Are Succulents Toxic For Cats
Yes, there are succulents that are poisonous to cats. However not every succulent is poisonous to cats. Fortunately, most of the succulents are not harmful and are non-toxic for cats to touch or eat.
So if you are a cat owner and you are willing to bring a succulent to your home its important for you to know if a succulent is harmful to your cat or not.
Where Should I Put My Chain Of Hearts
Ive put mine in many different places, and as long as theres some light, theyre fine. But. These things tangle. I dont like mine to be tangled, because I tend to anthropomorphise plants, and I hate having knotty hair.
The problem is if you get your COH caught on another plant, you can break it.
This isnt a huge issue, since theyre super easy to propagate, but if youre after a super long, cascading plant, youre gonna want to keep it away from other plants.
Succulent Plants Toxic To Cats Dogs Or Pets
Categories , Pets
Are succulents toxic to pets? Hopefully your pets are not chewing on your plants or digging them up for fun, causing damage. But if they do, should you be worried about toxicity or poisoning? Luckily, most succulents are considered non-toxic and are harmless to pets when ingested.
Others contain skin irritants that can cause minor skin irritations, and some can cause mild symptoms when ingested. But there are a few succulents that can be fatal when ingested in large quantities.
Below are 9 succulents that can be harmful to pets:
Aloe Vera
Toxicity: to dogs, cats, horses
Aloe is a large and popular genus consisting of small dwarf species and large tree-like species growing up to 30 feet . They have thick, fleshy, green to bluish-grey-green leaves. Some varieties have whites flecks on the stem surfaces.
Although aloe vera is known for its many medicinal and beneficial properties to humans, it is toxic to both cats and dogs when ingested. Saponin, a chemical in aloe, is the main toxin which can cause serious problems in your pets system.
Clinical symptoms of poisoning: abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, skin irritation, lethargy, tremors.
Euphorbia Milii
Toxicity: to dogs, humans
Native to Madagascar, these succulents have highly adapted to growing indoors. They can grow upto 1-2 feet tall and are valued for the flowers they produce which are usually red, pink or white in color. These plants are covered in sharp thorns about ½ inch long.
Kalanchoes
How To Propagate Ceropegia Woodii
Propagating the String of Hearts is easy and almost always successful. There are two easy ways to propagate this little tropical plant. Small tubers grow along the vine that look like peas or beads. You can propagate the String of Hearts by planting these small beads, or by taking cuttings.
The best way to propagate the String of Hearts from tubers is to plant the tubers while they are still attached to the mother plant. For example, set your pot with your String of Hearts into a shallow tray of succulent soil mix. Arrange the vines so that the tubers lay on the soil in the tray.
Gently mist the soil so that it is damp, but not wet. Once the tubers take root and begin to grow new leaves, you can cut them from the mother plant by cutting the vine in between.
Repot them into their own pot. If this isnt an option for you, you can stick the tubers or beads into the soil of the pot the plant is already in, or if necessary, you can cut off the tubers and replant them separately. Keep in mind, youll probably have better results if you allow the tubers to stay attached to the mother plant for a while after being planted.
It is also easy to propagate the String of Hearts from cuttings. Cut off several vines and poke the cut ends into their own pot of soil. Dampen the soil to encourage rooting, but make sure it isnt too wet.
How To Care For The String Of Hearts Recap
Medium to Bright Light Good light is preferred. Some filtered sun for an hour or two a day would be well received.
Moderate Watering Water well and then don’t water again until the potting mix has dried out almost completely.
Temperature Warm rooms are needed as they don’t like the cold. Between 15°C – 25°C .
Feeding Once or twice a year at most using a liquid fertiliser.
- Keep these plants away from pets and high traffic areas as they can easily be caught and damaged.
- Make sure you allow the soil to dry out as they can rot if overwatered
- “Normal” potting soil should be avoided. They grow best in light open mixes.
String Of Pearls Toxicity
In humans, string of pearls is rated as toxicity classes 2 and 4 by the University of California, Davis. Class 2 means minor toxicity; ingestion of string of pearls may cause minor illness like vomiting or diarrhea. Class 4 means dermatitis; contact with the plant’s juice or sap may cause skin irritation or rash. If your child ingests string of pearls, call the Poison Control Center or your child’s pediatrician immediately. In pets, including cats and dogs, possible symptoms of ingestion of the string of pearls plant may be: drooling, diarrhea, vomiting or lethargy. Some may suffer irritation to the skin or mouth due to contact. Contact your veterinarian immediately if you believe your pet has ingested this plant.
