Arrowhead Plant
Also known as Arrowhead Vine, Nephthytis, Goosefoot Plant, Trileaf Wonder. One plant, one grade per pet — the verdicts below are transcribed from primary sources and human-reviewed.
Arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum, also sold as nephthytis) is an irritant to cats (S2 Irritant): its insoluble calcium oxalate crystals cause oral pain and swelling, drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing when chewed, and Pet Poison Helpline adds throat and skin irritation — the same mechanism as pothos and philodendron.
FULL VERDICT →Arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum, also sold as nephthytis) is an irritant to dogs (S2 Irritant): its insoluble calcium oxalate crystals cause oral pain and swelling, drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing when chewed, and Pet Poison Helpline adds throat and skin irritation — the same mechanism as pothos and philodendron.
FULL VERDICT →Care at a glance
What happens if it's eaten
Signs on record for each animal, transcribed from the cited sources.
- oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of the mouth, tongue, and lips
- pain and swelling of the mouth, tongue, and lips
- throat irritation
- skin irritation
- excessive drooling
- vomiting
- difficulty swallowing
- oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of the mouth, tongue, and lips
- pain and swelling of the mouth, tongue, and lips
- throat irritation
- skin irritation
- excessive drooling
- vomiting
- difficulty swallowing
When to call the vet
Call your vet if drooling or vomiting persists or worsens, or your cat stops eating — and go immediately if you see swelling of the mouth or any trouble breathing or swallowing.
FULL VERDICT →Call your vet if drooling or vomiting persists or worsens, or your dog stops eating — and go immediately if you see swelling of the mouth or any trouble breathing or swallowing.
FULL VERDICT →Safe swaps, graded S0
Non-toxic on record for cats — verified against the index at build time.
FAQ
Is arrowhead plant as toxic as pothos or philodendron?
Same mechanism, same grade. The ASPCA lists Syngonium podophyllum with "Insoluble calcium oxalates" and "Oral irritation, pain and swelling of mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting (not horses), difficulty swallowing" — word for word the signs on its entry for heartleaf philodendron, and pothos carries the same toxic principle, insoluble calcium oxalates, on its own ASPCA record. All three are S2 Irritant on the same crystals. See our heartleaf philodendron verdict for the third vine.
Is nephthytis the same plant as arrowhead plant?
On both sources, yes. The ASPCA files the plant under three entry names — Arrow-Head Vine, Nephthytis, and Green Gold Naphthysis — all Syngonium podophyllum, and Pet Poison Helpline's Arrowhead Vine entry lists "Arrowhead plant, Goosefoot plant, Nephthytis" among its other names. The two sources disagree on one name, which is why we do not use it: the ASPCA writes "African Evergreen," Pet Poison Helpline "American Evergreen." Check the scientific name on the tag.