. |
| Echeveria | Echeveria spp. |
| Hen and chicks | Echeveria spp. |
| Purple coneflower | Echinacea spp. |
| Globe thistle | Echinops exaltatus |
| Epidendrum orchid | Epidendrum spp. |
| Flame violet | Episcia cupreata |
| Escallonia | Escallonia spp. |
| California poppy | Eschscholzia californica |
| Exacum | Exacum affine |
| Persian violet | Exacum affine |
| Japanese aralia | Fatsia japonica |
| Blue daisy | Felicia amelloides |
| Blue marguerite | Felicia amelloides |
| Fittonia | Fittonia spp. |
| Mosaic plant | Fittonia spp. |
| Nerve plant | Fittonia spp. |
| Freesia | Freesia spp. |
| Fuchsia | Fuchsia spp. |
| Gardenia | Gardenia jasminoides |
| Gerbera | Gerbera jamesonii |
| Transvaal daisy | Gerbera jamesonii |
| Honey locust | Gleditsia triacanthos |
| Purple velvet plant | Gynura aurantiaca |
| Sunflower | Helianthus annuus |
| Daylily | Hemerocallis spp. |
| Coral bells | Heuchera sanguinea |
| Heuchera | Heuchera sanguinea |
| Hibiscus | Hibiscus spp. |
| Rose of Sharon | Hibiscus spp. |
| Hosta | Hosta spp. |
| Plantain lily | Hosta spp. |
| Paradise palm | Howea spp. |
| Sentry palm | Howea spp. |
| Pink polka-dot plant | Hypoestes spp. |
| Balsam | Impatiens spp. |
| Impatiens | Impatiens spp. |
| Touch-me-not | Impatiens spp. |
| Red-hot poker | Kniphofia uvaria |
| Torch lily | Kniphofia uvaria |
| Crape myrtle | Lagerstroemia indica |
| Ice plant | Lampranthus spp. |
| English lavender | Lavandula angustifolia |
| Easter lily | Lilium longiflorum |
| Sea lavender | Limonium spp. |
| Statice | Limonium spp. |
| Liquidambar | Liquidambar spp. |
| Sweet gum | Liquidambar spp. |
| Liriope | Liriope muscari |
| Lithops | Lithops spp. |
| Living stones | Lithops spp. |
| Chinese fountain palm | Livistona chinensis |
| Money plant | Lunaria annua |
| Crown-pink | Lychnis coronaria |
| Creeping Jenny | Lysimachia nummularia |
| Moneywort | Lysimachia nummularia |
| Star magnolia | Magnolia stellata |
| Prayer plant | Maranta leuconeura |
| Sensitive plant | Mimosa pudica |
| Bee balm | Monarda spp. |
| Monarda | Monarda spp. |
| Mulberry | Morus spp. |
| Grape hyacinth | Muscari spp. |
| Forget-me-not | Myosotis sylvatica |
| Neoregelia bromeliad | Neoregelia spp. |
| Boston fern | Nephrolepis exaltata |
| Sword fern | Nephrolepis exaltata |
| Evening primrose | Oenothera caespitosa |
| Oncidium orchid | Oncidium spp. |
| Fragrant olive | Osmanthus spp. |
| Osmanthus | Osmanthus spp. |
| Japanese spurge | Pachysandra terminalis |
| Pachysandra | Pachysandra terminalis |
| Paphiopedilum orchid | Paphiopedilum spp. |
| Passion vine | Passiflora spp. |
| Roundleaf fern | Pellaea rotundifolia |
| Peperomia | Peperomia spp. |
| Petunia | Petunia hybrida |
| Phlox | Phlox paniculata |
| Pigmy date palm | Phoenix roebelenii |
| Photinia | Photinia spp. |
| Golden bamboo | Phyllostachys aurea |
| Spruce | Picea pungens |
| Aluminum plant | Pilea spp. |
| Pilea | Pilea spp. |
| Pine tree | Pinus spp. |
| Pittosporum | Pittosporum tobira |
| Plane tree | Platanus occidentalis |
| Sycamore | Platanus occidentalis |
| Staghorn fern | Platycerium bifurcatum |
| Balloon flower | Platycodon grandiflorus |
| Swedish ivy | Plectranthus spp. |
| Hare's-foot fern | Polypodium aureum |
| Moss rose | Portulaca spp. |
| Portulaca | Portulaca spp. |
| Douglas fir | Pseudotsuga spp. |
| China doll | Radermachera spp. |
| India hawthorn | Raphiolepis spp. |
| Raphiolepis | Raphiolepis spp. |
| Lady palm | Rhapis excelsa |
| African violet | Saintpaulia ionantha |
| Willow | Salix spp. |
| Sage | Salvia spp. |
| Salvia | Salvia spp. |
| Christmas cactus | Schlumbergera bridgesii |
| Stonecrop | Sedum spp. |
| Hens and chickens | Sempervivum tectorum |
| Gloxinia | Sinningia speciosa |
| Baby's tears | Soleirolia soleirolii |
| Mountain ash | Sorbus aucuparia |
| Spiraea | Spiraea spp. |
| Bird of paradise | Strelitzia reginae |
| Strelitzia | Strelitzia reginae |
| Brush cherry | Syzygium spp. |
| Eugenia | Syzygium spp. |
| Dandelion | Taraxacum officinale |
| Black-eyed Susan vine | Thunbergia alata |
| Piggy-back plant | Tolmiea menziesii |
| Star jasmine | Trachelospermum jasminoides |
| Nasturtium | Tropaeolum majus |
| Hemlock tree | Tsuga spp. |
| Viburnum | Viburnum spp. |
| Japanese snowball | Viburnum plicatum |
| Flaming sword bromeliad | Vriesea spp. |
| Vriesea bromeliad | Vriesea spp. |
| Weigela | Weigela spp. |
| Yucca | Yucca spp. |
| Zinnia | Zinnia spp. |
* Other species in the genus may be toxic
1. Information expanded from the publication "Know Your Plants... Safe or Poisonous?" by Elise Stone (California Poison Control System), and Ann King (University of California Cooperative Extension); 1997.
2. Plant lists in this database compiled by:
Ann King Filmer, Ph.D.
Director of Communications
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Dean's Office
e-mail: afilmer@ucdavis.edu
3. With much appreciation to Dr. Olga Wu, formerly with the California Poison Control System, for her technical assistance with reviews of plant lists.
| General information on Poisonous Plants | Toxic Plants | Safe Plants | ||
| by common name | by scientific name | by common name | by scientific name | |
Author: Ann King Filmer, Ph.D.
Director of Communications
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Dean's Office
e-mail: afilmer@ucdavis.edu