Is Stargazer Lily Poisonous?

Lilies are one of the most sought-after flowering plants and are widely grown in gardens and landscapes. Lily flowers are also much in demand, either for bouquet making or for flower arrangements. One of the popular type among lilies is the stargazer lily, which is commonly seen in bouquets. These plants are also grown in gardens, but, there are many apprehensions regarding the toxic nature of this plant. While some people believe that this plant is poisonous for pets, some others say that it can be toxic for humans too. Is stargazer lily poisonous to humans and/or animals? Let us find out.

More About Stargazer Lily

Stargazer is an oriental hybrid lily, which was developed in 1978. The name is derived from the upright flowers, that face the sky. This feature is very uncommon among lilies and hence the name 'stargazer'. This lily plant has sturdy stems, that can grow to a height of around thirty inches. It produces flowers in clusters and four to five flowers are produced in each stem. The large and breathtakingly beautiful flowers are fragrant and come in colors like pink, red and white. Stargazer lilies are commonly grown in almost all parts of North America and other places with suitable growing conditions. Unfortunately, this spectacular lily variety is found to be toxic. Let us take a look at the toxicity of stargazer lilies.

Is Stargazer Lily Poisonous?

While stargazers have emerged as one of the popular garden plants, apprehensions regarding their toxic nature can be really upsetting for any lily lover. According to experts, stargazer lily is poisonous to cats only. It is not poisonous to humans as well as animals like dogs and horses. It is said that, like in the case of some other lilies, stargazers are also poisonous to cats and ingestion of any part of the plant can cause symptoms like vomiting, lack of appetite, lethargy, depression, lack of urination caused by kidney failure and eventually, death.

Stargazer Lily and Cats

According to some studies, ingestion of even small amounts of stargazer lily plant can affect cat health. Symptoms like, vomiting starts within a few hours of ingestion, which will be followed by lack of appetite and fatigue. As the symptoms worsen, the kidneys will also get damaged and kidney failure may occur within three to four days. If you have noticed the cat eating this plant, then, prompt and proper treatment must be given, at the earliest. Otherwise, look for fragments of the lily in the vomit, so as to detect stargazer lily poisoning. You may also look for traces of pollen attached to the body of the cat. First aid for this kind of poisoning is administration of hydrogen peroxide, so as to induce vomiting. It will be best done by a doctor, but, if you know the right methods, you can also do that.

Till date, there is no report stating that stargazer lily is poisonous to humans, but, there are some concerns. So it is better to avoid ingestion of any part of this plant. As far as cats are concerned, grow these plants in places, which are out of the cat's access. Otherwise, avoid growing such plants in your house.