Safe House Plants for Parrots
- Birds need to chew. Providing acceptable chew-toys of untreated wood, rope, mineral blocks, cuttle bone and cork will distract your bird, deterring him from destroying plants. Alternatives, however, will not guarantee that your bird won't ever sneak a bite of a reachable plant.
- According to Foster and Smith in their article "Bird Safety: Poisonous and Safe Plants for Birds" at PetEducation.com, the degree of damage from sampling a poisonous plant ranges from indigestion, indicated by vomiting and diarrhea, to death, depending on the toxicity of the plant, the amount ingested and the size of your bird. If you suspect your parrot has nibbled a dangerous plant, call the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline for Pets at 888-426-4435 any time, day or night.
- If your parrot chews a safe houseplant, only the plant will suffer. Common nontoxic houseplants include: African violet, aloe, begonia, baby's tears, bird's nest fern, Boston fern, Christmas cactus, coleus, grape ivy, maiden hair fern, spider plant and wandering Jew.
