Is Pheasant’s Eye Poisonous to Dogs or Cats?

Pheasant’s eye

is pheasants eye (Adonis annua) poisonous
  • Scientific Name: Adonis annua (Adonis spp)
  • Also Known As: Adonis' flower, autumn Adonis, autumn pheasant's-eye, blooddrops, red chamomile, red Morocco, rose-a-ruby, soldiers-in-green
  • Is It Toxic? Yes
  • Toxins: Adonitoxin, 20 other cardenolides 0.25% in plant; poorly absorbed protoanemonin (vesicant irritant)
  • Symptoms: Vomiting, hyperkalemia, bradycardia, arrhythmias; subepidermal vesicant essentially nontoxic
  • Toxic Parts:
  • General:

What Is Pheasant’s Eye?

Pheasant’s eye (Adonis annua), also known as the Adonis’ flower, is an annual plant belonging to the Ranunculaceae family.

It is popular as a bedding plant for its deep red colour and can grow to 50 cm in height. The petals are 5-8 in number and have a black spot at the base. The red colour of the petals comes from the presence of the carotenoid astaxanthin.

The sepals are glabrous and outward-pointing. The leaves are finely lobed, light green and have short petioles. It flowers in late summer and well into early autumn when grown in the Nordic countries, but wild in the Mediterranean from February to July.

Like other Adonis species, it is poisonous.

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