Chapter 19 Household and Garden Plants
This chapter is designed to support small animal veterinarians in cases of potential toxic plant ingestion. With the client’s help, the veterinarian should refer to Box 19-1 to determine whether any of the plants listed have been available to the patient. Veterinarians should be aware that common names of plants can differ in different locations of the United States. Accurate physical identification of the plants is essential, and this may necessitate gaining access to other resources (e.g., garden nurseries, horticulturists, college, university, or extension support staff, botanists, books, and the Internet). For the plants listed, one can then refer to Table 19-1 to determine the potential scope of the toxic syndrome and its prognosis. The patient is then treated as indicated. Information about the plant or plants involved is shared with the client, and isolation of the patient from the plant(s) is recommended in the future. When possible, alternative plants from Table 19-2 should be suggested.
Box 19-1 Toxic Plant Quick Reference Based on Clinical Signs
Gastrointestinal System
African milk bush (Synadenium grantii)
Ageratum, floss-flower (Ageratum spp)
Anemone, Pasque flower, windflower, meadow anemone, crowfoot (Anemone spp)
Apricot, peach, plum, bitter almond, cherry, choke cherry (Prunus spp)
Aucuba, Japanese aucuba, Japanese laurel, spotted laurel (Aucuba japonica)
Baby’s breath (Gypsophilia paniculata)
Bagpod sesbane (Sesbania vesicaria)
Barberry, pipperidge (Berberis spp)
Bird of paradise (Caesalpinia spp)
Bittersweet, woody nightshade, wild nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
Black laurel, mountain laurel (Leucothoe davisiae)
Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum)
Bleeding heart, Dutchman’s breeches, squirrel corn, staggerweed(Dicentra spp)
Blood lily, powderpuff lily (Haemanthus multiflorus)
Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)
Blue tannia, blue taro, caladium, elephant’s ear, malanga, tannia, yautia (Xanthosoma spp)
Box, common box, boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
Buttercup, meadow buttercup, crowfoot, lesser spearwort (Ranunculus spp)
Caladium, elephant’s ear (Caladium spp)
Candelabra aloe, octopus plant, torch plant, Barbados aloe, medicinal aloe (Aloe spp)
Candelabra cactus, false cactus, mottled spurge, dragon bones (Euphorbia lactea)
Castor bean (Ricinus communis)
Century plant, maguey, American aloe (Agave americanum)
Chenille plant, red-hot cattail (Acalypha hispida)
Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
Chinaberry tree (Melia azederach)
Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema spp)
Chinese lantern, winter cherry, Cape gooseberry (Physalis alkekengi)
Chinese yam, cinnamon vine (Dioscorea batatas)
Christmas rose, black hellebore (Helleborus spp)
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
Coral bean, coral tree (Erythrina spp)
Crinum lily, spider lily, swamp lily (Crinum spp)
Croton (Codiaeum variegatum or Croton tiglium)
Crown of thorns (Euphorbia milii)
Daffodil, trumpet narcissus, jonquil (Narcissus spp)
Devil’s ivy, ivy arum, pothos, hunter’s robe, taro vine
Dieffenbachia, dumb cane (Dieffenbachia spp)
Dogbane, Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum)
Easter lily, star-gazer lily, tiger lily (Lilium spp)
Elder, dwarf elder, Danewort (Sambucus ebulus)
English ivy, Irish ivy, common ivy (Hedera helix)
Eucalyptus, blue gum, cider gum, silver dollar, Australian fever tree (Eucalyptus spp)
Euonymus, spindle (Euonymus spp)
Euphorbium (Euphorbia resinifera)
European mistletoe (Viscum album)
False hellebore, white hellebore (Veratrum spp)
Flamingo flower (Anthurium spp)
Foxglove, common foxglove, long purples, dead men’s fingers (Digitalis spp)
Gloriosa lily, glory lily, climbing lily (Gloriosa superba)
Golden chain tree (Laburnum anagyroides)
Golden corydalis, bulbous corydalis, scrambled eggs, fitweed, fumitory (Corydalis spp)
Goosefoot, nephthytis, African evergreen, arrowhead vine (Syngonium spp)
Greater celandine (Chelidonium majus)
Green earth star (Cryptanthus acaulis)
Guelder-rose, high-bush cranberry (Viburnum spp)
Herb-Paris (Paris quadrifolia)
Holly, yaupon, possum-haw (Ilex spp)
Horse chestnut, buckeye (Aesculus spp)
Horseradish, red cole (Armoracia rusticana)
Hyacinth, garden hyacinth, Dutch hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis)
Hydrangea, hills of snow, French hydrangea, hortensia (Hydrangea macrophylla)
Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
Jerusalem cherry, Christmas cherry, winter cherry, Natal cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum)
Kingcup, marsh marigold (Caltha palustris)
