Unsafe Plants

Following is a list of indoor and outdoor plants and trees which are hazardous to birds. It has been gathered from various sources and is by no means complete.

  • Alacia
  • Amaryllis – bulbs
  • American Yew
  • Apricot
  • Autumn Crocus/Meadow Saffron
  • Avocado
  • Azalea – leaves
  • Balsam Pear – seeds, outer rind of fruit
  • Baneberry – berries, root
  • Beans – all types if uncooked
  • Birch
  • Bird of Paradise – seeds
  • Bittersweet Nightshade
  • Black Locust – bark, sprouts, foliage
  • Bleeding Heart/Dutchman’s Breeches
  • Bloodroot
  • Blue-green Algae – some forms toxic
  • Boxwood – leaves, stems
  • Bracken Fern
  • Broomcorn Grass
  • Buckthorn – fruit, bark
  • Buttercup – sap, bulbs
  • Caladium – leaves
  • Calla Lily – leaves
  • Candelabra Tree
  • Cardinal Flower
  • Castor Bean – also castor oil, leaves
  • Chalice Vine/Trumpet vine
  • Cherry Tree – bark, twigs, leaves, pits
  • Chinaberry Tree
  • Christmas Candle – sap
  • Clematis/Virginia Bower
  • Coral Plant – seeds
  • Cowslip/Marsh Marigold
  • Croton
  • Crown of Thorns
  • Daffodil – bulbs
  • Daphne – berries
  • Datura – berries
  • Deadly Amanita
  • Death Camas
  • Delphinium
  • Deffenbachia/Dumb Cane – leaves
  • Eggplant – fruit okay
  • Elephants Ear/Taro – leaves, stem
  • Elderberry
  • English Ivy berries, leaves
  • English Yew
  • Euonymus/Spindle Tree
  • False Hellebore
  • Firethorn/Pyracantha
  • Fly Agaric Mushroom – Deadly Amanita
  • Four O’Clock
  • Foxglove – leaves, seeds
  • Ficus (weeping)
  • Golden Chain/Laburnum
  • Ground Cherry
  • Hemlock – also water the plant is in
  • Henbane – seeds
  • Holly – berries
  • Honey Locust
  • Honeysuckle
  • Horse Chestnut/Buckeye – nuts, twigs
  • Horsetail
  • Hyacinth – bulbs
  • Hydrangea – flower bud
  • Indian Licorice Bean
  • Indian Turnip/Jack-in-Pulpit
  • Iris/Blue Flag – bulbs
  • Ivy
  • Jack-in-the-Pulpit
  • Japanese Yew – needles, seeds
  • Jasmine
  • Java Bean – lima bean – uncooked
  • Jimsonweed/Thornapple
  • Jerusalem Cherry – berries
  • Johnson Grass
  • Juniper – needles, stems, berries
  • Kentucky Coffee Tree
  • Lupines/Bluebonnet
  • Mandrake
  • Mango Tree – wood, leaves, rind-fruit safe
  • Lantana – immature berries
  • Larkspur
  • Laurel
  • Lily of the Valley – also water the plant is in
  • Lobelia
  • Locoweed
  • Lords and Ladies/Cuckoopint
  • Marijuana/Hemp – leaves
  • Mayapple – fruit is safe
  • Mescal Beans – seeds
  • Mistletoe – berries
  • Mock Orange – fruit
  • Moonseed
  • Monkshood/Aconite – leaves, root
  • Morning Glory
  • Mountain Laurel
  • Mushrooms – several varieties
  • Narcissus – bulbs
  • Nectarine
  • Nettles
  • Nightshade – all varieties
  • Nutmeg
  • Oak – acorns, foliage
  • Oleander – leaves, branches, nectar
  • Peach
  • Peanuts – raw
  • Pencil Tree
  • Periwinkle
  • Philodendron – leaves and stem
  • Pigweed
  • Pikeweed
  • Pine Needles – berries
  • Plum
  • Pointsetta – leaves, roots, immature
  • Poison Ivy – sap
  • Poison Oak – sap
  • Pokeweed/Inkberry – leaf, root, young berries
  • Potato – eyes, new shoots
  • Pothos
  • Privet
  • Prune
  • Rain Tree
  • Ranunculus/Buttercup
  • Red Maple
  • Rhododendron
  • Rhubarb – leaves
  • Rosary Peas/Indian Licorice – seeds
  • Sandbox Tree
  • Scarlet Runner Beans
  • Skunk Cabbage
  • Snowdrop
  • Snowflake
  • Snow on the Mountain/Ghostweed
  • Sorghum Grass
  • Sorrel
  • Sudan Grass
  • Sweet Pea – seeds, fruit
  • Tansy Ragwort
  • Tobacco – leaves, smoke
  • Vetch
  • Virginia Creeper – sap
  • Water Hemlock
  • Western Yew
  • Wisteria
  • Yam Bean – roots
  • Yellow Jasmine
  • Yew (Amer, Engl, Japan) – needles, thistles