Is Jade Plant safe for cats and dogs?

Also sold as: Baby Jade, Dwarf rubber plant, Jade tree, Chinese rubber plant, Japanese rubber plant. Retail labels vary, so check the botanical name (Crassula ovata) if you are matching a plant you already own.

What the ASPCA lists for Jade Plant

The ASPCA records Jade Plant (Crassula ovata, family Crassulaceae) as Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses. Toxic principle: Unknown. Clinical signs listed: Vomiting, depression, incoordination. Read the ASPCA entry.

The ASPCA records the toxic principle for jade as Unknown, which is unusual and worth saying plainly: they list the plant as toxic to dogs, cats and horses without naming the compound responsible. The signs they do list matter more than the missing mechanism. Incoordination is a whole-body effect rather than a sore mouth, and depression here means lethargy and dullness rather than sadness. A cat that is wobbly or unusually flat after chewing a jade leaf is showing a recorded sign, which is a reason to call the vet rather than wait it out.

The ASPCA files this entry under Crassula argentea, an older name for the plant sold today as Crassula ovata. They are the same plant, so the mismatch between this page and theirs is a naming lag rather than a different species. A separate entry does exist for a genuinely different succulent, Crassula arborescens, which they carry under Chinese Jade, Silver Jade Plant and Silver Dollar. Note too that three of the common names on this entry call the plant a rubber plant, which it is not.

Do not confuse Jade Plant with Weeping Fig

Jade is sold under Dwarf rubber plant, Chinese rubber plant and Japanese rubber plant, all names the ASPCA itself records against it, while the true rubber plant is a fig in the genus Ficus. Both are toxic, so the confusion does not turn a safe plant into a dangerous one. What changes is the mechanism: the fig entry names ficin and ficusin in the sap, where the jade entry records the principle as Unknown and lists incoordination among the signs. Treat them as two different problems that happen to share a shelf label. The ASPCA lists Weeping Fig (Ficus sp.) as Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses, toxic principle Proteolytic enzyme (ficin), psoralen (ficusin). Read the ASPCA entry for Weeping Fig. 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.

Safer alternatives

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

• Hoya Kerrii (Sweetheart), see the care guide.
• Cast Iron Plant, see the care guide.
• Parlor Palm, see the care guide.

More on pet safety

Read the full care guide for Jade 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.