Is Hoya Carnosa (Wax Plant) safe for cats and dogs?

Also sold as: Hindu Rope Plant, Porcelain Flower. Retail labels vary, so check the botanical name (Hoya carnosa) if you are matching a plant you already own.

What the ASPCA lists for Hoya Carnosa (Wax Plant)

The ASPCA records Hoya Carnosa (Wax Plant) (Hoya carnosa, family Asclepiadaceae) as Non-Toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats. Read the ASPCA entry.

The entry records the toxic principle in plain words as Non-toxic and lists no clinical signs. It clears dogs and cats and states no verdict for horses, so this page claims nothing about horses.

The ASPCA has no page for plain Hoya carnosa. What it carries is the cultivar: the entry titled Wax Plant is filed as Hoya carnosa 'krinkle kurl', the curled-leaf form sold as the Hindu rope plant, and it is the same species as the ordinary flat-leaved hoya on this page. That is the entry cited here, and the sourcing is at cultivar level within the correct species rather than at species level. Only two hoyas appear in the database at all, this one and Hoya kerrii, and both come back non-toxic.

Do not confuse Hoya Carnosa (Wax Plant) with Variegated Wax Plant

If you search the database for wax plant you get two hits, and only one is a hoya. The entry titled Variegated Wax Plant is filed as Echeveria sp., a rosette succulent with no relation to hoya beyond the waxy feel of the leaf. Both happen to be non-toxic, so nobody gets hurt by the mix-up here, but it is a useful warning about the method: a common name in this database points at a plant family no more reliably than a nickname points at a person. The ASPCA lists Variegated Wax Plant (Echeveria sp.) as Non-Toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats. Read the ASPCA entry for Variegated Wax Plant. If you are unsure which one you have, treat it as the toxic plant until you can confirm, and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 if your pet has eaten any of it.

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.

More on pet safety

Read the full care guide for Hoya Carnosa (Wax Plant), 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.