Plant guide
Roses
Rosa spp.
Roses in the Rosa genus are non-toxic to cats. Keep prickly stems away from curious mouths and paws, and discourage chewing.
Non-toxic does not mean edible. Eating plant material can still upset your cat’s stomach.
What this guide covers: Rosa species and garden roses only. Desert rose, Christmas rose and rose of Sharon are different plants. Mixed bouquets need every ingredient identified.
Photo:
Photo details
Rosa spp. — Rosa Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Flower. Cabarrus County, NC.
By Hope Duckworth
License: CC BY 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
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Photo:
Photo details
Rosa spp. — Rosa Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Flower. Cabarrus County, NC.
By Hope Duckworth
License: CC BY 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
Sweet Drift rose plant
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Non-toxic does not mean edible. Chewing plants can still upset your cat’s stomach.
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Look for Rosa spp. and check the selected variety. Listings and availability can change.
Plant identity
- Scientific name
- Rosa spp.
- Scope
- Genus-level group
- Family
- Not recorded
- Also known as
- No reviewed aliases available
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How to grow this plant
Rosa species and garden roses only. Desert rose, Christmas rose and rose of Sharon are different plants. Mixed bouquets need every ingredient identified.
- Light
- Sunny position
Full sun.
- Watering
Use well-drained soil; a fixed watering interval is not established here.
- Temperature
- Temperature range not yet established
Hardiness varies by species and cultivar; no universal indoor range established.
- Humidity
No specific humidity target established.
- Potting
- Organically rich, well-drained, acidic to neutral soil.
- Through the year
- Deadhead through the flowering season; pruning timing depends on the rose type.
Growing-guide sources
- Rosa spp. ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-16
Rosa species and garden roses only. Desert rose, Christmas rose and rose of Sharon are different plants. Mixed bouquets need every ingredient identified.
Growing advice reviewed 2026-10-16. 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
- Roses: toxic and non-toxic plants ↗ASPCA · Accessed
Listed by the source as Rosa Species. The safety reference explicitly covers Rosa species. Care is general rose guidance; pruning and hardiness vary by cultivar.
- Rosa spp. ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-16
- Roses: source assessment ↗ASPCA · Accessed 2026-10-16
Safety last reviewed .