# Are ANY plants harmful to frogs?



## Groundhog

I don't know if this should be in beginners or here, but here goes. Seems we often get beginners with questions such as, "Is this plant toxic (or harmful) to frogs?" Well I don't know about you guys, but I simply cannot think of any exotics that are! Consider: Mosses, selaginellas, ferns, acanths, begonias, ficus, gesneriads, melastomes, peperomias, aroids, bromeliads, orchids--I cannot think of a plant in the posse that could harm a frog. The compounds in dieffenbachia or philodendron or croton do not bother amphibians! (And for the umpteeth time, amphibians are not bothered by bromeliad spines...)

Now, this is not quite the same for herbivorous reptiles. While people may shy away from aroids or euphorbs, for reptiles these usually just irritate oral tissues. On the other hand, if a bearded dragon eats hedera (or firefiles), you will never get it to the hospital in time. The only group of plants I avoid are spiny terrestrial cacti, just to be on the safe side--but these are not relevant to PDF set ups. (Also, many of these need more intense light than can usually be provided in a semi-desert lizard tank).

So maybe we need an "Unsafe for herps" list? 

This, of course, if different from saying all plants are appropriate for growing in tanks. Some will not thrive, and others thrive too well--hence, harming other plants. Still, I have never heard of a frog being poisoned by a dieffenbachia, or suffocating in an overgrown _Ficus pumila_... 

Seriously, am I missing something here?


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## Groundhog

Okay, maybe the Neem tree...


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## frogparty

I would not use Senecio, Euphorbia, or any other plant with toxic irritating sap with any herp.


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## Gypsy

How do you guys feel about the ornamental Cabbage? I have Whites Tree Frogs and Red Eye Tree Frogs, and soon adding Starry night Reed Frogs.


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## kimcmich

Greetings,

"Ornamental cabbage" usually refers to kale - which is, I assume, not what you are proposing for viv use. Can you add a picture or use a scientific name of the plant you mean?


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