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H1: Flowers That Are Harmful to Pets: What We Know After Nineteen Years and Thousands of Calls
We are called Lily's Florist. And lilies can kill cats. That is a sentence I never expected to write on our own website, but Anna has been saying it to customers on the phone for years and she is right to say it. If there is one thing this blog post does, I want it to be the thing that stops somebody sending a bunch of Oriental lilies into a house with a cat in it.
Most Australian households have at least one pet. The latest industry figures put it above seventy percent, which tracks with what we see on our end, thousands of orders every month landing on doorsteps where a dog or a cat or both are going to investigate whatever just arrived, and if you have ever watched a cat discover a vase of flowers on a kitchen bench you know exactly how that investigation goes. Andrew and I have run this business since 2006 and we have never once had an order form that asks "does the recipient have pets?" We probably should. Anna would say we definitely should.
What follows is everything we know about which flowers are dangerous, which ones are lower risk, and what to actually do when you are ordering for someone who has animals at home. Anna did most of the heavy lifting on the floristry side (she always does). I am just the one typing it up.
Lilies and Cats: The One Combination That Can Be Fatal
True lilies, the Lilium species that include Easter lilies, Tiger lilies, Asiatic lilies, Stargazer lilies, and Oriental hybrids, are lethally toxic to cats. Not mildly. Not "might cause an upset stomach." A cat can die from licking pollen off its own fur after brushing past a single stem.
The toxin has never been fully identified, which is part of what makes it frightening. What vets know is that it destroys the kidneys. There is no antidote. The only treatment is IV fluids administered as early as possible, and the window is narrow. Greencross Vets and the Australian Veterinary Association both classify lily ingestion in cats as a genuine emergency, not a "watch and wait" situation.
Survival rates improve dramatically with early vet intervention, but even with treatment, outcomes are not guaranteed. This is not a flower that makes cats sick. It is a flower that can kill them.
What vets describe happening after exposure
The Animal Emergency Service outlines a progression that is especially dangerous because it includes a deceptive quiet period where the cat appears to recover.
Vomiting, drooling, loss of appetite. The cat may seem off but nothing alarming.
Initial symptoms can subside. This is the false improvement that deceives owners into thinking the cat is fine.
Drinking more water, urinating more, signs of dehydration. The kidney damage is already underway.
Kidneys may shut down completely. Without treatment by this stage, the outcome is often irreversible.
Fatal without intervention.
Every part of the plant is dangerous. The petals, the leaves, the stem, the pollen, and the water in the vase. That last one catches people. The toxin gets into the vase water through the stems. Cats drink from vases the same way they drink from any standing water in the house, and that water can do the same damage as the flower itself.
I asked about cats on every single call when I was handling phones from Pottsville. Not as a script. Because one lily stem in a sixty dollar arrangement can kill a cat, and I was not going to be the person who let that order go through without checking.
Most customers had no idea. They would go quiet for a second, then say something like "oh my god, really?" and then we would talk about what to send instead. Lisianthus was my standard swap. Same visual weight as an Oriental lily, same kind of soft petal shape, and the ASPCA lists it as non toxic. The arrangement looks just as good and nobody ends up at an emergency vet.
I remember one woman ringing in a panic, maybe 2011. Her daughter had sent her a birthday arrangement with Stargazers and she had two Burmese cats. She had already put the flowers on the kitchen table and noticed the cats sniffing at them. We talked through what to do. I told her to get the vase out of the house immediately, wipe down the table, check the cats for pollen on their fur. She was shaken. The daughter who ordered them felt awful, but she just did not know. That is the whole problem. People do not know.
Dogs are mostly fine with lilies. Cats are the species at serious risk. A dog that chews on a lily might vomit or have an upset stomach, but dogs do not develop the kidney damage that makes lilies lethal to cats. If you are sending flowers to a household with only dogs and no cats, lilies are not the primary concern.
Not All "Lilies" Are the Same Plant
This is where most pet safety guides get it wrong, or at least leave people more confused than they started. The word "lily" appears in the common name of half a dozen completely different plant families, and their toxicity profiles are nothing alike. Saying "all lilies are toxic" scares people away from peace lilies and Peruvian lilies that pose almost no risk, while saying "some lilies are fine" without naming which ones is genuinely reckless. Anna breaks it down.
When someone called and asked "are lilies safe for cats?" I learned to ask "which lily?" every time. Because the answer changes everything.
