If you have a pet or small child, you know that their curiosity can sometimes get them into trouble. Whether it’s a cat that can’t stop knocking cups off countertops to see what happens or a kid who eats potting soil, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. If all your plants are safe and nontoxic, then this might just be frustrating or mildly upsetting.
Not all plants are safe, though, and some can be quite harmful! If you know which ones are dangerous, you can avoid them or keep them somewhere safe, but if you aren’t sure, then that uncertainty can lead to anxiety and panic. So, are pothos toxic, and if so, how dangerous is it? To help you keep yourself and your loved ones safe, we have the answers.
Are pothos plants toxic?
The short answer is yes, but let’s talk about why and to whom. Pothos plants may be beautiful, but they are toxic to adults, children, and even pets. While they aren’t typically deadly, pothos plants have an insoluble calcium oxalate crystal within their leaves and stems. These crystals are like shards of glass that will literally rip, tear, and shred the skin. This includes places like the hands, paws, face, mouth, throat, and even the digestive system. There have been a few cases, though very rare, where the irritation even causes swelling in the upper part of the airway. This can make it hard to breathe and is cause for a hospital visit.
These reactions don’t happen from simply touching the leaves or performing regular care routines, such as watering or dusting the leaves. Responses like this typically occur if a child or pet eats a plant or if you’re pruning or repotting the plant and some plant material is rubbed into your skin.
To avoid any panic or unnecessary pain, stay on the safe side and wear gloves when cutting into or working with a pothos plant. You’ll also want to protect your two-legged and four-legged family members by keeping the plant out of reach.
What are the signs that your pet or child has eaten pothos?
If you’re worried that your pet or child may have chewed on some pothos without you realizing it, there are some symptoms to look out for. The main symptom is irritation of the mouth and throat. This irritation can lead to lots of drooling and difficulty swallowing. In severe cases, swelling in the throat and tongue can make it difficult to breathe, and these cases should be treated as an emergency. Irritation in the stomach is also possible if your child or pet ate pothos, causing vomiting, diarrhea, and a loss of appetite. Since they’ll be feeling unwell, lethargy is also a common symptom.
These unpleasant symptoms can last up to two weeks on their own, so it’s important to see a medical professional as soon as possible to alleviate the symptoms. The quicker they can receive treatment, the quicker your loved one can get back to feeling 100%.
How to grow them safely
You’ve already taken the first step in ensuring your family is safe from toxic plants. Educating yourself on the poisonous plants in your home and what makes them harmful will allow you to understand what precautions you need to take. For example, you’re much more likely to take action if you see a kid pulling at a pothos plant if you already know it’s toxic. If you didn’t know, you might shrug and let them explore the world without knowing they could be causing themselves harm.
The most obvious way to keep these toxic plants out of the way is to grow them in locations where children or pets can not reach them. This could be on a high bookshelf or on top of a dresser. You could also place all your toxic plants in a room where the kids and pets cannot go. For example, if the office is a no-kid or no-pet zone and the door stays shut when no one is in there, it’s likely an excellent place to grow your gorgeous golden pothos plant. That way, you don’t have to worry about your family’s safety, but you can still enjoy your plant babies.
Lastly, if the cats just won’t leave the pothos plant alone, even on the top of the refrigerator, it might be time to consider a new option.
Alternatives to keep everyone safe
Although it’s a last resort, finding an alternative plant that isn’t toxic might be the best way to keep your family safe. If you can’t control the kids from messing with it, and if the cat can climb anywhere you put it, maybe consider other plants that look similar but won’t cause irritation to curious hands or paws.
Some of our favorite pothos alternatives are pinstripe calathea, prayer plant, inch plant, and peperomias. While calatheas and prayer plants can be more challanging to maintain and keep happy than a hardy pothos plant, we’ll bet you sleep better at night knowing nothing will happen if your dog eats a mouth full of calathea leaves.
Is pothos safe for other pets?
Pothos isn’t safe for cats and dogs, but those aren’t the only pets you might have. So, are pothos toxic to birds, lizards, snakes, and horses? While pothos can cause irritation to the mouths of any of these animals, they don’t all need the same level of concern. Snakes, for example, rarely chew on the plants in their enclosures, so while pothos can still technically irritate their mouths, it isn’t something you typically need to worry about. You don’t need to be as worried about lizards, either. While some lizards will eat plants, pothos typically don’t cause major problems for them unless they eat a lot of it.
Horses and other farm animals can experience irritation and discomfort from eating pothos plants, although because pothos are primarily houseplants, it’s unlikely that they’ll cross paths. Birds can also experience discomfort and irritation after eating pothos plants. While most birds do not regularly eat leaves, they may still peck at or shred the pothos and come into contact with the calcium oxalate. They are unlikely to eat enough to cause serious issues, but it is still a good idea to keep your pothos somewhere your bird isn’t allowed to limit its exposure and protect your pothos from damage.
So, while it might seem like you have to get rid of your favorite plant variety, you’ll at least be able to relax knowing that there isn’t any plant within your home that could cause harm to your favorite beings on the planet. It can be hard to let a plant go or even just put it in a place that doesn’t showcase its beauty as well, but it’s worth it in the end to protect the ones we love.
