Here is a list of all toxic and safe wood or branches you can use as perches for your parakeets.

Do not forget, you should never use wood from any plants or tree branches if they were treated with pesticides or any type of chemical treatment!

If you aren’t sure if the wood you want to use has been chemically treated.

Or you want to clean the branches either way before using it. (To be on the safe side).

follow this link to see, how you make perches to your birds, from tree branches. (DIY style).

But always make sure the wood you want to use is not toxic. (Look at the list below).

You can expand how many result you see (default is 10), as well as searching directly across the table of what you are looking for.

Wood / TreeSafe / Toxic
ALDERToxic
ANDROMEDA -Pieris, Lily of the Valley shrubToxic
APRICOTToxic
ARROWHEAD VINEToxic
AUSTRALIAN FLAME TREEToxic
AUSTRALIAN UMBRELLA TREEToxic
AVOCADOToxic
AZALEA - Related to RhododendronToxic
BANEBERRY - ActaeaToxic
BEANS -castor, horse, fava, broad, glory, scarlet runnerToxic
BLACK LOCUST - RobiniaToxic
BOX ELDER Toxic
BOXWOOD - BuxusToxic
BUCKTHORN - Cascara / Alder Buckthorn Toxic
BRACKEN FERNToxic
BURDOCKToxic
CACAOToxic
CAMEL BUSH - TrichodesmaToxic
CANARY BIRD BUSH - CrotalariaToxic
CANNABISToxic
CASTOR BEANToxic
CEDAR - Thuja, Chamaecyparis, CupressusToxic
CHALICE - trumpet vineToxic
CHERRY Toxic
CHINA BERRY TREE - Melia / Texas umbrella treeToxic
CHINESE MAGNOLIA Toxic
CHINESE POPCORN / TALLOWToxic
CHINESE SNAKE TREE - Laquer plantToxic
COMMON SAGEToxic
CORIANDER - CilantroToxic
DATURAToxic
DAPHNEToxic
DATURA STRAMONIUM - Brugmansia - angel's trumpetToxic
DIEFFENBACHIAToxic
ELDERBERRYToxic
EUONYMUS - Includes burning bush and moreToxic
EUPHORBIAToxic
FELT PLANT - Kalancho baharensisToxic
FLAME TREEToxic
FIRETHORN - PyracanthaToxic
FLAME TREE - Brachychiton / SterculiaToxic
FOXGLOVE - Digitalis Toxic
GOLDEN CHAIN TREE - LaburnumToxic
GROUND CHERRYToxic
CROWN OF THORNSToxic
HEATHSToxic
HEMLOCK - TsugaToxic
HOLLY - IlexToxic
HONEY LOCUST - GleditsiaToxic
HORSE CHESTNUT - AesculusToxic
HUCKLEBERRY - leaves bad: evergreen & deciduousToxic
HYDRANGEAToxic
JASMINEToxic
JUNIPER - JuniperusToxic
KALMIA: also called Mountain LaurelToxic
KENTUCKY COFFEE TREEToxic
LABURNUM Toxic
LANTANA - red sageToxic
LAUREL - PrunusToxic
LEUCOTHOEToxic
LUPINEToxic
MANGO - (fruits are okay: not wood or leaves)Toxic
MEXICAN BREADFRUITToxic
MOCK ORANGE - PhiladelphusToxic
MONSTERA - big hunker of a house plantToxic
MOUNTAIN LAUREL - Kalmia latifoliaToxic
MYRTLE - broadleaf evergreen, not crape myrtleToxic
NECTARINEToxic
NUTMEGToxic
OAK Toxic
MISTLETOEToxic
OLEANDERToxic
PEACHToxic
PEAR - some sources lean toward safeToxic
PENCILTREEToxic
PITCH PINEToxic
PLUMToxic
PRARIE OAK Toxic
PRIVETToxic
RAIN TREEToxic
RED MAPLE Toxic
RED SAGE - LantanaToxic
REDWOOD - Sequiadendron, Metasequoia, SequoiaToxic
RHODODENDRONToxic
RHUBARBToxic
SAND BOX TREE Toxic
SKIMMIA - entire plant: stem, berry, leavesToxic
SOLANUM - Jerusalem cherry or pepinoToxic
SOPHORA - includes Japanese pagoda treeToxic
SUMACToxic
TOBACCOToxic
TANSYToxic
TOMATOToxic
UMBRELLA TREEToxic
WALNUTToxic
WEEPING FIG - Ficus benjamina > Ficus elastica safeToxic
WHITE CEDAR - ChinaToxic
WITCH HAZEL - HamamelisToxic
WISTERIAToxic
YEW - TaxusToxic
ACACIA - Silk Tree would be in this groupSafe
APPLESafe
AILANTHUS - Tree of HeavenSafe
ALMONDSafe
ARALIA - Fatsia japonicaSafe
ASH - FraxinusSafe
ASPEN - PopulusSafe
BAMBOOSafe
BARBERRY- BerberisSafe
BIRCH Safe
BEECH - FagusSafe
BOIS D'ARC - horse apple treeSafe
BOTTLE BRUSHSafe
BUTTERFLY BUSHSafe
CAMELLIASafe
CITRUS - (lime, kumquat, grapefruit, orange, lemon)Safe
CORN PLANTSSafe
COTTONWOOD - PopulusSafe
CRABAPPLE - MalusSafe
CRAPE MYRTLE - (not like myrtle)Safe
DATESafe
DOGWOOD - CornusSafe
DOUGLAS FIR - PseudotsugaSafe
DRACAENASafe
ELM - UlmusSafe
ESCALLONIASafe
EUCALYPTUSSafe
FIGSafe
FIR - genus AbiesSafe
GINKGOSafe
GRAPE VINESSafe
GRAPE PALMSafe
GUAVASafe
HACKBERRYSafe
HAWTHORN - CrataegusSafe
HIBISCUSSafe
HICKORYSafe
IRONWOOD - toxic leavesSafe
JADE PLANTSafe
KALANCHOESafe
LARCH - LarixSafe
LILAC - SyringaSafe
MADRONA / MADRONE - ArbutusSafe
MAGNOLIASafe
MAPLE Safe
MANZANITA - ArctostaphylosSafe
MESQUITE - remove sharp partsSafe
MIMOSASafe
MOUNTAIN ASH - SorbusSafe
MULBERRY - Morus Safe
NANDINA -common name is heavenly bambooSafe
NORFOLK ISLAND PINE - AraucariaSafe
NUT TREES - exclude chestnutSafe
OLIVE TREESSafe
ORANGE Safe
OREGON GRAPE - MahoniaSafe
PALMSafe
PAPAYASafe
PEARSafe
PECANSafe
PINE - (not to be used as shavings or bedding)Safe
PHOTINIA - ( debatable ) Safe
POPLAR - PopulusSafe
PUSSY WILLOW - SalixSafe
RAPHIOLEPSIS - Indian HawthornSafe
RIBBONWOODSafe
ROSE - RosaSafe
RUBBER PLANT - Ficus elastica - (not Weeping Fig)Safe
RUSSIAN OLIVESafe
SASSAFRASSafe
SILK TREESafe
SPIRAEASafe
SPRUCE - PiceaSafe
STAGHORN SUMAC - (not all are safe)Safe
STRAWBERRY TREE - Arbutus like MadroneSafe
SWEET GUMSafe
SYCAMORESafe
THURLOWSafe
TREE FERNSafe
VIBURNUMSafe
VINE MAPLE - AcerSafe
WEEPING WILLOW - Salix - (remove the bark)Safe
WIEGELASafe
YUCCASafe
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Anneke
Anneke
3 years ago