Lantana, shrub verbena, yellow sage, bunchberry (Lantana camara)
Laurel, bay laurel, sweet bay (Laurus nobilis)
Lily of the palace, naked lady, amaryllis (Hippeastrum spp)
Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)
Lobelia, cardinal flower, blue lobelia (Lobelia spp)
Lords-and-ladies, cuckoo pint, Adam and Eve (Arum maculatum)
Lupin, lupine, bluebonnet (Lupinus spp)
Male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas)
Marigold, African marigold, French marigold, bog marigold, Aztec marigold (Tagetes spp)
Marsh marigold, kingcup (Caltha palustris)
May apple, mandrake (Podophyllum spp)
May lily (Maianthemum bifolium)
Meadow saffron, autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale)
Mescal bean, mountain laurel, frijolito, Eve’s necklace (Sophora spp)
Mezereon, spurge olive (Daphne spp)
Milkweed, butterfly weed (Asclepias spp)
Mock azalea, rusty-leaf (Menziesia ferruginea)
Mountain laurel, dwarf laurel (Kalmia spp)
Netted vriesea (Vriesea fenestralis)
Nettle, stinging nettle, noseburn (Urtica spp, Cnidoscolus spp, Tragia spp)
Night-blooming jessamine, Chinese inkberry (Cestrum nocturnum)
Old man’s beard, traveler’s joy, virgin’s bower (Clematis spp)
Oregon grape, trailing mahonia (Mahonia spp)
Ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum)
Oyster plant, boat lily, Moses in a boat (Rhoeo spathacea)
Pencil tree, milkbush, Indian tree, rubber euphorbia, finger tree, naked lady (Euphorbia tirucalli)
Persian violet, alpine violet, sowbread (Cyclamen spp)
Peyote, mescal, mescal buttons (Lophophora williamsii)
Philodendron, sweetheart plant, panda plant, parlor ivy (Philodendron spp)
Physic nut, Berlander nettlespurge (Jatropha spp)
Pineapple, pineapple tree (Ananas comosus)
Pink quill (Tillandsia cyanea)
Plumbago, Cape plumbago, Cape leadwort, Ceylon leadwort (Plumbago spp)
Poinsettia, Christmas star (Euphorbia pulcherrima) very low toxicity
Pokeweed, pokeberry, pokesalad (Phytolacca americana)
Primrose, German primrose, poison primrose (Primula spp)
Privet, wax-leaf ligustrum (Ligustrum spp)
Red bryony, white bryony (Bryonia spp)
Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp)
Rhubarb, garden rhubarb, pie plant, water plant, wine plant (Rheum rhabarbarum)
Rosary pea, prayer bean, jequirity, precatory bean (Abrus precatorius)
Rowan, mountain ash, service tree, whitebeam (Sorbus spp)
Sago palm, leatherleaf palm, Japanese fern palm (Cycas revoluta, Cycas spp)
Sandbox tree, monkey pistol (Hura crepitans)
Schefflera, umbrella tree, rubber tree, starleaf (Schefflera spp)
Sensitive plant, shame plant, touch-me-not, action plant, humble plant (Mimosa pudica)
Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), yellow skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanum)
Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum spp)
Sorrel, wood sorrel (Oxalis spp)
Spider lily, crown-beauty, sea daffodil, basket flower, alligator lily (Hymenocallis spp)
Spurge, creeping spurge, donkey tail (Euphorbia myrsinites)
Star of Bethlehem, summer snowflake, dove’s dung, nap-at-noon (Ornithogalum spp)
Taro, dasheen cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta)
Tobacco, tree tobacco (Nicotiana spp)
Tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
Tuberous begonia (Begonia tuberhybrida)
Water hemlock, cowbane (Cicuta spp)
Water lettuce, shellflower (Pistia stratiotes)
Wax begonia (Begonia sempervirens-cultorum)
Weeping fig, Java willow, Benjamin tree, small-leaved rubber plant (Ficus benjamina)
White cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
White mustard, charlock (Sinapis spp)
White snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum)
Wild calla, wild arum (Calla palustris)
Wild radish (Raphanus rhaphinistrum)
Wild rosemary (Ledum palustre)
Wisteria, Chinese kidney bean (Wisteria sinensis)
Wormwood, sagewort, sagebrush (Artemisia spp)
Yellow allamanda, Nani Ali’i, flor de barbero (Allamanda cathartica)
Yellow oleander (Thevetia peruviana)
Yesterday today and tomorrow (Brunfelsia spp)
Zephyr lily, rain lily, fairy lily, fire lily (Zephyranthes spp)
Central or Peripheral Nervous System
Pinpoint Pupils
Black laurel, mountain laurel (Leucothoe davisiae)
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
Herb-Paris (Paris quadrifolia)
Mountain laurel, dwarf laurel (Kalmia spp)
Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum)
Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp)
Dilated Pupils
Angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia spp)
Bittersweet, woody nightshade, wild nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum)
Candelabra cactus, false cactus, mottled spurge, dragon bones (Euphorbia lactea)
