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Plants That are Safe for Birds

My bird likes to eat my houseplants. Should I be worried?

Many birds naturally eat plants as part of their diet. Birds will chew on and possibly consume plants in play and curiosity. Birds left unsupervised out of their cages may easily encounter plants kept around the house and in the garden. Owners should be aware of which plants are safe for birds. There are very few scientific studies about plant toxicity and pet birds. Some plants will just make a bird sick, while others can kill them (see handout “Plants That Are Toxic to Birds”). Some of the scientific information pertaining to other pet species and humans must be extrapolated in reference to pet birds.

Which plants are safe?

The following indoor and outdoor plants have been reported as having no adverse effects on animals. Please also reference the handout “Plants That Are Toxic to Birds”. Remember that any plant eaten in excess may be harmful, or at minimum, may cause gastrointestinal upset. If you are concerned about the safety of specific plants not listed here, consult Pet Poison Helpline (www.petpoisonhelpline.com) or your avian veterinarian for more information.

There are hundreds of different pet bird species, and each has its own tolerance for certain plants, so the guide below is only a starting point for discussion with your avian veterinarian. The plants listed here may not be proven or guaranteed safe for your bird.

Abelia

Acacia

Achira

Acorn squash

African daisy

African violet

Alfalfa

Algaroba

Aluminum plant

Alumroot

American rubber

Anthericum comosum

Antirrhinum multiflorum

Arabian gentian

Aralia

Arbutus

Areca, Butterfly cane

Aregelia

Artillery plant

Ash

Aspen

Aspidastra

Aspidium falcatum

Aubepine

Autumn olive

Baby's tears

Bachelors buttons

Ball fern

Bamboo

Bamboo palm

Bamboo vine

Banana

Banana squash

Barberry

Beech

Begonia species

Belmore sentry palm

Big shellbark hickory

Birch

Bird's nest fern

Bitter pecan

Bitternut

Black haw

Black hawthorn

Blaspheme vine

Blood leaf

Blooming Sally

Blue bead

Blue daisy

Blue echeveria

Bluebottle

Blue-dicks

Blue-eyed daisy

Blunt leaf peperomia

Blushing bromeliad

Bold sword fern

Boston fern

Bottle palm

Bottlebrush

Bougainvillea

Brazilian orchid

Bride's bonnet

Bristly greenbrier

Brodiaea pulchella

Bromeliads

Bronze

Broom hickory

Bullbrier

Bur gourd

Burro's tail

Buttercup squash

Butterfly cane

Butterfly ginger

Butterfly iris

Butterfly squash

Caeroba

Calamint

Calathea insignis

Calendula (Pot marigold)

California holly

California pitcher plant

Callistemon citrinus

Callistemon radyandrus

Callistemon viminalis

Calochortus nuttalli

Calthea lancifolia

Camellia

Canada hemlock

Canary date palm

Candle plant

Candycorn plant

Cantebury-bell

Cape jasmine

Cape primrose

Carob

Carob tree

Caroba

Carobinha

Carolina hemlock

Carrion flower

Carrot fern

Carrot flower

Casaba melon

Cast Iron plant

Cat brier

Cat ear

Cattleya labiata

Celosia globosa

Celosia plumosa

Celosia spicata

Chamaedorean

Chamonile

Chaparral

Chenille plant

Chestnut

Chicken-gizzard

Chickens and hens

Chickweed

Chicory

China aster

China root

Chinese plumbago

Chin-lao-shu

Chlorophytum

Chlorophytum bechetii

Chocolate soldier

Christmas dagger

Christmas orchid

Christmas orchid

Christmas palm

Cinnamon

Cinquefoil

Cirrhopetalum

Cissus kangaroo vines

Claw Cactus

Clearweed

Cliff brake

Cocks comb

Cocktail orchid

Coleus

Collinia elegans

Color-band

Columnar

Comfry

Common camellia

Common catbrier

Common garden canna

Common greenbrier

Common snapdragon

Common staghorn fern

Confederate jasmine

Coolwort

Copper rose

Copperlead

Coral bells

Coralardisia

Coralberry

Cornflower

Cottonwood

Crab apple

Crape myrtle

Crataegus phaenopyrum

Crataegus spp.

