Bird safe plants

[amanda&toby]

Im trying to determine weather or not a weeping fig tree is bird safe.
I would really like to get one.

I tried doing a search on line, but how do you know if the website is correct?

This website http://www.plannedparrothood.com/plants.html says that it is toxic but its on numerious different sites as safe. So how do I know which is right?

Do you have a trusted list of safe plants?

[Laura]

I wouldn't use it personally. I'm a Horticultural Technician and service thousands of plants in offices, homes, and shopping centers every week, so I can attest to the fact that to humans, Ficus trees are dangerous and highly suspect.

The genus is Ficus, and in that family are the rubber plant (F. elastica), weeping fig (F. benjamin), fiddle-leaf fig (F. lyatra) and so on. This family is the original source of natural latex and can be seen as a white, sticky sap that literally will drip any time a branch or a leaf is broken. This sap will stain fabrics, carpet, and many floors, including wood, granite, and marble.

Every technician I know of has grown allergic to Ficus trees just by our constant contact to them. We all break out into severe itchy rashes and sometimes even hives. Worse then this, however, is if the sap should get into our eyes. When this happens, it will feel as though we have sand in them making us wish to keep them closed. If you do that though, the sap will glue the eye shut. Either way, sap in the eyes necessitates a trip to the hospital or clinic.

I've never been cautioned about not eating the plant or getting the sap in my mouth; I'm thinking my bosses figure that the external dangers make the internal ones obvious. I don't know if the Ficus spp. would be toxic to birds, but I'm thinking if it isn't a definite on their part, the dangers to a ficus ought to be considered on the part of children or other pets.

Someone here has a Ficus, though she said her bird has not gone to it. I want a Ficus too, but I don't want to risk it if it is something which would make Kai sick. Stay away also from any of Scheffleras and Aralias. Another person here mentioned her birds had a hibiscus tree, so maybe you could look into that.

This here (http://www.talkparrotlets.com/showthread.php?t=181)is a huge list someone directed me to on this forum, yet it unfortunately does not have the Latin names, only the common. As those latter names vary across the world and even the continent, continue your research before you make a choice. And always feel free to ask me questions on what you pick.

[rfeaton]

do you know if calla lily,and calathea are safe plants?

[amanda&toby]

what about dracaena.... its not on the toxic list you posted.. do you think that would be a good safe plant??

[amanda&toby]

Sorry one more... are ORCHIDS safe?
Not trying to be a pain, but Im paranoid, so its great to get advice from someone who deals with plants on a regular basis. :)

[Laura]

I've read that lily's are toxic to cats...but I'm not sure they're toxic to birds. One of my accounts has a D. marginata and also a cat, and my company would not have placed a toxic plant on an account where an animal has access to. The account also has two Kentia palms, two spathyphyllums, a jasmine, and a Bird of Paradise. The cats leave the latter two alone, rarely touch the spaths, yet do nibble the Kentias and the marginata. I've read on some sites that they can be mildly toxic (like when a dog eats grass and then vomits), but perhaps that's to mammals. I'm not certain how birds would respond.

Orchids have been listed as safe on a few sites, but I'd be mad if my birds went after them...any of my plants really.

I found this site (http://www.cockatielcottage.net/houseplants.html), and it lists dangerous and safe plants separately; however, rubber plants are said to be safe while ficus are said to not be safe...and yet rubber plants are ficus.
I guess with me I'll just keep everyone separate. As nice as it would be to have a tree for the birds, I'd rather not risk either being damaged by the other.