Is Larkspur (Delphinium) safe for cats and dogs?

Cats: Toxic · Dogs: Toxic · Severity: Severe. Larkspur is not only a cut-flower-garden plant in California - it is a true California wildflower family. The California Native Plant Society counts 58 native larkspur (Delphinium) taxa in the state, 20 of them found nowhere else, and its Yerba Buena chapter documents California larkspur (Delphinium californicum) growing wild from Santa Barbara and Monterey north through Bay Area counties including Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, San Francisco, Marin, and Sonoma, in chaparral from sea level to 3,000 feet.

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

Larkspur is not only a cut-flower-garden plant in California - it is a true California wildflower family. The California Native Plant Society counts 58 native larkspur (Delphinium) taxa in the state, 20 of them found nowhere else, and its Yerba Buena chapter documents California larkspur (Delphinium californicum) growing wild from Santa Barbara and Monterey north through Bay Area counties including Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, San Francisco, Marin, and Sonoma, in chaparral from sea level to 3,000 feet. Los Padres ForestWatch separately counts nearly 30 larkspur species across California, with about half found within Los Padres National Forest alone - meaning a dog off-leash on a Central Coast trail is realistically as likely to encounter wild larkspur as the cultivated Delphinium sold at a nursery.

Both the wild and garden forms carry the same danger. ASPCA lists larkspur/Delphinium as toxic to cats and dogs, with diterpene alkaloids causing neuromuscular paralysis - documented signs include constipation, colic, excess salivation, muscle tremors, stiffness, weakness, an inability to rise, convulsions, and heart failure. CNPS specifically names delphinine as one of the toxic alkaloids responsible. Because the alkaloids act on both the heart and the nervous system, any pet showing tremors or weakness after time in larkspur habitat needs emergency veterinary care - call ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435) or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661) immediately.

Facts and examples

California Native Plant Society counts 58 native larkspur (Delphinium) taxa in California, 20 endemic; its Yerba Buena chapter documents California larkspur growing in Bay Area counties (Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, and others) in chaparral from sea level to 3,000 feet, and names delphinine as one of the toxic alkaloids. (source, verified 2026-07-29)
Los Padres ForestWatch counts nearly 30 larkspur species across California, about half of them found within Los Padres National Forest, and states all parts of larkspur are highly toxic to humans and livestock. (source, verified 2026-07-29)
ASPCA lists larkspur as toxic to cats and dogs via diterpene alkaloids causing neuromuscular paralysis; documented signs include tremors, weakness, convulsions, and heart failure. (source, verified 2026-07-29)

Verdict re-verified against aspca.org, 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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