Is String Of Nickels Toxic To Cats Dogs
If you are searching for a String of Nickels Toxic to Cats or other pets then before that let me tell you Dischidia nummularia is popular and unique house plant that is very easy to care and if you have a dog or cat you may be curious to know what will happen if you by mistakenly eat a bite of those coin shaped leaves? Below I will answer this question.
String of Nickels Toxic to cats is still a mystery whether it has any affect on pets or if it is poisonous. There is no study to back up its toxicity and that is why we do not claim anything, until theres a study on a government based website or a research institute does it.
String of nickels is a genus of Apocynaceae family means I should find some good resource so it was said that species of this family have some sort of toxicity in some plants like cascabela, nerium, thevetia but I could find any named regarding our plant so it still unknown to whether its toxic or not.
Engeser, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Prevention from your side:
If you have a pet it may be a cat or a dog then you should be careful and make sure it can be used as a hanging plant in a floating basket in the balcony because neither dog nor cat reaches there. Cats can jump but with extra attention you can control the cat. By the way you should train your dog or cat not to jump anywhere or just dont open doors for cats or dogs where your string of nickels are placed.
If anyone has an ingested pet , Call Pet Care immediately for help.
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How To Know If Your String Of Hearts Is Under Or Overwatered
When overwatering happens, the leaves of your String of Hearts will most likely start to shed or turn yellow, brown, or black, and at the same time, will feel soft and mushy.
Once you see these signs, hold off with your watering right away and allow the soil to dry out completely. Also, since overwatering also means the soil might have already become poor in quality, it’s better to replace it with a fresh, new one that’s well-drained and porous enough to prevent root rot.
Underwatered String of Hearts, on the other hand, will show you symptoms of leaves curling up and may begin to look thinner as theres no water left from its storage. Now when this happens, immediately give the plant a good drench of water, and move it in a shaded spot. Doing this should allow your String of Hearts to recover in 2 or 3 more cycles of watering.
To get detailed information about this, check out ourunderwatered vs overwatered succulents.
Tradescantia Pallida Medicinal Uses
Purple heart plant is a valuable plant that has specific medicinal properties in addition to its charming beauty.
Here are some
- Taiwanese studies report it to improve blood circulation.
- It is also reported that purple heart plant has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.
- In China, Tradescantia Pallida is called Shui Gui Cao that is considered beneficial for treating kidney
- Tea is also made in China with Wandering Jew that is helpful for stomach ailments.
- This plant is also reported beneficial for hypertension and high blood pressure.
Ways You Can Keep Your Pets Away From Your Plants
The String Of Pearls Plant Is Considered Toxic To Both Cats And Dogs And Humans But Like Just Dont Eat Your House Plants You Goof
Symptoms of String of Pearls ingestion include: Vomiting, hypersalivation , diarrhea, depression, lack of grooming, increased aggression, lethargy and weakness, excessive sleeping and/or hiding.
In humans, ingestion can cause vomiting and diarrhea, and skin contact with the sap may cause irritation or rash
Its important to remember that any plant may cause vomiting and gastrointestinal upset in cats and dogs, and those with large leaves can be a choking hazard. If you believe that your pet is ill or may have ingested a poisonous substance contact either your local veterinarian or the APCC 24-hour emergency poison hotline at1-888-426-4435
How To Make String Of Hearts Fuller
One trick to make your String of Hearts look fuller and bushier is through pruning. Though this process isn’t really necessary unless the stems of this succulent have become leggy and the leaves have started to lose their bright color.
Pruning can make your String of Hearts fuller and bushier
Pruning String of Hearts is simple. All you need to do is to cut 1 or more vines from the mother plant using a clean, sharp knife or a pair of scissors. Make sure to cut it right under one of the nodes along with the stem, allowing it to grow roots in water first before putting the cuttings back in the soil for an instant fuller String of Hearts.
String Of Hearts Benefits
- VersatileGrow them as long trailing plants, or wrap them around and around as a compact plant in a pot.
- They grow super fastA small cluster will grow and fill a pot rapidly if treated well.
- Very easy to create moreStraightforward and simple to propagate more.
- Unusual, interesting and fashionableDifferent to the usual houseplants you normally see around, perfect if you want to grow something extra special
They can be a little on the pricey side, but this is partly because their current popularity attracts a premium. That said, once you have one, they’re super easy to propagate so you can create more plants with ease. If you have a friend or family member with one perhaps see if you can pinch some propagating material so you can start your own for free.
Either way, these are very desirable indoor plants and because there is so much going for them, they’re worth every penny!
