Is Jimson Weed / Datura safe for cats and dogs?

Cats: Toxic · Dogs: Toxic · Severity: Severe. Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) is not a plant most Californians buy - it is one they encounter as a weed. UC Integrated Pest Management documents it growing throughout most of California up to about 4,900 feet elevation, absent mainly from the deserts, the Klamath ranges, and the higher Sierra Nevada and Cascades, and lists its habitat as 'fields, pastures, agronomic and vegetable crop lands, orchards, vineyards, ditchbanks, livestock enclosures, roadsides and other open or unmanaged disturbed places.' UC IPM also describes it as a fast-growing, aggressive competitor for water, which is part of why it turns up uninvited at the edge of farms, dog parks, and undeveloped lots across the state rather than staying confined to a garden bed.

Species	Verdict
Cats	Toxic
Dogs	Toxic

Severity: Severe

If your pet may have gotten into this: call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 right away. Both lines operate 24/7 (a consultation fee may apply).

Read the full first-aid guide: what to do if your pet ate something toxic

Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) is not a plant most Californians buy - it is one they encounter as a weed. UC Integrated Pest Management documents it growing throughout most of California up to about 4,900 feet elevation, absent mainly from the deserts, the Klamath ranges, and the higher Sierra Nevada and Cascades, and lists its habitat as 'fields, pastures, agronomic and vegetable crop lands, orchards, vineyards, ditchbanks, livestock enclosures, roadsides and other open or unmanaged disturbed places.' UC IPM also describes it as a fast-growing, aggressive competitor for water, which is part of why it turns up uninvited at the edge of farms, dog parks, and undeveloped lots across the state rather than staying confined to a garden bed.

Pet Poison Helpline states that all parts of the plant contain alkaloids that act like atropine, with gastrointestinal upset, dilated pupils, elevated heart rate, skin flushing, decreased gut motility (constipation), and neurologic abnormalities among the documented effects; UC IPM adds that the unpleasant odor released when leaves are bruised is a useful identification clue. Because the toxic dose can act quickly and the neurologic effects can be severe, any suspected ingestion - especially of the seed pods, which carry the highest concentration - is an emergency: call ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435) or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661) right away.

Facts and examples

UC IPM documents jimsonweed growing throughout most of California to about 4,900 feet, absent mainly from deserts, Klamath ranges, and higher Sierra Nevada/Cascades, in fields, pastures, crop lands, orchards, vineyards, ditchbanks, livestock enclosures, and roadsides. (source, verified 2026-07-29)
Pet Poison Helpline states all parts of jimsonweed contain atropine-like alkaloids causing GI upset, dilated pupils, elevated heart rate, skin flushing, constipation, and neurologic abnormalities. (source, verified 2026-07-29)

Verdict re-verified against petpoisonhelpline.com, 2026-07-29 — 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 2026-07-29

Sources

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