Safe Plants (Common and 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: (800) 222-1222.
It is assumed that the plants listed here are not being used as teas, herbs, or medicines.
| Safe plants: Common name | Scientific name |
| Abutilon | Abutilon spp. |
| African daisy | Arctotis spp. |
| African violet | Saintpaulia ionantha |
| Albizia | Albizia julibrissin |
| Aluminum plant | Pilea spp. |
| Alyssum | Alyssum spp. |
| Aphelandra | Aphelandra squarrosa |
| Areca palm | Chrysalidocarpus lutescens |
| Aspidistra | Aspidistra elatior |
| Astilbe | Astilbe spp. |
| Baby's tears | Soleirolia soleirolii |
| Bachelor's button | Centaurea cyanus |
| Balloon flower | Platycodon grandiflorus |
| Balsam | Impatiens spp. |
| Bamboo | Bambusa multiplex |
| Bamboo, Golden | Phyllostachys aurea |
| Bee balm | Monarda spp. |
| Bellflower | Campanula spp. |
| Bird of paradise | Strelitzia reginae |
| Bird's nest fern | Asplenium nidus |
| Black-eyed Susan vine | Thunbergia alata |
| Blue daisy | Felicia amelloides |
| Blue marguerite | Felicia amelloides |
| Boston fern | Nephrolepis exaltata |
| Bottle palm | Beaucarnea recurvata |
| Bottlebrush | Callistemon spp. |
| Brush cherry | Syzygium spp. |
| Butterfly bush | Buddleia davidii |
| Calceolaria | Calceolaria spp. |
| California poppy | Eschscholzia californica |
| Callistemon | Callistemon spp. |
| Camellia | Camellia japonica |
| Campanula | Campanula spp. |
| Canna lily | Canna generalis |
| Carob tree | Ceratonia siliqua |
| Carpet bugle | Ajuga reptans |
| Cast iron plant | Aspidistra elatior |
| Cattleya orchid | Cattleya spp. |
| China aster | Callistephus chinensis |
| China doll | Radermachera spp. |
| Chinese fountain palm | Livistona chinensis |
| Christmas cactus | Schlumbergera bridgesii |
| Cleome | Cleome hasslerana |
| Cockscomb | Celosia spp. |
| Coleus | Coleus hybridus |
| Coprosma | Coprosma spp. |
| Coral berry bromeliad * | Aechmea spp. |
| Coreopsis | Coreopsis grandiflora |
| Coral bells | Heuchera sanguinea |
| Corn plant | Dracaena spp. |
| Cornflower | Centaurea cyanus |
| Cosmos | Cosmos bipinnatus |
| Crape myrtle | Lagerstroemia indica |
| Creeping Jenny | Lysimachia nummularia |
| Crocus, Dutch * | Crocus vernus |
| Crocus, Spring-blooming * | Crocus vernus |
| Crown-pink | Lychnis coronaria |
| Dahlia | Dahlia hybrids |
| Daisy, African | Arctotis spp. |
| Dandelion | Taraxacum officinale |
| Daylily | Hemerocallis spp. |
| Douglas fir | Pseudotsuga spp. |
| Dracaena | Dracaena spp. |
| Dragon tree | Dracaena spp. |
| Dutch crocus * | Crocus vernus |
| Easter lily | Lilium longiflorum |
| Echeveria | Echeveria spp. |
| English lavender | Lavandula angustifolia |
| Epidendrum orchid | Epidendrum spp. |
| Escallonia | Escallonia spp. |
| Eternal flame | Calathea spp. |
| Eugenia | Syzygium spp. |
| Evening primrose | Oenothera caespitosa |
| Exacum | Exacum affine |
| False aralia | Dizygotheca elegantissima |
| False spiraea | Astilbe spp. |
| Fern, Bird's nest | Asplenium nidus |
| Fern, Boston | Nephrolepis exaltata |
| Fern, Hare's-foot | Polypodium aureum |
| Fern, Holly | Cyrtomium falcatum |
| Fern, Maidenhair | Adiantum spp. |
| Fern, Roundleaf | Pellaea rotundifolia |
| Fern, Staghorn | Platycerium bifurcatum |
| Fern, Sword | Nephrolepis exaltata |
| Fir, Douglas | Pseudotsuga spp. |
| Fittonia | Fittonia spp. |
| Flame violet | Episcia cupreata |
| Flaming sword bromeliad | Vriesea spp. |
| Flowering maple | Abutilon spp. |
| Forget-me-not | Myosotis sylvatica |
| Fragrant olive | Osmanthus spp. |
| Freesia | Freesia spp. |
| Fuchsia | Fuchsia spp. |
| Gardenia | Gardenia jasminoides |
| Gerbera | Gerbera jamesonii |
| Globe thistle | Echinops exaltatus |
| Gloxinia | Sinningia speciosa |
| Golden bamboo | Phyllostachys aurea |
| Goldfish plant | Columnea spp. |
| Grape hyacinth | Muscari spp. |
| Hare's-foot fern | Polypodium aureum |
| Hawthorn | Crataegus spp. |
| Heart-of-flame bromeliad | Bromelia spp. |
| Hemlock tree | Tsuga spp. |
| Hen and chicks | Echeveria spp. |
| Hens and chickens | Sempervivum tectorum |
| Heuchera | Heuchera sanguinea |
| Hibiscus | Hibiscus spp. |
| Holly fern | Cyrtomium falcatum |
| Honey locust | Gleditsia triacanthos |
| Hosta | Hosta spp. |
| Ice plant | Aptenia cordifolia |
