Is this plant safe for cats, dogs and kids?
Search any plant. Every “safe” comes with the source that says so; when the sources don't settle it, we say “not sure”.
Areca palm
Chrysalidocarpus lutescens
- CatsSafe
- DogsSafe
- KidsSafe
Cats: Safe
Sources below say it is non-toxic to cats. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.
- Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Areca Palm - ASPCA ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Chrysalidocarpus lutescens (Areca Palm, Bamboo Palm, Butterfly Palm, Golden Butterfly Palm, Golden Feather Palm, Yellow Palm) | North Carolina Extension Gardene University or extension
Dogs: Safe
Sources below say it is non-toxic to dogs. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.
- Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Areca Palm - ASPCA ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Chrysalidocarpus lutescens (Areca Palm, Bamboo Palm, Butterfly Palm, Golden Butterfly Palm, Golden Feather Palm, Yellow Palm) | North Carolina Extension Gardene University or extension
Kids: Safe
Sources below say it is non-toxic to young children. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.
- Connecticut Poison Control Center - UConn Health Poison control
Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.
Popular plants safe for cats
- Spider plant Chlorophytum comosum
- Crimson cattleya Cattleya labiata
- Haworthiopsis attenuata
- Burro's tail Sedum morganianum
- Christmas cactus Schlumbergera truncata
- Wax plant Hoya carnosa
- Prayer plant Maranta leuconeura
- Calathea orbifolia Goeppertia orbifolia
- Goeppertia makoyana
- Baby rubber plant Peperomia obtusifolia
- Watermelon begonia Peperomia argyraea
- Hoya kerrii
Popular plants safe for dogs
- Spider plant Chlorophytum comosum
- Crimson cattleya Cattleya labiata
- Haworthiopsis attenuata
- Burro's tail Sedum morganianum
- Christmas cactus Schlumbergera truncata
- Wax plant Hoya carnosa
- Prayer plant Maranta leuconeura
- Calathea orbifolia Goeppertia orbifolia
- Goeppertia makoyana
- Baby rubber plant Peperomia obtusifolia
- Watermelon begonia Peperomia argyraea
- Hoya kerrii
Only plants a cited source calls non-toxic for that animal are listed.
How we check
For each plant we look for what the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, poison control centers, university extension services and veterinary references say about that exact species, and we note the USDA PLANTS toxicity rating. A second reviewer checks every answer against those sources and sends it back when a claim isn't supported. A plant is only called safe when a source says it is non-toxic for that animal; when the sources are thin or disagree, the answer is “not sure”. We link to our sources rather than copying them, and this page is not veterinary or medical advice.