Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Tuesday - June 16, 2009
From: Independence, MO
Region: Midwest
Topic: Poisonous Plants
Title: Are variegated ginger plants poisonous to cats?
Answered by: Jimmy Mills
QUESTION:
Is a variegated ginger plant poisonous to cats?ANSWER:
Variegated ginger, Alpinia zerumbet is a native of India, and is widely used in the U.S. as an ornamental. None of the sources that I have found list variegated ginger as being toxic for cats.
I'm providing links for several database that you may also check. To search the lists, I recommend using scientific names (e.g. Alpinia zerumbet) since those names are generally standard, whereas the common names often vary in spelling and usage. You can also check the names of your other plants to see if they might be harmful to cats.
Please note that the absence of of a plant name from these lists does not guarantee that it is non-toxic to cats, but not finding it on the lists makes it less likely to be toxic.
Universtiy of Pennsylvania's Poisonous Plants Database
Cornell University's Plants Poisonous to Livestock and other Animals
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