Baby's Breath (Perennial)

안개꽃은 가늘게 여러 갈래로 갈라진 가지 끝마다 아주 작은 흰 꽃이 무수히 달려 전체가 흰 구름처럼 보이는 여러해살이풀입니다.

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Use with caution

Baby's Breath (Perennial)

Gypsophila paniculata · Caryophyllaceae

How it looks

Baby's Breath is a perennial whose slender stems branch again and again, scattering countless tiny white five-petaled flowers like a cloud of mist. The leaves are narrow, long, and gray-green, set oppositely, and it grows 2-3 ft (60 cm-1 m) tall.

No cat toxicity data — caution advised

Baby's Breath (Gypsophila paniculata) does not appear in the ASPCA's plant list for cats, so there is no confirmed assessment for cats either way. NC State Extension does record effects on people — a Medium severity rating covering eye, nose, and sinus irritation, asthma after repeated handling, and skin irritation on contact — but a finding about humans is not evidence about cats. With no confirmed evidence, we cannot call it safe, so exercise caution if your cat has access to it.

Guide for parents

Baby's Breath has no toxicity data for cats, so its safety cannot be stated either way. It goes into almost every bouquet as filler, which makes it one of the flowers cat owners meet most often.

The Gypsophila the ASPCA has assessed for cats is Gypsophila elegans, and no Gypsophila appears on its toxic list. The baby’s breath sold here as a cut flower is usually Gypsophila paniculata, which is not listed separately. We keep a page for Gypsophila elegans, but that verdict belongs to that species and is not carried over here.

NC State Extension does have a page for this species, and its poison fields are filled in — but what they describe applies to people: a Medium severity rating for eye, nose, and sinus irritation, asthma after repeated handling, and skin irritation on contact. That is a note about people handling the stems. Whether the same holds for cats has never been established.

At home, start with where the vase goes. Florist stems are often treated with preservatives, so keep your cat from drinking the water, and clear away the small florets that drop while the stems dry.

What really deserves a look is whatever else came in the bundle. If even one lily is mixed in, that is a far greater risk, so check the bouquet as soon as it arrives. If your cat has pulled at the baby’s breath, note roughly how much and when, and call your vet if vomiting repeats or your cat seems listless.