Bog Laurel

Bog laurel is a heath-family shrub that grows, as its name suggests, in bogs and wetlands, and its leaves, flowers, and nectar all contain the cardiac toxin grayanotoxin. Even a small nibble can take a cat from vomiting and drooling to low blood pressure and arrhythmia, so keep it out of any shared space or garden.

Related plants with the same toxin

Bog laurel is in the same Kalmia genus as mountain laurel and sheep laurel, and the same heath family as azaleas and rhododendrons. Because they all share grayanotoxin and act on the heart the same way, it's safest to treat the whole group as off-limits rather than trying to identify each species.

How cats get exposed

The leaves and flowers are toxic, and so is the nectar. In a garden or on a balcony, a cat can be exposed by chewing fallen leaves and flowers, or by grooming its paws after touching the plant. Cut branches and blooms are just as hazardous.

How symptoms progress

Signs usually begin within 2–6 hours as vomiting, drooling, and lethargy. As grayanotoxin acts on the heart and nervous system, blood pressure drops, the heart rate slows, and arrhythmias appear; in severe cases a cat may collapse or lose consciousness. The cardiac signs can emerge late.

What to do right now

If there's any sign your cat chewed or swallowed part of it, don't wait even if it looks fine. Don't induce vomiting at home — note what and how much was eaten and get to a vet right away. Arrhythmias can deteriorate quickly, so being monitored at a clinic that can watch the heart is safest.