Is Morning Glory safe for cats and dogs?
| Species | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Cats | Toxic |
| Dogs | Toxic |
Severity: Moderate
Read the full first-aid guide: what to do if your pet ate something toxic
Morning glory is both a cottage-garden vine and, in its wild tall morningglory form (Ipomoea purpurea), a documented California agricultural weed. UC Integrated Pest Management notes it is established in the state's Central Valley, Sierra Nevada foothills, and the central-western and southwest regions, where it twines up crop plants in agronomic and vegetable fields, orchards, vineyards, and landscaped areas, and is enough of a nuisance in cotton fields that growers are told to destroy it at the seedling stage before it climbs. That agricultural-weed status means the same seeds sold on a garden seed rack can also be growing wild along a Central Valley field edge.
ASPCA lists morning glory as toxic to cats and dogs, with indole alkaloids - including lysergic acid, lysergamide, elymoclavine, and chanoclavine - as the toxic principle. The seeds carry the highest concentration: vomiting is the documented sign from ordinary exposure, and UC IPM separately notes the alkaloids act as neurotoxins in humans and animals, with hallucinations possible after eating large amounts of seed. A pet that has gotten into a stash of morning glory seeds and is vomiting or acting disoriented should be checked by a veterinarian; ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435) or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661) can advise on next steps.
Facts and examples
- UC IPM documents tall morningglory (Ipomoea purpurea) established in California's Central Valley, Sierra Nevada foothills, and central-western/southwest regions, infesting agronomic and vegetable crop fields, orchards, vineyards, and landscaped areas, and flags it as a particular problem in cotton fields. (source, verified 2026-07-29)
- ASPCA lists morning glory as toxic to cats and dogs via indole alkaloids (lysergic acid, lysergamide, elymoclavine, chanoclavine), with vomiting documented and hallucination risk from large seed ingestion. (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