True lilies, the Lilium genus, cause fatal kidney failure in cats. Easter lily, Tiger lily, Asiatic, Oriental, Stargazer. These are the ones that kill.
Peace lilies are a completely different plant. Spathiphyllum, not Lilium. A cat that chews on a peace lily will drool and paw at its mouth because the plant tissue irritates the lining. Painful and unpleasant, but not fatal. Same thing with calla lilies.
Peruvian lilies, Alstroemeria, cause mild stomach upset at worst. They are not true lilies despite the name. They do not cause kidney failure. The ASPCA classifies them as mildly toxic, not dangerous. Florists use them constantly in mixed arrangements and they are a reasonable option for a cat household if you want something with "lily" in the name.
Lily of the valley is a different emergency altogether. Convallaria majalis. It affects the heart, not the kidneys. Dangerous to both cats and dogs. Less common in Australian bouquets but it shows up in some arrangements.
True Lilies (Lilium) & Daylilies (Hemerocallis)
Fatal kidney failure in cats. All parts toxic including pollen and vase water. Emergency vet required immediately.
Lily of the Valley (Convallaria)
Affects the heart, not the kidneys. Dangerous to cats and dogs. A different type of emergency from true lilies but equally serious.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) & Calla Lily (Zantedeschia)
Causes mouth pain, drooling, difficulty swallowing from irritant crystals in the plant tissue. Not pleasant but not fatal. Different plant family entirely.
Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria)
Mild stomach upset in large quantities only. Not a true lily. Does not cause kidney failure. ASPCA lists as mildly toxic.
Other Common Cut Flowers That Are Toxic to Pets
Lilies get the headlines because the consequences are the most severe. But they are not alone. Chrysanthemums appear in a huge proportion of mixed bouquets and they are toxic to cats. Tulips are worst in the bulb but the cut stems are not safe either. Hydrangeas can cause vomiting and lethargy. None of these will typically kill a pet the way true lilies can, but a dog that chews through a bunch of tulip stems or a cat that bats chrysanthemum petals around the kitchen floor and then grooms its paws is going to need a vet call.
Significant toxicity (vet visit recommended)
Tulips
Most concentrated in the bulb. Cut stems are less dangerous than potted tulips but still toxic. Causes vomiting, drooling, diarrhoea in cats and dogs.
Daffodils / Narcissus
The bulb is the most toxic part. Large ingestions can affect the heart. Cut stems carry lower risk than potted plants but still cause vomiting and stomach pain.
Chrysanthemums
Contain natural insecticide compounds. Causes vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling, loss of coordination in cats especially. Extremely common in bouquets, which is what makes this one a practical concern.
Hydrangeas
Causes vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy. Rarely fatal with treatment. Popular in premium arrangements so worth flagging if you are ordering something upmarket for a pet household.
Peonies
Mild to moderate stomach upset. Lower risk than most on this list. Seasonal luxury flower, available May to November in Australia via import.
Irises
The rhizome is the most concentrated part. Vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling. The sap can also irritate skin on contact.
Mild toxicity (monitor at home, vet if symptoms worsen)
Baby's Breath (Gypsophila)
Mild vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy if chewed. One of the most common fillers in the industry. Low practical risk but worth knowing about.
Carnations
ASPCA lists Dianthus as mildly toxic. Can cause mild stomach upset and skin irritation. Some sources say safe, others say mildly toxic. The practical risk is very low.
Poinsettia
Widely believed to be highly toxic. The reality: mild irritant only. Milky sap causes drooling and minor stomach upset. Christmas seasonal plant. The danger is overstated.
The Part Nobody Talks About: Filler and Greenery
Every guide you read about pet safe flowers focuses on the focal blooms. The roses, the lilies, the tulips. But a mixed bouquet is not just the flowers you see in the product photo. Behind the focal stems there is greenery and filler, and some of it is toxic too.
Anna flags this one constantly. A bouquet of perfectly safe roses with asparagus fern and eucalyptus through it is not actually a pet safe bouquet. The fern berries are toxic. The eucalyptus causes stomach problems. She has seen arrangements described as "pet friendly" on competitor sites that contained greenery she would not put near a cat. When a customer asked for pet safe, she had to think about every stem going into the vase. Pittosporum for filler, ruscus for structure, waxflower if you want something native. Those were her go to greens when the order notes mentioned cats.
Asparagus Fern
Very common filler. Toxic to cats and dogs, especially the berries. Causes vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain.
