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Anthurium: toxicity, first aid and care
Anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum and others): toxic for cats, toxic for dogs, irritant for small children. The toxic principle, the signs, what to do, and how to grow it.
Cats: ToxicDogs: ToxicChildren: Irritant
Also sold as: Flamingo flower, painter's palette, tailflower.
This is a reference table, not a diagnosis and not veterinary or medical advice. It cannot tell you how much of a plant matters for a particular child or a particular animal — that depends on body weight, on the part eaten and on how long ago. If a person or an animal has eaten part of a plant, phone the poison information centre or a clinician; do not wait for symptoms, and do not make anyone vomit unless you are told to.
What is in it
Toxic principle: Insoluble calcium oxalate raphides — Calcium oxalate needles.
Aroid crystals again, distributed through leaves, stems and the glossy red or pink spathe. The spathe is the part children reach for, because it looks like a plastic flower and feels like one.
What it looks like when it goes wrong
Burning and drooling within moments of a bite, mouth-pawing, refusal of food, sometimes vomiting. Sap on the skin can leave a mild rash in sensitive people.
What to do
Rinse and offer something cold; call a veterinary clinic or the poison centre if drooling persists, swallowing is hard, or the mouth swells. Wash sap off skin with soap and water.
| Country | Poison information centre | Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia | Mürgistusteabekeskus (Health Board) | 16662 | Round the clock; 112 for an emergency |
| Finland | Myrkytystietokeskus (HUS) | 0800 147 111 | Free, round the clock |
| Latvia | Saindēšanās un zāļu informācijas centrs | 67042473 | Round the clock |
| Sweden | Giftinformationscentralen | 010-456 67 00 | Non-urgent advice; 112 in an emergency |
| Norway | Giftinformasjonen | 22 59 13 00 | Round the clock |
| Denmark | Giftlinjen (Bispebjerg Hospital) | 82 12 12 12 | Round the clock |
Anywhere in the European Union, 112 reaches emergency services and can put you through. Lithuania's poison information bureau (Apsinuodijimų kontrolės ir informacijos biuras) publishes its own round-the-clock line; if you do not have it to hand, use 112. For an animal, your own veterinary clinic or its out-of-hours service is the first call — human poison centres do not advise on animals in every country.
How to grow it
| Condition | What it wants |
|---|---|
| Light | Bright indirect light — it needs more than most aroids to flower |
| Water | Moist but never wet; let the surface dry, then water thoroughly |
| Temperature | 18-27 °C with humidity; it is a true tropical |
The commonest disappointment is a plant that never flowers again after the shop-bought spathes fade — the cause is almost always too little light and a pot of exhausted peat. Move it to the brightest spot short of direct sun, feed at quarter strength through the growing season, and repot into a coarse open mix with bark in it, because the roots want air.
What it gets confused with
Those long-lasting red "flowers" are modified leaves; the actual flowers are the tiny bumps on the central spike. That is also why a cut anthurium lasts for weeks in a vase — and why vase water from one is still worth keeping away from a cat.
A plant that is not on the toxic lists
If you are deciding what to keep in a home with a cat, a dog or a small child, this one fills a similar role and is not flagged by the veterinary services.
Others that work the same way
Calcium oxalate needles — these behave alike, and what you would do about them is alike too.
Alocasia
Insoluble calcium oxalate raphides
Dumb cane
Insoluble calcium oxalate raphides plus proteolytic enzymes
Monstera
Insoluble calcium oxalate raphides
Peace lily
Insoluble calcium oxalate raphides
Philodendron
Insoluble calcium oxalate raphides
Pothos
Insoluble calcium oxalate raphides
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control — toxic and non-toxic plants · checked 2026-09-06
Care guidance is standard horticultural practice for a cool-temperate northern climate. Poison-centre numbers are listed on the hub page and are worth confirming against your own country's health service.
Frequently asked questions
Is anthurium toxic to cats?
The veterinary lists rate it "toxic" for cats and "toxic" for dogs. The toxic principle is insoluble calcium oxalate raphides. Aroid crystals again, distributed through leaves, stems and the glossy red or pink spathe. The spathe is the part children reach for, because it looks like a plastic flower and feels like one.
What should I do if my dog eats anthurium?
Rinse and offer something cold; call a veterinary clinic or the poison centre if drooling persists, swallowing is hard, or the mouth swells. Wash sap off skin with soap and water.
Is anthurium dangerous for a small child?
The verdict for a child who chews or swallows part of it is "irritant" — milder than for a cat, which is the household member this plant affects most. In a child the expected problem is a sore mouth and an upset stomach. Phone the poison information centre with the plant to hand; they will tell you whether it needs to be seen.
How do you care for anthurium?
Light: Bright indirect light — it needs more than most aroids to flower. Water: Moist but never wet; let the surface dry, then water thoroughly. Temperature: 18-27 °C with humidity; it is a true tropical. The commonest disappointment is a plant that never flowers again after the shop-bought spathes fade — the cause is almost always too little light and a pot of exhausted peat.
What is anthurium confused with?
Those long-lasting red "flowers" are modified leaves; the actual flowers are the tiny bumps on the central spike. That is also why a cut anthurium lasts for weeks in a vase — and why vase water from one is still worth keeping away from a cat.
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