Hoya Plant Toxicity

The hoya plant is native to China and easy to find at most gardening centers. It is a popular choice for a house plant as it is easy to care for and produces blooms annually. Hoya plants can be propagated easily from seeds or cuttings, which allows homeowners to have multiple potted hoya plants from a single purchased plant.

  1. Description

    • The hoya plant is more commonly known as a wax plant. The hoya has thick, smooth leaves that grow along a vine from the base of the plant. The hoya plant produces star-shaped blooms in the spring. The blooms of the hoya plant grow in round bunches and will last most of the summer.

    Toxicity

    • The toxicity of houseplants should always be a concern of pet owners—especially cat owners, as cats like to chew on the leaves of plants more frequently. Hoya plants do not contain any toxins that would adversely affect cats or dogs. Hoya plants are listed with the ASPCA as being safe to grow around cats and dogs with no known toxins.

    Vegetation

    • Although Hoya plants are not toxic to cats or dogs, they could still make an animal sick. The digestive systems of cats and dogs are unable to break down the leaf of the hoya plant, so eating a large amount of the leaves could cause the cat or dog to throw up.

    Plant Food

    • When adding plant food to a hoya plant, consider the ingredients. While hoya plants are not toxic, a dog or cat could have an adverse effect if they consume the plant food. If the ingredients of the plant food present a danger to the pets, move the plant to a location that is out of reach of the pets until the plant food has been absorbed.

    Caution

    • Use caution when selecting other succulents or wax plants for use as house plants. Hoya plants are not toxic, but other succulents may be toxic. It is important to always research the properties of house plants before introducing them into a household with pets.