| Ice plant | Carpobrotus spp. |
| Ice plant | Lampranthus spp. |
| Impatiens | Impatiens spp. |
| India hawthorn | Raphiolepis spp. |
| Japanese aralia | Fatsia japonica |
| Japanese snowball | Viburnum plicatum |
| Japanese spurge | Pachysandra terminalis |
| Job's tears | Coix lacryma-jobi |
| Lady palm | Rhapis excelsa |
| Lavender, English | Lavandula angustifolia |
| Lipstick plant | Aeschynanthus spp. |
| Liquidambar | Liquidambar spp. |
| Liriope | Liriope muscari |
| Lithops | Lithops spp. |
| Living stones | Lithops spp. |
| Magnolia, Star | Magnolia stellata |
| Maidenhair fern | Adiantum spp. |
| Manzanita | Arctostaphylos spp. |
| Meadow sweet | Astilbe spp. |
| Mirror plant | Coprosma spp. |
| Monarda | Monarda spp. |
| Money plant | Lunaria annua |
| Moneywort | Lysimachia nummularia |
| Mosaic plant | Fittonia spp. |
| Moss rose | Portulaca spp. |
| Mountain ash | Sorbus aucuparia |
| Mulberry | Morus spp. |
| Nasturtium | Tropaeolum majus |
| Neoregelia bromeliad | Neoregelia spp. |
| Nerve plant | Fittonia spp. |
| Norfolk Island pine | Araucaria heterophylla |
| Oncidium orchid | Oncidium spp. |
| Osmanthus | Osmanthus spp. |
| Pachysandra | Pachysandra terminalis |
| Palms | (Most houseplant palms are nontoxic except fishtail palm, Caryota spp.) |
| Palm, Areca | Chrysalidocarpus lutescens |
| Palm, Bottle | Beaucarnea recurvata |
| Palm, Chinese fountain | Livistona chinensis |
| Palm, Lady | Rhapis excelsa |
| Palm, Paradise | Howea spp. |
| Palm, Pigmy date | Phoenix roebelenii |
| Palm, Sentry | Howea spp. |
| Palo Verde | Cercidium spp. |
| Paphiopedilum orchid | Paphiopedilum spp. |
| Paradise palm | Howea spp. |
| Passion vine | Passiflora spp. |
| Peperomia | Peperomia spp. |
| Persian violet | Exacum affine |
| Petunia | Petunia hybrida |
| Phlox | Phlox paniculata |
| Photinia | Photinia spp. |
| Piggy-back plant | Tolmiea menziesii |
| Pigmy date palm | Phoenix roebelenii |
| Pilea | Pilea spp. |
| Pine tree | Pinus spp. |
| Pink polka-dot plant | Hypoestes spp. |
| Pittosporum | Pittosporum tobira |
| Plane tree | Platanus occidentalis |
| Plantain lily | Hosta spp. |
| Pocketbook plant | Calceolaria spp. |
| Polka-dot plant, Pink | Hypoestes spp. |
| Ponytail plant | Beaucarnea recurvata |
| Portulaca | Portulaca spp. |
| Prayer plant | Maranta leuconeura |
| Purple coneflower | Echinacea spp. |
| Purple velvet plant | Gynura aurantiaca |
| Queen's tears bromeliad | Billbergia spp. |
| Raphiolepis | Raphiolepis spp. |
| Rattlesnake plant | Calathea spp. |
| Red-hot poker | Kniphofia uvaria |
| Rockrose | Cistus spp. |
| Rosary vine | Ceropegia woodii |
| Rose of Sharon | Hibiscus spp. |
| Roundleaf fern | Pellaea rotundifolia |
| Sage | Salvia spp. |
| Salvia | Salvia spp. |
| Sea lavender | Limonium spp. |
| Sensitive plant | Mimosa pudica |
| Sentry palm | Howea spp. |
| Silk tree | Albizia julibrissin |
| Snapdragon | Antirrhinum spp. |
| Spider flower | Cleome hasslerana |
| Spider plant | Chlorophytum comosum |
| Spiraea | Spiraea spp. |
| Spring-blooming crocus * | Crocus vernus |
| Spruce | Picea pungens |
| St. John's bread | Ceratonia siliqua |
| Staghorn fern | Platycerium bifurcatum |
| Star jasmine | Trachelospermum jasminoides |
| Star magnolia | Magnolia stellata |
| Statice | Limonium spp. |
| Stonecrop | Sedum spp. |
| Strawberry tree | Arbutus unedo |
| Strelitzia | Strelitzia reginae |
| Sunflower | Helianthus annuus |
| Swedish ivy | Plectranthus spp. |
| Sweet gum | Liquidambar spp. |
| Sword fern | Nephrolepis exaltata |
| Sycamore | Platanus occidentalis |
| Ti plant | Cordyline terminalis |
| Torch lily | Kniphofia uvaria |
| Touch-me-not | Impatiens spp. |
| Transvaal daisy | Gerbera jamesonii |
| Urn plant bromeliad * | Aechmea spp. |
| Velvet plant, Purple | Gynura aurantiaca |
| Viburnum | Viburnum spp. |
| Vriesea bromeliad | Vriesea spp. |
| Weigela | Weigela spp. |
| Willow | Salix spp. |
| Yucca | Yucca spp. |
| Zebra plant | Aphelandra squarrosa |
| Zinnia | Zinnia spp. |
* Other species in the genus may be toxic
Information compiled by:
Ann King Filmer, Ph.D., Botany,
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
University of California, Davis
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