Christmas rose, black hellebore (Helleborus spp)
Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna)
English ivy, Irish ivy, common ivy (Hedera helix)
Euphorbium (Euphorbia resinifera)
Jerusalem cherry, Christmas cherry, winter cherry, Natal cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum)
Jimsonweed, thorn-apple, moonflower (Datura stramonium)
Milkweed, butterfly weed (Asclepias spp)
Morning glory, bindweed, pearly gates (Ipomoea spp)
Pencil tree, milkbush, Indian tree, rubber euphorbia, finger tree, naked lady (Euphorbia tirucalli)
Peyote, mescal, mescal button (Lophophora williamsii)
Sandbox tree, monkey pistol (Hura crepitans)
Schefflera, umbrella tree, rubber tree, starleaf (Schefflera spp)
Tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
Hyperexcitability, Muscle Twitches
Black laurel, mountain laurel (Leucothoe davisiae)
Day-blooming jessamine (Cestrum diurnum)
Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna)
Golden chain tree (Laburnum anagyroides)
Golden corydalis, bulbous corydalis, scrambled eggs, fitweed, fumitory (Corydalis spp)
Horse chestnut, buckeye (Aesculus spp)
Jimsonweed, thorn-apple, moonflower (Datura stramonium)
Mezereon, spurge olive (Daphne mezereum)
Mock azalea, rusty-leaf (Menziesia ferruginea)
Mountain laurel, dwarf laurel (Kalmia spp)
Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp)
Wild rosemary (Ledum palustre)
Delirium, Hallucination, Behavioral Changes
Angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia spp)
Christmas rose, black hellebore (Helleborus spp)
Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna)
Golden chain tree (Laburnum anagyroides)
Jimsonweed, thorn-apple, moonflower (Datura stramonium)
Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus rocus)
Male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas)
Mescal bean, mountain laurel, frijolito, Eve’s necklace (Sophora spp)
Morning glory, bindweed, pearly gates (Ipomoea spp)
Trembling, Ataxia, Weakness, Depression
Ageratum, floss-flower (Ageratum spp)
Bittersweet, woody nightshade, wild nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum)
Bleeding heart, Dutchman’s breeches, squirrel corn, staggerweed (Dicentra spp)
Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)
Box, common box, boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
Chinaberry tree (Melia azederach)
Coral bean, coral tree (Erythrina spp)
Daffodil, trumpet narcissus, jonquil (Narcissus spp)
Easter lily, star-gazer lily, tiger lily (Lilium spp)
Foxglove, common foxglove, long purples, dead men’s fingers (Digitalis purpurea)
Gloriosa lily, glory lily, climbing lily (Gloriosa superba)
Golden corydalis, bulbous corydalis, scrambled eggs, fitweed, fumitory (Corydalis spp)
Horse chestnut, buckeye (Aesculus spp)
Hound’s-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale)
Jerusalem cherry, Christmas cherry, winter cherry, Natal cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum)
Lantana, shrub verbena, yellow sage, bunchberry (Lantana camara)
Lobelia, cardinal flower, blue lobelia (Lobelia spp)
Lupin, lupine, bluebonnet (Lupinus spp)
Mescal bean, mountain laurel, frijolito, Eve’s necklace (Sophora spp)
Mezereon, spurge olive (Daphne mezereum)
Milkweed, butterfly weed (Asclepias spp)
Mimosa, silk tree (Albizia julibrissin)
Mountain laurel, dwarf laurel (Kalmia spp)
Nettle, stinging nettle, noseburn (Urtica spp, Cnidoscolus spp, Tragia spp)
Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum)
Red bryony, white bryony (Bryonia spp)
Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp)
Sago palm, leatherleaf palm, Japanese fern palm (Cycas revoluta, Cycas spp)
Schefflera, umbrella tree, rubber tree, starleaf (Schefflera spp)
Tobacco, tree tobacco (Nicotiana spp)
Water hemlock, cowbane (Cicuta spp)
White snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum)
Wild rosemary (Ledum palustre)
Yesterday today and tomorrow (Brunfelsia calycina)
Zephyr lily, rain lily, fairy lily, fire lily (Zephyranthes spp)
Paralysis
Angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia spp)
Black laurel, mountain laurel (Leucothoe davisiae)
Blood lily, powderpuff lily (Haemanthus multiflorus)
Coral bean, coral tree (Erythrina spp)
Coyotilla, tullidora (Karwinskia humboldtiana)
Day-blooming jessamine (Cestrum diurnum)
False hellebore, black hellebore (Veratrum spp)
Lily of the palace, naked lady, amaryllis (Hippeastrum spp)
Meadow saffron, autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale)
Mountain laurel, dwarf laurel (Kalmia spp)
Persian violet, alpine violet, sowbread (Cyclamen spp)
Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp)
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