The Variegated String of Hearts has the same care requirements but is harder to find
The varieties and cultivars of Ceropegia Woodii as a houseplant is very limited. In fact, you’re only likely to come across either the standard variety or the variegated type. To make things more complicated the two look remarkably similar at first glance because the standard is also slightly variegated, so can be hard to tell apart.
TIP – There are only two cultivars currently available. The “standard” and “variegated”. Don’t be fooled by anyone claiming they have something different.
What Kind Of Light Do Chain Of Hearts Need
In my experience, they do well in medium light. A lot of people wrongly think COH is a succulent, and think they need a lot of bright light.
Thats not been my experience at all.
I keep mine about six feet back from a west-facing window, and its thriving.
Ok, having done some research, most people say they need bright, indirect light to grow properly, and they get really leggy in medium light.
I dont think mines particularly leggy. It certainly grows pretty quickly. It looks cool and is growing well, and thats all I care about.
Does String Of Hearts Grow Fast
Under the right conditions, yes, string of hearts can grow fast. Remember, because they are semi-succulent, youll really need to pay attention to their light and watering. If you get these two factors right then your string of hearts should be pretty happy and grow well. As an indoor plant, they typically grow to be one foot to a couple of feet long.
Propagation By Stem Cuttings
This is more like using tubers above only that youre goingwith stems in this case. So a well-draining potting mix and shelter from directsunlight still hold.
into sizeable portions and stick them into your potting mix. Supply the buried cuttings with water every once a week as you wait for your babies to come out.
Another preferred way of using stems for propagation is using water instead of soil. Follow the same procedure of obtaining your cuttings and place them in a vase containing water. Wait for a few days for the cuttings to root before moving them to a potting mix.
Check out 7 Mini Garden Hand Tools For Your Succulents for our full listing of garden tools youll need when propagating and repotting your plants.
Set The Plant In Soil
Now is the final stage of placing your purple plant in the soil. You have to dig a hole, larger than that of the root ball of the plant.
Just rake the roots with your hand so that dense roots will be more available.
Now, put the plant in soil and fill space around the root ball with fingers. Gently tap the soil hands or use the flat side of the trowel to firmly even the soil.
Make sure that the soil around the root ball is even.
Water the plant at the time so that new plant can grow to its best.
Are Poinsettias Poisonous To Cats Not Terribly But Many Other Things Are
Although this list is fairly comprehensive, its impossible to list every organic material that might be poisonous to your pet. There are many, many plants toxic to dogs, cats or horses. When in doubt, consult with your local nursery or expert gardener, or do your own research online.
The Michelson Found Animals Foundations mission of saving pets and enriching lives is made possible by the generous contributions of Dr. Gary Michelson and Alya Michelson.
Is String Of Hearts A Succulent
String of Heartssucculentheart
woodii, also known as Ceropegia woodii, is a trailing, succulent vine that grows up to 4 inches tall. The stems can grow up to 13.1 feet long. Its leaves are grey-patterned, heart-shaped, up to 0.8 inches long and about the same in width. Under insufficient lighting, the leaves are pale green.
Likewise, do string of hearts grow fast? When planting String Of Hearts, don’t sink those tubers too far down. They’re aerial tubers which need to grow closer to the surface of the soil. This plant grows fast. Also, it’s a plant which prefers being slightly tight in its pot so don’t rush to repot it.
In this manner, how often should I water my heart strings?
As I said, this plant isn’t technically a succulent but you want to treat it like 1. I was watering mine every other day here in the desert in those hot summer months but now it’s October & I’ve backed off to every 3-5 days. Give it too much water& kiss it goodbye!
Is Chain of Hearts poisonous?
Although it was pretty difficult to find information about the toxicity of this plant, most sources seem to indicate it should be harmless. Do keep in mind that those long, stringy stems are probably irresistible to cats!
Manage The Best Space
First thing you need to consider before growing purple heart plant is its place.
As purple plant can grow in partial shade, but it keeps the best color in the sun. So, select its place wisely for its full brilliance.
Even if you want to grow indoors, give it a place facing the sun.
The second thing you have to keep in mind is that maintain a reasonable distance between newly planting purple queen and other plants in the periphery.
There will be more competition between crowdedly grown plants that will lead to fewer blooms.
As it is groundcover and reaches up to 1 foot, so try to keep a distance of approximately 2 feet.
String Of Pearls Information
String of pearls is an evergreen succulent with bright green pearl-shaped leaves on tough, string-like stems. It is often used as an ornamental houseplant, or as an outdoor plant in areas with winter temperatures over 45 degrees Fahrenheit. It can grow from 2 to 3 feet in length ; the stems hang down laden with leaves cascading over its container or creeping along the ground. Clusters of small, white trumpet-shaped flowers bloom in spring. String of pearls needs cool sun to partial shade, is frost sensitive and only needs watering about once a month, allowing soil to dry completely in between waterings. It grows best outdoors in U. S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 9.
