Is Begonia safe for cats and dogs?
| Species | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Cats | Caution |
| Dogs | Caution |
Severity: Mild
Begonia is Capitola's flower in the literal civic sense: the Capitola Begonia Festival's own history calls it "Capitola's official flower," and the tradition began as thrift rather than pageantry. When neighbours realised that the blossoms Brown Bulb Ranch gathered would go to waste while the bulbs themselves were being prepped for market, they turned the surplus flowers into parade floats. The city's own account of the festival dates its first water show, with a begonia-trimmed boat parade, to 1950.
That matters for a pet owner only because it explains the density: on California's Central Coast begonias are not an occasional houseplant but a regional crop and a civic emblem, which means tubers in the ground, pots on patios, and cut blossoms in the house. ASPCA lists begonia as toxic to dogs and cats, names soluble calcium oxalates as the toxic principle, gives vomiting and salivation as the documented signs, and states the most toxic part is underground - which is the part a digging dog is most likely to reach.
Facts and examples
- The Capitola Begonia Festival's own history states that when neighbours discovered the begonia blossoms gathered by Brown Bulb Ranch would go to waste while the bulbs were being prepared for market, they transformed them into floats, and it refers to begonia as "Capitola's official flower". (source, verified 2026-07-30)
- The City of Capitola's own festival-origin page dates the first water show, which featured a begonia-trimmed boat parade, to 1950. (source, verified 2026-07-30)
- ASPCA lists begonia as toxic to dogs and cats, toxic principle soluble calcium oxalates, with vomiting and salivation as documented signs, and notes the most toxic part of the plant is underground. (source, verified 2026-07-30)
Verdict re-verified against aspca.org, 2026-07-30 — confirmed unchanged. Source
This page is for general information only and is not veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If your pet is showing symptoms, or you think they ate or touched something dangerous, contact your veterinarian or a pet poison-control hotline immediately.
Last verified 2026-07-30