Lance Pleomele
Dracaena thalioides · Asparagaceae
How it looks
Lance Pleomele (Dracaena thalioides) is a foliage plant with narrow, long, glossy, deep-green leaves set densely and alternately along the stem. The leaf tips are pointed and arching, and it reaches about 20 in to 5 ft (50 cm-1.5 m) tall, grown as an indoor foliage plant.
Mild caution — stomach irritation
Lance pleomele is a Dracaena, and the saponins in the genus can irritate the stomach and cause vomiting, lethargy, and loss of appetite. The ASPCA does not flag this common name, but its entry is not a species-level one, so we follow the genus-level toxic listing and keep it at caution.
If ingested
Contact your nearest vet immediately
- Symptoms
- Vomiting, depression, anorexia, dilated pupils
Guide for parents
An occasional nibble of lance pleomele is not an emergency, but the saponins typical of the Dracaena genus can irritate the stomach and mucous membranes, leading to vomiting, lethargy, and loss of appetite.
The ASPCA list does include the name "Lance Pleomele" among non-toxic plants. That entry, however, is filed under the genus (Dracaena) rather than the species, and the same list classifies the genus — along with individual species such as corn plant and Madagascar dragon tree — as toxic to cats. This page follows the more cautious reading.
Clear away fallen leaves and broken stems the same day, and keep the pot off your cat's usual routes. Contact your vet if symptoms last more than 12 hours or your cat's appetite clearly drops.
Details
- Scientific name
- Dracaena thalioides
- Common name
- Lance Pleomele
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Toxic parts
- All parts
- Compounds
- Saponins
- Source
- ASPCA cats plant list
Related plants
Same plant family· Asparagaceae
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