How to read this table
ASPCA plant entries concern whether an animal may be harmed by eating a plant; they do not assess smoke exposure. NCCIH information about use or pregnancy is not a clearance for burning or inhalation. EPA gives general indoor-particle guidance, not a plant-by-plant verdict.
The EPA indoor particulate matter page says burning or combusting almost anything produces particles, and to ensure proper ventilation when burning candles and incense indoors. That is general guidance, not a clearance for any plant or resin on this page. Avoid creating smoke around pets or during pregnancy when a source has not established safety; choose an unlit display or another smoke-free option.
The ASPCA plant list is not a complete smoke-safety list. A “non-toxic” ingestion entry does not make smoke safe. For health questions, consult a qualified clinician; for a pet exposure, contact a veterinarian or animal poison service.
Herb and resin lookup
“No exact result verified” means the sources checked did not establish a species-specific answer. It is not proof that a plant is safe or that an unlisted plant is absent from every database. Common names and species can differ.
| Herb or resin | Pets · ASPCA ingestion entry | Pregnancy · NCCIH | Burning · EPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angelica Angelica archangelica | No exact species result verified in the ASPCA entries checked. This is not a safety finding. ASPCA list | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Bay laurel Laurus nobilis | ASPCA lists bay laurel as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses if eaten. | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Comfrey Symphytum officinale | No exact species result verified in the ASPCA entries checked. This is not a safety finding. ASPCA list | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Common sage Salvia officinalis | ASPCA lists common sage as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses if eaten; this does not cover smoke. | NCCIH says it may be unsafe to use sage during pregnancy because its component thujone may have harmful effects; this is not a smoke assessment. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Common thyme Thymus vulgaris | ASPCA lists thyme as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses if eaten; this does not cover smoke. | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Dandelion Taraxacum officinale | No exact species result verified in the ASPCA entries checked. This is not a safety finding. ASPCA list | NCCIH says little is known about whether it is safe to use dandelion in amounts greater than those found in foods during pregnancy; this is not a smoke assessment. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Deadly nightshade Atropa belladonna | ASPCA’s deadly nightshade entry is Solanum spp., not Atropa belladonna. It lists that Solanum group as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses if eaten. Do not apply it to this plant. | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Elderberry Sambucus nigra | No exact species result verified in the ASPCA entries checked. This is not a safety finding. ASPCA list | NCCIH says little is known about whether it is safe to use elderberry for health purposes during pregnancy; this is not a smoke assessment. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| English lavender Lavandula angustifolia | ASPCA lists lavender, including English lavender, as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses if eaten. | NCCIH says little is known about whether it is safe to use lavender during pregnancy; this is not a smoke assessment. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Frankincense resin Boswellia species vary | No exact species result verified in the ASPCA entries checked. This is not a safety finding. ASPCA list | NCCIH’s Boswellia serrata page says little is known about whether it is safe to use frankincense during pregnancy. The same page says boswellia is likely safe in food amounts during pregnancy. Neither statement assesses smoke, and the page does not cover every Boswellia species. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| German / Roman chamomile Matricaria chamomilla / Chamaemelum nobile | ASPCA lists chamomile (Anthemis nobilis, Roman or garden chamomile) as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses if eaten; that entry does not establish a result for German chamomile. | NCCIH’s German chamomile fact sheet says little is known about whether it is safe to use chamomile during pregnancy; it does not assess inhalation or Roman chamomile. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Hawthorn Crataegus species vary | ASPCA lists hawthorn (Crataegus species) as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses if eaten; this does not cover smoke or name one species. | NCCIH says little is known about whether it is safe to use hawthorn during pregnancy; this is not a smoke assessment. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Holy basil / tulsi Ocimum tenuiflorum | No Ocimum tenuiflorum result verified. ASPCA’s basil entry is Ocimum basilicum, a different species, and does not apply here. | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Mandrake Mandragora officinarum | No Mandragora officinarum result verified. ASPCA’s American mandrake is Podophyllum peltatum, a different plant. | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria | No exact species result verified in the ASPCA entries checked. This is not a safety finding. ASPCA list | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris | No exact species result verified in the ASPCA entries checked. This is not a safety finding. ASPCA list | NCCIH says mugwort should not be used during pregnancy; this is not a smoke assessment. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Peppermint Mentha × piperita | ASPCA’s mint entry is Mentha sp. and lists it as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses if eaten. The entry does not name Mentha × piperita, so it does not identify this hybrid. It does not cover smoke. | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis | ASPCA lists rosemary as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses if eaten; this does not cover smoke. | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Rue Ruta graveolens | No exact species result verified in the ASPCA entries checked. This is not a safety finding. ASPCA list | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| St. John’s wort Hypericum perforatum | ASPCA lists St. John’s wort as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses if eaten. | NCCIH says it may be unsafe to use St. John’s wort during pregnancy because it may increase the risk of birth defects; this is not a smoke assessment. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Valerian Valeriana officinalis | No exact species result verified in the ASPCA entries checked. This is not a safety finding. ASPCA list | NCCIH says little is known about whether it is safe to use valerian during pregnancy; this is not a smoke assessment. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Vervain Verbena officinalis | No exact species result verified in the ASPCA entries checked. This is not a safety finding. ASPCA list | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| White sage Salvia apiana | No Salvia apiana result verified. ASPCA’s sage entry is Salvia officinalis, a different species. | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Wormwood Artemisia absinthium | No exact species result verified in the ASPCA entries checked. This is not a safety finding. ASPCA list | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Yarrow Achillea millefolium | ASPCA lists yarrow as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses if eaten. | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Myrrh resin Commiphora species vary | No exact species result verified in the ASPCA entries checked. This is not a safety finding. ASPCA list | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
| Copal resin Several botanical sources | No exact species result verified in the ASPCA entries checked. This is not a safety finding. ASPCA list | No NCCIH fact sheet with a pregnancy note was found for this plant. That is not a safety clearance. | No species-specific clearance. EPA indoor particle guidance. |
This lookup does not recommend burning any herb or resin. It does not cover essential oils, extracts, mixtures, dose, treatment or every animal species.
Primary source notes
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list: ingestion by the listed plant, not smoke inhalation. A shared common name can point to a different species.
- NCCIH mugwort, chamomile, sage, St. John’s wort, dandelion, elderberry, lavender, hawthorn, valerian, and boswellia: use and pregnancy notes, not a burn test.
- EPA indoor particulate matter guidance: general combustion and ventilation information.
We did not find a government or manufacturer source that tests the smoke from each plant listed. Do not use this table to decide that any plant is safe to burn.