Plant safety record
Button Fern
Hemionitis rotundifolia
Button Fern is classified as non-toxic to cats and dogs within the exact ASPCA Pellaea rotundifolia evidence identity, reconciled to Hemionitis rotundifolia in current Kew taxonomy.
Cats
NON-TOXIC
Button Fern is classified as non-toxic within this exact governed scope.
Dogs
NON-TOXIC
Button Fern is classified as non-toxic within this exact governed scope.
Quick answer
A correctly identified Button Fern is not expected to poison a cat or dog, though chewing plant material can still cause mild stomach upset.
Plant identity
Governed scientific identity: Hemionitis rotundifolia
Also called: Cliff Brake
Public PawPlants taxonomy is Hemionitis rotundifolia. ASPCA and the approved Commons image use Pellaea rotundifolia, which Kew treats as a synonym. Cliff Brake is a governed search alias. Lemon Button Fern is a different Nephrolepis taxon and is not an alias for this record.
What non-toxic means
The ASPCA-listed identity is non-toxic; ingestion can still cause nonspecific gastrointestinal upset.
If your pet chewed it
Remove access after chewing and monitor your pet. Contact a veterinarian for concerning or persistent symptoms.
Prevention and placement
Keep fronds and fallen plant material out of repeated pet-chewing reach.
Evidence scope
The non-toxic conclusion is limited to the exact ASPCA Pellaea rotundifolia identity and its documented Hemionitis rotundifolia equivalent. Do not generalize it to other button ferns or Nephrolepis taxa.
Evidence and sources
- ASPCA — Button FernClassification for the governed identity or scope.
- Wikimedia Commons — Pellaea rotundifolia 0zz.jpgImage source, creator, license, and representation provenance.