Common String Of Hearts Problems
- Wrinkled leaves: The String of Hearts doesn’t like to be waterlogged, but that doesn’t mean you should abandon watering it altogether. Dry, shrivelled leaves are usually a sign of underwatering. However, if watering isn’t the issue, it could also be suffering from too much full sun. Additionally, a pot-bound String of Hearts might start to droop and lose its leaves.
How To Propagate Chain Of Hearts
In my experience, Chain of hearts is really easy to propagate. Just snip of a length of about 3cm, and remove the bottom set of leaves, then put the root end back in the soil with the mother plant. They do have nodes, but I like to remove a couple of leaves just to be sure.
You can propagate them in water, but they root so readily in soil I personally dont bother.
The hardest thing about propagating Chain of Hearts is remembering which end to put in the soil only the cut end will root.
Theyre so quick to propagate, theyre sometimes a bit of a problem in the wild.
String Of Hearts Care
Though not a true succulent, Ceropegia woodii is able to store quite a bit of water in its stem and wonderfully patterned leaves. Its naturally found in the southern parts of Africa and is fully adapted to grow on hillsides and other vertical habitats.
This gives us a few good string of hearts care indications. Most importantly, its a good idea to treat the species somewhat like a succulent.
This means its preferable to use a well-draining soil mix, let the soil dry out at least partly before watering again and provide direct sun if possible.
Are Succulents Poisonous To Cats And Dogs
Reviewed for accuracy on May 17, 2019, by Dr. Katie Grzyb, DVM
Succulent plants are more popular than ever because they are easy to care for and work well as houseplants.
Marked by their thick, fleshy leaves, succulents are native to desert environments but adapt easily to a variety of conditions.
These hardy plants can thrive both indoors and outdoors, making them a favorite among both experienced gardeners and budding green thumbs.
While succulents can be great, low-maintenance houseplants for humans, they are not always a great option if you have furry family members.
If ingested, some varieties of this trendy plant could harm cats and dogs.
Most succulents are nontoxic to our pets, but we can definitely see that some are poisonous, says Dr. Elizabeth Muirhead, a veterinarian based in the Virginia Beach area.
If you want to bring succulents into your home or garden, first take a look at this list of safe and poisonous succulents for dogs and cats.
Is String Of Hearts Plant Poisonous
Ceropegia woodii is on the California Poison Control System non-toxic list for people, and the plant does not appear on the ASPCAs toxic list for cats or dogs. Therefore, this plant is generally regarded as safe.
However, allergic reactions could still be a possibility in sensitive individuals and the little tubers could pose a choking hazard for small children. Also, just because a plant is generally regarded as safe, , does not mean that it wont cause vomiting and upset stomach.
What Else Can You Do
A lot of amazing plants contain toxins. In some cases you may be better off to completely avoid them. If you do decide to have some toxic plants in the house there are a few things you can do to help your pets do the right thing!
– Keep your pets occupied. Bored pets may chew leaves even if it hurts their mouth.
– Walk your pets enough!
How Much Sun Does String Of Hearts Need
Bright, indirect light is best for the string of hearts plant. Direct light will burn the leaves.
Check out my guide to natural light for indoor plants for help with determining what kind of light you have in your home. I also wrote a post all about grow lights for plants for those of us who live in low-light homes .
Our Story With The String Of Hearts
Our entire website is about houseplants and helping to educate people in caring for them. Part of this involves keeping an eye out for “new” plants that are becoming trendy. Along with Pilea Peperomioides, Instagram and houseplant influencers pointed out quite insistently that the String of Hearts was crash landing in our homes and needed to be looked at.
In the early days, it was hard to find these plants in stores and the ones that were available were priced $60+ / £45+ which for the size was truly eye watering. Eventually, once they became more widespread prices dropped and I brought mine.
Getting it home was tricky as the stems kept twisting together, then came almost an hour of trying to untangle the unruly mess . Eventually, everything was good and I was left with a lovely cascading waterfall of stems .
I had a very narrow space at the top of a cupboard in the kitchen that had been empty for years. It was a difficult space, but the String of Hearts slotted in perfectly and has lived there as a “mother” plant for over a year now. During that time it’s grown a crazy amount and every time the stems reach the countertop, I prune them back and propagate new plants.
Everything with this houseplant is easy. Care and maintenance are a breeze and all the while it’s incredibly rewarding to have around.
The dainty String of Hearts can trail and grow in places where other houseplants won’t fit
About the Author
Tom Knight