Plant guide
Golden shrimp plant
Pachystachys lutea
Golden shrimp plant is considered non-toxic to cats. Its yellow flower bracts brighten a warm patio or sunny indoor space. This guide covers Pachystachys lutea, not every plant called shrimp plant.
Non-toxic does not mean edible. Eating plant material can still upset your cat’s stomach.
What this guide covers: Pachystachys lutea only. Confirm the botanical label; a photograph cannot identify a visitor’s specimen.
Photo:
Photo details
Wikimedia Commons — Pachystachys lutea
By Photo by David J. Stang
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Original photograph unchanged; proportionally resized for review and display.
This displayed image is shared under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
Plant identity
- Scientific name
- Pachystachys lutea
- Scope
- Species
- Family
- Not recorded
- Also known as
- No reviewed aliases available
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How to grow this plant
Pachystachys lutea only; the care categories summarize the cited growing guidance.
- Light
- Sunny position or Some direct sun
Provide sun outdoors, with some shade in hotter southern locations; use a bright window indoors.
- Watering
- Keep evenly moist
Keep the soil evenly moist while flowering and reduce water in winter.
- Temperature
- Temperature range not yet established
Leaves may drop below 60°F; protect it from cold. This is not a full growing range.
- Potting
- Use fertile, well-drained soil.
- Through the year
- Pinch growing tips and remove spent flower spikes to maintain a compact display.
Growing-guide sources
- Pachystachys lutea identity and growing guidance ↗University of Wisconsin Extension · Accessed 2026-10-17
Exact named plant; outdoor and seasonal conditions retain their original context.
- Pachystachys lutea identity and growing guidance ↗University of Florida IFAS Extension · Accessed 2026-10-17
Exact named plant; outdoor and seasonal conditions retain their original context.
Growing advice reviewed 2026-10-17. Plant safety is assessed separately.
Reviewed safety information
- Toxic principle
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
- Reported signs
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
Missing information is unknown. It should not be interpreted as an absence of risk.
Safe alternatives
No verified alternative recommendations are available for this guide.
Sources & review
- Golden shrimp plant cat/pet safety reference ↗VPIS · Accessed
VPIS explicitly includes Pachystachys lutea in its pet-safe list. University of Wisconsin Extension and University of Florida supply exact-species care. This applies pet-household guidance to cats without implying original clinical testing.
- Golden shrimp plant: supporting reference ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-17
Safety last reviewed .