Herbs and Plants for Your Iguana:

A Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant Listing

compiled by Mollie Frey

last revised April 1997

[Note: Mollie Frey has compiled a listing of herbs, flowering plants and garden plants that may or may not be toxic to your iguanas if given to them to eat. Non-toxic does not mean good to eat, it just means it shouldn't cause serious harm if ingested. Something that is not toxic in small amounts however, may be toxic if given in large amounts, so always be careful, and use care and moderation when preparing your iguana's food!

HERBS

After researching herbs suitable for iguana consumption, I have come to the conclusion that few herbs are worth chancing, with the exception of common culinary herbs such as basil, oregano, mint, etc. The petals of Calendula are acceptable as well as dandelion petals and greens. Other common herb flowers which are edible are: English Lavender, Oregano, Rosemary, Viola, Sweet Cicely. Others should probably just be avoided. The following list is comprised of toxic plants, ones you may want to avoid growing altogether if you like to let your GGI's roam the yard.

Avoid:

• Pennyroyal
• Mandrake
• Hemlock
• Cowbane
• Mistletoe
• Juniper berry
• Vinca Major
• Vinca Minor
• Euonymus
• Artimesias
• Belladonna
• Nightshade
• Wolfbane
• Horse Chestnut
• Calamus
• Heliotrope
• Sanguinaria
• Tobacco (all types, ornamental & agricultural)
• Rue
• Tansy
• Pokeweed

FLOWERS & OTHER GARDEN PLANTS

Safe to eat:

• Nasturtium petals and flowers
• Carnation petals
• Pansy petals
• Hibiscus
• Rose petals.

Turf: Grass is non-toxic, but chemicals are. Some weeds found in turf areas are toxic, like bindweed.

The following is a list of especially toxic and/or deadly garden plants, ones you may want to avoid growing altogether if you like to let your GGI's roam the yard. Please note that all flowering bulbs are toxic, especially Lilly of the Valley, Jack in the Pulpit, Aconites, crocus, daffodils & tulips. Irises and lilies are also toxic.

Avoid:

• Azaleas & Rhodies
• Black Locust
• Bleeding Heart
• Boxwood
• Bracken ferns
• Buttercups
• Caladium
• Chokecherry
• Clematis
• Daphne
• Datura (Angels Trumpet) related to Jimson Weed
• Delphinium
• Elderberry
• Foxglove (Digitalis)
• Holly berries
• Jessamine Lantana
• Larkspur
• Lobelia
• Lupines
• Monkshood
• Morning Glory (Common name Bindweed)
• Nicotiana (Flowering Tobacco)
• Painted Daisies (Pyrethrum)
• Poppies
• Rhubarb Leaves
• Spurge
• Wisteria
• Yew

HOUSEPLANTS

Common houseplants that are non-toxic

• African Violet
• Amaryllis (use caution-not determined)
• Asparagus Fern
• Aspidistra
• Bamboo
• Boston Fern
• Bougainvilla (has sharp spines)
• Bromeliads
• Burro's Tail
• Christmas/Thanksgiving/Easter Cactus
• Coleus
• Dracena
• Echeverias
• Ficus
• Benjamina
• Grape Leaf
• Ivy
• Hen & Chicks
• Hibiscus
• Jade
• Jasmine
• Kalanchoes - ( not determined, use caution)
• Norfolk Island Pine Palms
• Peperomia
• Piggy Back Plant
• Polka dot plant
• Rubber Tree
• Spider Plant
• Tradescantia (Wandering Jew)
• Wax Plant (Hoya)
• Zebra Plant

Common Houseplants which are toxic

• Aloe
• Alstromerias
• Anthurium
• Begonia
• Caladium
• Clivia
• Cyclamen
• Dendrobium
• Dieffenbachia
• Elephant Ears
• Eucalyptus
• Euonymus
• Euphorbias (Includes poinsettias)
• Oleander
• Passionflower
• Philodendron
• Pothos
• Prayer Plant
• Sansaveria Shamrock (Oxalis)
• Star of Bethlehem

References

The Honest Herbal by Varro E. Tyler, PhD

Nichols Garden Nursery, Herbs & Rare Seeds 1997

Baby-Safe Houseplants & Cut Flowers

John & Delores Alber Algy's Herb Page, World Wide Web

Nova Scotia Museums List of Toxic Plants, World Wide Web

Cornell University Toxic Plants Page, World Wide Web

University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service