Creeping charlie

Creeping gloxinia

Dahlia

Dainty

Dainty rabbits-foot fern

Dallas fern

Dancing doll orchid

Dandelion

Date

Davallia

Davallia bullata mariessi

Desert trumpet

Dichelostemma

Dichorisandra reginae

Dill

Dinteranthus vanzylii

Dogwood

Donkey tail

Duffy fern

Dwarf date palm

Dwarf feather fern

Dwarf palm

Dwarf Rose-Stripe Star

Dwarf royal palm

Dwarf whitman fern

Earth star

Easter cattleya

Easter daisy

Easter lily cactus

Easter orchid

Echeveria

Edible banana

Elephant foot tree

Elephant-ear begonia

Elkʼs Horn

Elm

Emerald ripple peperomia

English hawthorn

Epidendrum

Episcia spp.

Eugenia

Euopean fan

Fairy fountain

False aralia

Fan tufted palm

Feather fern

Feathered amaranth

Fiery reed orchid

Fig leaf gourd

Figleaf palm

Fingernail plant

Fir

Fire weed

Fish tail fern

Flame African violet

Flame of the woods

Flame violet

Florida butter-fly orchid

Forster sentry palm

Fortunes palm

Freckle face

Friendship plant

Frosty

Garden marigold

Garden snapdragon

Gardenia

Garlic

German violet

Gherkins

Ghost leafless orchid

Ghost plant

Giant aster

Giant holly fern

Giant white inch plant

Gibasis geniculata

Globe thistle

Gloxinia

Gold bloom

Gold dust dracaena

Golden bells

Golden lace orchid

Golden shower orchid

Gold-fish plant

Good luck palm

Grape hyacinth

Grape ivy

Grape vine

Great willow herb

Green ripple peperomia

Greenbrier

Hagbrier

Hardy baby tears

Hardy gloxinia

Haworthia

Haws

Haws apple

Hawthorn

Hedgehog gourd

Hellfetter

Hen and chickens fern

Hens and chickens

Hickory

Hindu rope plant

Holligold

Holly fern

Hollyhock

Honey locust

Honey plant

Honeydew melons

Honeysuckle fuchsia

Hookera pulchella

Horse brier

Hoya

Hubbard squash

Hypocyrta spp.

Ice plant

Imbricata sword fern

Indian Hawthorn

Irish moss

Iron cross begonia

Iron tree

Ivy peperomia

Ivy-leaf peperomia

Jackson brier

Jacob's ladder

Jade plant

Japanese aralia

Japanese holly fern

Japanese moss

Japanese pittosporum

Jewel orchid

Joseph's coat

Jungle geranium

Kaempferis

Kahali ginger

Kalanchoe

Kenilworth ivy

Kentia palm

Kenya palm

Kenya violet Kharoub

King and queen fern

King nut

King of the forest

Kuang-yen- pa-hsieh

Lace flower vine

Lace orchid

Ladies ear drops

Lady lou

Lady palm

Lagerstroemia indica

Lance Pleumele

Larch

Large lady palm

Laurel-leaved greenbrier

Leather peperomia

Lemon balm

Leng-fen tu'an

Leopard orchid

Lesser snapdragon

Lilac

Linden

Lipstick plant

Little fantasy peperomia

Little zebra plant

Living rock cactus

Living stones

Locust pods

Lou-lang-t'ou

Luther

Madagascar jasmine

Magnolia bush

Mahonia aquifolium

Maidenhair fern

Malabar gourd

Malaysian dracaema

Manila palm

Manzanita

Mapleleaf begonia

Maranta

Marbled fingernail

Marigold

Maroon

Mary-bud

Measles plant

Melons

Metallic leaf begonia

Metallic peperomia

Mexican firecracker

Mexican rosettes

Mexican snowballs

Minature fish tail

Minature maranta

Minature marble plant

Miniature date palm

Mistletoe cactus

Mockernut hickory

Monkey plant

Mosaic plant

Moses-in-the-cradle

Mosiac vase

Moss agate

Moss campion

Moss fern

Moss phlox

Moss rose

Mossy campion

Mother fern

Mother of pearl

Mother spleenwort

Mother-in-law's tongue

Mountain camellia

Mountain grape

Mulberry bush greenbrier

Mulberry tree

Musa paradisiaca

Muscari armeniacum

Muscari spp.

Muskmelon

Nadina

Narrow leafed pleomele

Nasturtium

Natal plum

Neanthe bella palm

Neanthebella

Nematanthus spp.

Neoregelia

Nephrolepsis

Nerve plant New silver and

Night blooming cereus

Odontoglossum spp.