Eucalyptus
Extremely common in Australian arrangements. Mildly toxic, causing stomach upset and excessive drooling in cats and dogs.
English Ivy
Occasionally used in trailing arrangements. Foliage more toxic than berries. Causes vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling.
Monstera / Philodendron
Trendy in modern arrangements. The plant tissue contains irritant crystals that cause mouth pain, swelling, and drooling. Same type of reaction as peace lilies.
Ruscus
Common structural foliage. Generally considered non toxic. Safe for pet households.
Pittosporum
Australian native. Non toxic. Excellent safe alternative filler for pet safe bouquets.
Flowers That Are Safe for Cats and Dogs
The good news is that the list of lower risk options is genuinely good. You are not stuck choosing between three boring options. The ASPCA's plant database lists roses, gerberas, sunflowers, and orchids as non toxic to cats and dogs. Lisianthus, snapdragons, freesia, stock, and statice are also listed as non toxic on that database. We have linked the source so you can check each one yourself. Most Australian natives commonly used in floristry (waxflower, kangaroo paw, bottlebrush, billy buttons) appear to be safe based on available data, though fewer of them have formal ASPCA entries.
Non toxic does not mean harmless in unlimited quantities. Any plant material can cause stomach upset if a dog or cat chews enough of it. But these flowers do not contain the compounds that make the species listed above genuinely dangerous.
Roses
ASPCA: non toxic. Available year round in every colour. The safest default focal flower for pet homes. Thorns are a puncture risk for dogs that chew, so ask the florist to strip them if that is a concern.
Gerbera Daisies
ASPCA: non toxic. Bright, cheerful, but the soft hollow stems are bacteria magnets. Anna says gerberas need cleaner water and more frequent changes than almost any other cut flower. Five to seven days if you stay on top of it.
Sunflowers
ASPCA: non toxic. Strong visual presence. Seven to ten days in the vase. Seasonal peak in summer but some availability year round.
Orchids
ASPCA: non toxic. Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, Cymbidium, Oncidium all listed as safe. A potted orchid avoids the vase water question entirely and lasts months.
Lisianthus
ASPCA: non toxic. Rose like appearance with a ten to fourteen day vase life that outperforms actual roses. This is Anna's standard swap when lilies need to come out of an order. Same visual weight, none of the risk.
Snapdragons
ASPCA: non toxic. Bitter taste may cause temporary drooling if chewed but no toxicity. Excellent height and colour in mixed bouquets. Autumn through spring peak.
Freesia
ASPCA: non toxic. Beautiful fragrance. Five to seven day vase life. Winter and spring peak availability.
Stock (Matthiola)
ASPCA: non toxic. Fragrant, textural, good vase life. Cool season flower in Australia. Works well in mixed arrangements.
Waxflower
Australian native. ASPCA: non toxic. Excellent filler that lasts ten to fourteen days. Resinous stems hold up well. A good replacement for asparagus fern and eucalyptus in pet conscious bouquets.
Australian natives: lower risk and long lasting
Australian natives solve two problems at once for pet owning customers. Kangaroo paw, bottlebrush, grevillea, billy buttons, waxflower, and melaleuca are commonly regarded as lower risk for pets, and the ones that do appear in the ASPCA database are listed as non toxic. Not all of them have formal entries though, so if you want to be thorough, check the specific species with your vet. They also tend to outlast imported flowers by a week or more, which means fewer vase changes, fewer opportunities for a curious cat to investigate a fresh arrangement, and better value for the money spent.
Waxflower is my go to filler when pet safety matters. Structurally versatile, adds scent, and it lasts. When I am building a pet safe arrangement in my head, I start with roses or lisianthus as the focal, waxflower and pittosporum as the green structure, and maybe kangaroo paw or billy buttons for texture. It looks completely different from a standard mixed bouquet and you are not putting anything in the house that the ASPCA flags as a risk.
Natives also dry well. The billy buttons hold their shape, the waxflower fades to a papery texture that still looks good. So the arrangement has a longer total life before it needs replacing, which means less waste and less disruption in a household where the pets are going to notice every new thing on the bench.
We are florists, not veterinarians. The classifications above are based on the ASPCA's toxic and non toxic plant lists and guidance from Australian veterinary sources including Greencross Vets and the Animal Emergency Service. If your pet has specific sensitivities or health conditions, check with your vet before introducing any new plant material into the house.
