When it comes to the world of Passionflowers (*Passiflora*), things can get a little tricky. Some varieties produce delicious, edible fruit, while others actually contain traces of prussic acid (cyanide). Because of this, most common varieties are perfectly safe for your cats and other small pets, but there’s one group you really need to watch out for: the *Decaloba* subgenus.
Keep Them Out of Reach
Most Passionflower species are totally pet-friendly, so if you’re a cat owner, those are definitely the ones I’d recommend planting in your garden. However, if you’ve fallen in love with a variety from the *Decaloba* group, you’ve got to be careful. Make sure those pots are placed high up or in an area your furry friends can’t reach.
While these specific varieties are technically toxic to humans too, the concentration of prussic acid is usually low enough that it just causes a nasty stomachache or nausea for us. For small pets, though, it’s a much different story—nibbling on these leaves or stems can unfortunately be fatal. Better safe than sorry!