Old man cactus

Old world orchid

Orange star

Oregon grape

Ossifragi vase

Paddy's wig

Painted lady

Pampus grass

Panamiga

Pansy orchid

Paradise palm

Parlor palm

Parlor plant

Parsley

Parsley fern

Passion flower

Peace begonia

Peacock plant

Pearl plant

Pearly dots

Peperomia

Peperomia hederifolia

Peperomia peltifolia

Peperomia rotundifolia

Peperomia sandersii

Pepper face

Peppermint

Persian violet

Petunia

Pheasant plant

Piggy back plant

Pigmy date palm

Pignut

Pignut hickory

Pilea microphylla

Pilea mucosa

Pink brocade

Pink pearl

Pink polka dot plant

Pink starlite

Pirliteiro

Pitaya

Pittosporum

Plantanus occidentalis

Plantanus orientalis

Platinum peperomia

Platycerium alicicorne

Plumbago larpentiae

Plush plant

Polka dot plant

Polystichum falcatum

Pony tail Palm

Poplar

Porcelain flower

Pot marigold

Prairie snowball

Prayer plant

Prickly bottlebrush

Prostrate coleus

Purple baby tears

Purple passion vine

Purple velvet

Purple waffle plant

Purpleosier willow

Pyracanthus

Queencup

Queen's spiderwort

Queensland arrowroot

Rabbits foot fern

Rainbow orchid

Raphiolepsis

Red African violet

Red berried greenbrier

Red edge peperomia

Red hawthorne

Red veined prayer

Reed palm

Rex begonia

Rhynchophorum

Roosevelt fern

Rose

Royal velvet plant

Russian olive

Saffron spike zebra

Sand verbena

Satin pellionia

Sawbrier

Scabious

Scarlet orchid

Scarlet sage

Schefflera

Sensitive plant

Shagbark hickory

Shan ku'ei-lai

Shellbark hickory

Shiny leaf smilax

Shrimp cactus

Silver bell

Silver berry

Silver heart

Silver nerve plant

Silver pink vine

Silver star

Silver table fern

Silver tree anamiga

Silver-leaf peperomia

Slender deutzia

Small fruited hickory

Smilax tamnoides vas

Spearmint

Spice orchid

Spider ivy

Spider plant

Spotted laurel

Spruce

Squarenut

Squirrels foot fern

Staghorn (Elk's horn)

Star jasmine

Star plant

Star tulip

Star window plant

Strawberry

Striped blushing

Sugar pods

Sulfur flower

Summer hyacinth

Swedish ivy

Sweet William

Sweetheart hoya

Sweetheart peperomia

Sword fern

Tahitian bridal veil

Tailed orchid

Tall feather fern

Tall mahonia

Teasel gourd

Texas sage

Thea japonica

Thimble cactus

Thistle

Ti hu-ling

Ti Plant

Tiger orchid

Toad spotted cactus

Tous-les-mois

Trailing peperomia

Tree cactus

Tree gloxinia

Tropical moss

True cantalope

Tu fu-ling

Tulip poplar

Tulip tree

Turban squash

Umbrella plant

Urbinia agavoides

Usambara violet

Variegated laurel

Variegated oval leaf peperomia

Variegated philodendron leaf

Variegated wandering jew

Variegated wax plant

Velvet plant

Venus fly trap

Verona fern

Verona lace fern

Vining peperomia

Violet

Violet slipper gloxinia

Waffle plant

Walking anthericum

Wandering Jew

Washington hawthorn

Water hickory

Watermelon begonia

Watermelon peperomia

Watermelon pilea

Wax plant

Wax rosette

Weeping bottlebrush

Weeping sergeant hemlock

Weisdornbluten

West Indian gherkin

Western sword

White clover

White edged Swedish ivy

White ginger

White heart hickory

Whitman fern

Wild buckwheat

Wild hyacinth

Wild lantana

Wild sarsaparilla

Wild strawberry

Willow

Willow herb

Windmill palm

Winter cattleya

Withered snapdragon

Woolflower

Yellow bloodleaf

Yellow-flowered gourd

Yerba Linda

Zebra haworthia

Zebra plant

Zinnia spp.

Zucchini squash

 

 

 


Safe Trees for Perches

Almond

Apple

Arbutus

Ash

Beech

Birch

Cactus Wood

Citrus (all)

Crab Apple

Dogwood

Elm

Fir

Grape vines

Guava

Hawthorn

Larch

Magnolia

Madrona

Mansanita

Mulberry

Papaya

Pear

Pine (not with stick sap)

Poplar

Thurlow

Vine Maple

 

 

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