Is Nasturtium safe for cats and dogs?
| Species | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Cats | Safe |
| Dogs | Safe |
Severity: Mild
Nasturtium is one of the few plants in this packet that Californians plant on purpose because it's food, not just decoration. UC Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program in San Luis Obispo County describes it as an easy annual across USDA zones 2-11 - meaning it grows in nearly every California climate, from foggy coastal yards to hot inland valleys - available as a compact bush form suited to pots or a sprawling vine form that can stretch up to 20 feet along a fence or trellis. Master Gardeners specifically recommend planting it as a companion crop: nasturtium draws aphids and cabbage white butterflies away from nearby vegetables, which is why it so often turns up tucked into a tomato or squash bed rather than kept in a separate flower border.
ASPCA lists nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, stating flatly that its toxic principle is 'Non-toxic' and adding that there are 'No records of toxic ingestion from this plant.' That tracks with its long history as a human food crop - the leaves, flowers, and seeds are all edible and peppery, sold at farmers markets and tucked into salads across the state. For a pet owner planting a vegetable garden with dogs or cats around, nasturtium is about as low-risk a companion flower as this corpus has on file.
Facts and examples
- UC Cooperative Extension's SLO Master Gardener program describes nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus/Tropaeolum minor) as an easy annual across USDA zones 2-11, in bush or sprawling vine (up to 20') forms, and recommends it as a companion plant that draws aphids and cabbage white butterflies away from vegetables. (source, verified 2026-07-30)
- ASPCA lists nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, toxic principle 'Non-toxic', with the note 'No records of toxic ingestion from this plant.' (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