How to Order Flowers for a Household with Pets
Knowing which flowers are toxic is only half of it. The other half is what you actually do with that knowledge when you are placing an order. Most people ordering online do not choose individual stems. They pick an arrangement from a product photo and trust the florist to build it fresh. In a relay network like ours, where a partner florist in the recipient's area makes the arrangement from local stock, the order notes are where pet safety lives.
Removing lilies from a mixed arrangement is not as simple as pulling them out and leaving a gap. Lilies are focal flowers. Big, dramatic, fragrant. They carry visual weight. The florist needs to replace them with something that fills the same space and holds the same presence. Lisianthus is the standard swap. Disbuds work if you need more structure. Double tulips in season, actually no, tulips are on the toxic list too. See, even florists have to stop and think about it. The point is the replacement has to earn the space, not just occupy it.
I got a call once, would have been late 2012, from a man in Melbourne ordering for his mum's birthday. She had three cats. He did not know lilies were dangerous. He had actually picked an arrangement that was mostly Oriental lilies because his mum loved the scent. We rebuilt the whole order around garden roses and lisianthus instead. He rang back a week later to say his mum loved them and had no idea they were a substitution. That is what a good swap looks like. The recipient does not notice what is missing.
What to include in your order notes
When you order, add a note that says something like: "Recipient has cats, please ensure no true lilies, daffodils, or chrysanthemums. Pet safe flowers and greenery only." Be specific. "Pet safe" on its own means different things to different florists. Naming the flowers to exclude removes ambiguity.
Phone orders are easier for this. Mention pets early in the call and the florist can suggest arrangements that work from the start rather than retrofitting something built around a dangerous stem. We see it in our order queue, the notes that say "NO LILIES" in capitals. Those customers have been burned before, or they have done their research, and they are not leaving it to chance.
Cat household versus dog household matters too. Lilies are catastrophic for cats but largely fine for dogs. Chrysanthemums are worse for cats than dogs. If the house has only dogs, the florist has considerably more to work with.
When the Risk Is Highest: The Seasonal Calendar
The dangerous periods line up with our busiest ordering weeks. Easter, Mother's Day, Christmas. Those are the three windows where lily orders spike, where mixed bouquets go out in volume, and where the person ordering usually has no idea what animals are at the other end. Anna used to say May was the worst month on the phones because Mother's Day orders came from sons and daughters who had not been to their mum's house in weeks and had no idea she had adopted a cat.
Easter (March / April)
The highest risk period. Easter lilies are the traditional flower, widely available and heavily promoted. Autumn in Australia, so arrangements sit in warm houses. Cats are indoors more as evenings cool. The specific flower veterinary organisations warn about most is the Easter lily.
Mother's Day (May)
Mixed bouquets from well meaning family members are one of the most common sources of cat lily exposure. The person ordering often does not know what animals the recipient has. Large volume of surprise deliveries makes this the second highest risk window.
Christmas (December)
Poinsettia risk is widely overstated (mild irritant only). The real concerns are Christmas lilies, amaryllis (Hippeastrum, toxic to dogs and cats), and holly berries. Summer heat accelerates bacterial growth in vase water.
Valentine's Day is actually relatively low risk because roses dominate the orders and roses are safe. The risk creeps in when mixed bouquets include lilies as a secondary focal flower or when chrysanthemums pad out the arrangement.
The Vase Water Problem
Most people think about the petals and the pollen. Almost nobody thinks about what is happening in the water.
People forget about the water. A cat drinks from a vase the same way it drinks from a glass left on the counter. If there were lilies in that vase, the water itself is dangerous. The toxin gets into the water through the stems. It does not take long.
Even with safe flowers, flower food sachets contain chemicals that are not meant to be consumed. They keep bacteria down and feed the stems, but they are not something a pet should be drinking. And standing vase water without flower food is worse in a different way. Bacteria multiply fast, especially in an Australian summer. The water goes cloudy within two days. Pets drink it, they get sick.
The practical answer is placement. Put the vase somewhere the cat cannot reach it, and I say that knowing full well that cats can reach almost everything. A closed room, a high shelf with nothing to jump from, a covered container if you can find one that works. Or a potted orchid, which eliminates the vase water question entirely.
What to Do If Your Pet Eats a Toxic Flower
If it is a lily and you have a cat: this is an emergency
The first thing to do is get the plant, the vase, and the vase water out of the house. Then check your cat for pollen. It settles on fur, paws, and faces, and a cat will groom it off and swallow it without anyone seeing. A damp cloth wiped gently over the coat picks up loose pollen before that happens. The quiet period between early symptoms and kidney damage is what makes lily exposure so deceptive, so do not wait for the cat to look sick. Get to an emergency vet as quickly as you can.
