Poinsettia, Holly, Mistletoe and Amaryllis: Which Holiday Plants Actually Hurt Pets

Every December the same warning circulates about poinsettias, and it is largely wrong. Meanwhile the genuinely dangerous plants come into the house in a wrapped bouquet and nobody mentions them.

Here is the actual ranking, worst first.

The serious ones

1. Lilies, in any festive bouquet. Every part is toxic to cats, including pollen and the vase water, and ingestion can cause fatal kidney failure. Florists put them in mixed arrangements constantly. If you have a cat, refuse them at the door.Cats: life threatening
2. Amaryllis. Sold as a bulb kit and given constantly at Christmas. The bulb is the most toxic part and causes vomiting, drooling, tremors and in quantity worse. Dogs dig up bulbs.Dogs and cats: serious
3. Holly. The spiny leaves and bright berries both cause problems. Berries cause vomiting and diarrhoea, and the leaves can physically injure the mouth and gut.Serious
4. Mistletoe. American mistletoe causes stomach upset. In larger amounts it can affect heart rate and blood pressure. European mistletoe is more toxic than the American kind.Serious in quantity
5. Yew, used in wreaths and garlands. Genuinely dangerous, affecting the heart, and small amounts matter. Worth checking what your wreath is made of.Serious
6. Cyclamen. A common gift plant. The tubers hold the highest concentration and cause vomiting and, in quantity, heart problems.Moderate to serious

Poinsettia, and why the reputation is overblown

Poinsettia is mildly toxic. The milky sap irritates the mouth and stomach, causing drooling, vomiting and occasionally mild skin irritation on contact. It is unpleasant. It is very rarely dangerous, and the taste and irritation usually stop an animal after one mouthful.

The myth traces to a single unverified case from 1919 involving a child, which entered circulation and never left. Poison control centres have spent decades trying to correct it, largely without success.

Which does not mean feed it to your cat. It means that if you catch your dog chewing a poinsettia leaf, you can rinse its mouth, offer water, and watch it, rather than panicking. Whereas if you catch your cat chewing a lily, you call a vet immediately.

Christmas trees and the rest of the decorations

Real trees. The needles of pine, fir and spruce are mildly irritating and can cause stomach upset, and swallowed needles can occasionally cause a blockage. The bigger risk is the tree water, which grows bacteria and often contains preservatives, fertiliser or aspirin. Cover the base so pets cannot drink it.

Tinsel. Not a plant, but worth saying because it is the classic December emergency for cats. A swallowed strand can cause a linear foreign body, which is a serious surgical problem. Many vets simply recommend skipping tinsel in a house with cats.

Snow globes. Some contain ethylene glycol, which is antifreeze. Sweet tasting and lethal in tiny amounts. A broken globe on the floor is a genuine emergency.

Chocolate, raisins, macadamias, xylitol. Not plants in a pot but very much a December problem, and they account for a large share of holiday poison control calls.

Safe things to decorate with

If you want greenery and you have animals, these are listed as non toxic to cats and dogs:

• Christmas cactus. Non toxic, flowers in season, and lives for decades.
• Spider plant, Boston fern, parlour palm, areca palm. All safe.
• Peperomia, calathea, hoya, African violet, phalaenopsis orchid. All safe.
• Rosemary, basil, thyme. Safe, useful, and a small potted rosemary makes a perfectly good miniature tree.

If your pet eats something

Take any remaining plant material out of the mouth and rinse it with water. Do not induce vomiting unless a vet tells you to.

Identify the plant before you call. It is the first question you will be asked, and "something from the Christmas arrangement" narrows nothing. Photograph the plant and the chewed part. If it came in a bouquet, keep the whole bouquet so the species can be checked.

In the US, ASPCA Animal Poison Control is on 888 426 4435 and Pet Poison Helpline on 855 764 7661, both 24 hours, both charge a consultation fee. Call regardless of the fee if lilies, amaryllis bulbs or yew are involved.

Do not wait for symptoms with lilies. Cats show few signs early and the treatment window that matters is the first day.

The practical version

Check every bouquet that comes into the house in December, because that is where the lilies are. Keep amaryllis bulbs off the floor and away from dogs. Cover the tree water. Skip the tinsel.

And if you cannot identify something that arrived as a gift, photograph it and check before it goes on a low table. Identium returns toxicity information for cats and dogs alongside the identification, which is the whole point of knowing what a plant is rather than what its label says.