Is Chinese evergreen safe for dogs and cats?
Ask your vet about your own pet. This page is general information from the sources below.
ASPCA reports Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum): listed as toxic to dogs and toxic to cats. Chewing can cause mouth irritation with pain and swelling of the mouth, tongue and lips, heavy drooling, vomiting and trouble swallowing. The ASPCA lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. It is in the same family as pothos and peace lily.
Checked October 29, 2026.
Also called: aglaonema. Aglaonema modestum.
What in it is the problem
Insoluble calcium oxalates.
What it can do
Chewing can cause mouth irritation with pain and swelling of the mouth, tongue and lips, heavy drooling, vomiting and trouble swallowing.
Good to know
The ASPCA lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. It is in the same family as pothos and peace lily.
Did your pet chew it?
Call your vet or a pet poison line, and say what plant, how much and when. If you aren't sure which plant it was, take a photo of it.
Poison emergency? Call now
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435, 24 hours a day, every day. A consultation fee may apply.
Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661, 24/7. $99 per incident, follow-up calls included.
Or call your vet or the nearest emergency vet.
For the children
"Some plants can make pets sick, and lilies are very dangerous for cats. Ask a grown-up before you bring a plant or flowers inside."
A job: Be the plant checker. Help a grown-up look up each plant in the house on this site, and write the ones to keep away on a list.
This page is general information from the sources below, not veterinary advice. Common names are shared by different plants, so check the Latin name.
Sources
- ASPCA: Chinese Evergreen (checked October 29, 2026)