Bring the plant or a photo of it with you. Your vet needs to know which species the cat was exposed to because different lilies cause different types of damage and the treatment changes accordingly.
For other toxic flowers (tulips, daffodils, chrysanthemums, hydrangeas), the situation is less urgent but still warrants a call to your vet or the poison helpline. Most cases involve vomiting and stomach upset that resolves within a day, but complications can develop with large ingestions or in smaller animals.
Animal Poisons Helpline (Australia): 1300 869 738
The helpline is staffed by veterinary professionals. They can advise over the phone whether you need an emergency visit or whether monitoring at home is appropriate.
Pet-Safe Arrangements from Lily's Florist
These arrangements are built from stems listed as non toxic by the ASPCA. Order before 2pm weekdays for same day delivery.
All four are from our Australian natives range. Roses are also a safe choice and start from $42.95 in our roses category. Add a note to any order mentioning pets in the household and the partner florist will aim to use lower risk stems based on what is available on the day.
A Note About Our Name
We get asked about this. We are called Lily's Florist and we just spent three thousand words explaining how dangerous lilies can be to cats.
The name comes from a place, not a flower. Andrew and I bought our first shop in Kingscliff in 2006 and the name was already on the sign. We did not pick it. It was just there, white letters on a green awning on a street we had never been to before that Sunday morning (sort of how we do everything, honestly). Nineteen years later it is still our name. The irony is not lost on us. But we would rather be the florist that tells you the truth about lilies than the one that quietly puts them in every arrangement and hopes nobody has a cat.
Anna says the brand name actually makes the conversation easier. Customers remember "the lily people said don't send lilies to cat owners" more than they would remember generic pet safety advice from a business with a forgettable name. Probably true.
Ordering for someone with pets? Mention it in your order notes. Something like "recipient has cats, no lilies please" gives the florist what they need.
Order Flowers Browse Australian NativesFrequently Asked Questions
True lilies (Lilium species including Easter, Tiger, Asiatic, Stargazer, and Oriental lilies) and daylilies (Hemerocallis) are potentially fatal to cats. Every part of the plant is dangerous, including the pollen and the vase water. Greencross Vets classifies any lily exposure in cats as an emergency requiring immediate veterinary treatment. If a cat has had contact with a true lily, do not wait for symptoms. Get to a vet.
No. Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) and calla lilies (Zantedeschia) are completely different plant families from true lilies. They contain irritant crystals that cause mouth pain, drooling, and difficulty swallowing, which is unpleasant but not fatal. They do not cause the kidney failure that makes true lilies lethal to cats. Peruvian lilies (Alstroemeria) are also not true lilies and only cause mild stomach upset at worst.
The ASPCA lists roses, gerberas, sunflowers, orchids, lisianthus, snapdragons, freesia, and stock as non toxic to cats. Australian natives like waxflower, kangaroo paw, and bottlebrush are also commonly regarded as lower risk. When ordering, mention in your order notes that the recipient has cats and name the flowers to avoid. A good florist will know what to substitute.
Dogs are not at the same risk as cats from true lilies. A dog that chews on a lily may vomit or have stomach upset, but dogs do not develop the kidney failure that makes lilies potentially fatal to cats. Other flowers such as autumn crocus, lily of the valley, and certain bulb flowers (tulips, daffodils) are more of a concern for dogs.
Remove the plant, vase, and vase water from the house immediately. Check the cat for pollen on its fur and wipe it off gently with a damp cloth. Then take the cat to an emergency vet as soon as possible. Do not wait for symptoms to appear. Bring the plant or a photo of it so the vet can identify the species. In Australia, you can also call the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738 for immediate advice.
If the vase contained true lilies, the water itself is dangerous to cats. The toxin gets into the water through the stems. Even with non toxic flowers, vase water can be a problem. Flower food sachets contain chemicals not meant for consumption, and standing water breeds bacteria quickly, especially in warmer months. Keep vases where pets cannot drink from them, or consider potted plants like orchids that avoid the vase water issue entirely.
Yes. Add a note to your order mentioning that the recipient has pets, and name the flowers to avoid (for example, "no lilies, no chrysanthemums"). The partner florist will aim to use lower risk stems based on what is available on the day. Our Australian natives range is a good starting point because most native stems are considered lower risk for pets. Roses are also a safe choice and start from $42.95.
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