Is Alocasia safe for cats and dogs?

Also sold as: Elephant's Ear. Retail labels vary, so check the botanical name (Alocasia) if you are matching a plant you already own.

What the ASPCA lists for Alocasia

The ASPCA records Alocasia (Alocasia, family Araceae) as Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses. Toxic principle: Insoluble calcium oxalates. Clinical signs listed: Oral irritation, pain and swelling of mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting (not horses), difficulty swallowing. Read the ASPCA entry.

Insoluble calcium oxalates are needle-shaped crystals, and they cause pain on contact rather than after digestion, so the mouth is where the trouble stays and most pets stop after a single bite. Vomiting is marked not horses on this entry, meaning horses show the mouth signs without it.

This is one of the ASPCA's genus-level entries: it is filed as Alocasia spp. rather than a single species, so it covers the whole genus and applies to whichever alocasia you own. That is unusually convenient, since this genus is sold under a long list of cultivar names. The common name on the entry, Elephant's Ear, is less helpful: the ASPCA also attaches it to Caladium hortulanum and Colocasia esculenta, which are different genera in the same family. All three are aroids carrying the same toxic principle, so the shared name does not change the answer, but it does mean the name alone never tells you which plant you have.

What this verdict does and does not mean

Being non-toxic does not mean a plant is chew-proof: even pet-safe houseplants can upset a cat's or dog's stomach if they eat a large amount, simply because it is plant matter. Most toxic houseplants cause irritant-level symptoms, such as drooling, mouth soreness, or a mild upset stomach, rather than a medical emergency. A small number of plants are a genuine emergency, most notably true lilies (Lilium and Hemerocallis species) for cats, which can cause fatal kidney failure from even a small amount of pollen or a nibbled leaf. If you are ever in doubt, or your pet has eaten part of a plant, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435.

Safer alternatives

Looking for something with a similar look and habit that is pet-safe instead?

• Cast Iron Plant, see the care guide.
• Pilea (Chinese Money Plant), see the care guide.
• Money Tree, see the care guide.

More on pet safety

Read the full care guide for Alocasia, browse the pet safety checker for other plants, or identify a plant from a photo first if you are not sure what you have. Verdicts here follow the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.