Non-Toxic and Toxic Woods

The Non-Toxic and Toxic wood list is thanks to Mario D. Vaden: M. D. Vaden – Trees & Landcapes.

Non-Toxic

The following materials are not safe if toxic chemicals or insecticides have been sprayed on them. Before installing them in any cage, scrub all branches with a non-toxic disinfectant, then rinse and dry well (preferably in the sun.)

  • Acacia
  • Apple (Pesticide residue likely)
  • Ailanthus – Tree of Heaven
  • Almond
  • Aralia/Fatsia japonica
  • Ash – Fraxinus
  • Aspen – Populus
  • Bamboo
  • Barberry
  • Birch
  • Beech
  • Bois D’Arc – Horse Apple Tree
  • Bottle Brush
  • Butterfly Bush
  • Camellia
  • Citrus (lime, kumquat, grapefruit, orange, lemon)
  • Cork (not wood from cork oak, but cork
  • Corn Plants
  • Cottonwood – Populus
  • Crabapple – Malus
  • Crape Myrtle (not the same as myrtle
  • Date
  • Dogwood – Comus
  • Douglas Fir – Pseudotsuga
  • Dracaena
  • Elm – Ulmus
  • Escallonia
  • Eucalyptus
  • Fig
  • Fir – genus Abies
  • Ginkgo
  • Grape Vines
  • Grape Palm
  • Guava
  • Hackberry
  • Hawthorn – Crataegus
  • Hibiscus
  • Hickory
  • Ironwood – apparently toxic leaves
  • Jade Plant
  • Kalanchoe
  • Kumquat
  • Larch – Larix
  • Lilac – Syringa
  • Madrona/Madrone – Arbutus
  • Magnolia
  • Maple – Acer
  • Manzanita – Arctostaphylos
  • Mesquite – remove sharp parts
  • Mimosa
  • Mock Orange – Phladelhus
  • Mountain Ash – Sorbus
  • Mulberry – Morus
  • Nandina (Heavenly Bamboo)
  • Nectarine
  • Norfolk Island Pine – Araucaria
  • Nut Trees – excluding chestnut and oak
  • Orange – several sources lean toward safe
  • Oregon Grape – Mahonia
  • Palm
  • Papaya
  • Peach
  • Pecan
  • Pine – Pinus
  • Photinia
  • Plum
  • Poplar – Populus
  • Pussy Willow – Salix
  • Raphiolepsis – Indian Hawthorn
  • Ribbonwood
  • Rose – Rosa
  • Rubber Plant – Ficus elastica
  • Russian Olive
  • Sassafras
  • Silk Tree
  • Spiraea
  • Spruce – Picea
  • Staghorn Sumac – Rhus not Toxicodendron
  • Strawberry Tree – Arbutus like Madrone
  • Sweet Gum – Liquidambar
  • Sycamore
  • Thurlow
  • Tree Fern
  • Viburnum
  • Vine Maple – Acer
  • Weeping Willow – Salix (Goat, Pussy, & Weeping)
  • White Alder
  • Wiewgela
  • Yucca

Toxic

  • Andromeda
  • Apricot
  • Arrowhead Vine
  • Australian Flame Tree
  • Australian Umbrella Tree
  • Avacado
  • Azalea – Related to Rhododendron
  • Baneberry – Actaea
  • Beans (Castor, horse, fava, broad, glory, scarlet runner)
  • Black Locust – Robinia
  • Box Elder
  • Boxwood – Buxus
  • Buckthorn
  • Bracket Fern
  • Burdock
  • Cacao
  • Camel Bush – Trichodesma
  • Canary Bird Bush – Crotalaria
  • Cannabis
  • Castor Bean
  • Cedar – Thuja, Chamaecyparis, Cupressus
  • Chalice – trumpet vine
  • Cherry
  • China Berry Tree
  • Chinese Magnolia
  • Chinese Popcorn (Tallow)
  • Chinese Snake Tree – Laquer Plant (sap contact is bad as well)
  • Common Sage
  • Coriander – Cilantro
  • Datura
  • Daphne (Berries)
  • Datura Stramonium – Brugmansia – Angel’s Trumpet
  • Dieffenbachia
  • Elderberry
  • Euonymus – Includes burning bush and more
  • Euphorbia
  • Felt Plant – Kalancho Baharenis
  • Flame Tree
  • Firethorn – Pyracantha
  • Foxglove
  • Golden Chain Tree – Laburnum
  • Ground Cherry
  • Crown of Thorns
  • Heaths
  • Hemlock
  • Holly
  • Honey Locust
  • Honey Chestnut
  • Huckleberry
  • Hydrangea
  • Jasmine
  • Juniper
  • Kalmia
  • Kentucky Coffee Tree
  • Lantana – red sage
  • Laurel – Prunus
  • Leucothoe
  • Lupine
  • Mango – Fruit Okay, not wood or leaves
  • Mexican Breadfruit
  • Mock Orange
  • Monstera
  • Mountain Laurel
  • Myrtle
  • Nutmeg>
  • Oak
  • Mistletoe
  • Oleander
  • Orange
  • Pear
  • Pencil Tree
  • Pitch Tree
  • Prairie Oak
  • Privet
  • Rain Tree
  • Red Alder
  • Red Maple
  • Red Sage
  • Redwood
  • Rhododendron
  • Rhubarb
  • Sand Box Tree
  • Solanum – Jerusalem cherry or pepino
  • Sophora – Includes Japanese pagoda tree & Mescal
  • Sumac
  • Tobacco
  • Tansy
  • Tomato – Stems, vines, and leaves
  • Umbrella Tree
  • Weeping Fig – Benjamin Fig or Ficus Benjamina
  • White Cedar – China
  • Witch Hazel – Hamamelis
  • Wisteria
  • Yew – Taxus