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Salad Burnet
Poterium sanguisorba · Rosaceae
How it looks
Salad Burnet is an herb whose small, deeply pinnately divided, serrated leaves grow in a clump from the base. Rubbing the leaves gives off a cucumber scent, and small round purple-pink flowers cluster at the branch tips. It grows 12-24 in (30-60 cm) tall.
Salad Burnet is listed as non-toxic to cats by the ASPCA. An occasional nibble is unlikely to cause any real trouble.
Guide for parents
One note on species first. This page rests on the ASPCA verdict for salad burnet (Poterium sanguisorba), the culinary herb. Great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis), which is sold under much the same name, is a different species and is not on that list, so no cat-specific verdict covers it.
Even with a safe plant, make a habit of picking up fallen leaves the same day.
If your cat likes to dig in or eat potting soil, fertilizer ingredients can upset their stomach — covering the soil with pebbles works well.
If it comes home as a cut stem, florists often treat it with preservatives, so place the vase where your cat can't drink the water.
Details
- Scientific name
- Poterium sanguisorba
- Common name
- Salad Burnet
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Source
- ASPCA cats plant list
Also known as
Related plants
Same plant family· Rosaceae
Other safe flowers
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