This helped A lot I am getting a budgie today, I have done my research but this helps more than you could imagine thanks

Margherita
Margherita
3 years ago
Reply to  Budgie World

What about pomegranate tree?

Peaches
Peaches
3 years ago

I heard Almond is not safe to burn due to all the Pesticides they use on these trees. In fact some businesses I have talked to cant get licensed for Almond commercially. These are places that have been selling firewood cords for 20+ years too. So conflicting info…

Kristine
Kristine
3 years ago

This is so great and crazy. When I was a kid, budgies were my favorite animal, and I didn’t really realize that other people loved them as much as I did. Usually people talk about cats or dogs. As an adult my landlords don’t let me have animals. You have my ideal job! Thanks for all the great info you are putting out there. I always had a dream of breeding, but just watched two videos and am amazed at all I would need to learn first. Thanks for what you are doing.

Kristine
Kristine
3 years ago

As far as this specific discussion, when my brother and I were kids, he helped me make perches from willow. It seemed to work well for the birds. I am curious how you learned about all these plants. Are there certain natural chemicals commonly found in the toxic plants?

Abdullah
Abdullah
3 years ago

Conocarpus tree it’s safe or toxic?

Felicity Fred
Felicity Fred
3 years ago

I have a mulberry tree and i cut a branch and put it in a pot with soil. So it won’t wilt or dry. I want my budgies to play on the young leafs.

Margherita
Margherita
3 years ago

Is medlar wood safe?

Aso
Aso
3 years ago

Are wild cherry tree good for birds

Nausicaa
Nausicaa
3 years ago

Anyone know whether neem tree leaves and branches are toxic to budgies? There’s a lot of talk about the tree, but I can’t find anything scientifically proven. Thanks a lot!

Shubham Rai
Shubham Rai
2 years ago
Reply to  Nausicaa

the branches are perfectly fine for them as neem has anti-bacterial properties.

Sumanth G
Sumanth G
3 years ago

Hi, thank you so much for putting this together.

What about red sandalwood? What compounds in a wood make them toxic to budgies? (Asking so I can do some research when I come across something instead of relying only on a list. I’m from India, there’s abundance of different types of woods available here.)

Oli
Oli
2 years ago

Thank you

Srabon
Srabon
2 years ago

Is neem tree perches good for budgies?

Cherry
Cherry
2 years ago

Is diamond willow ok for perches and play structure?

Recap
Recap
2 years ago

Is Lily Pilly trees from my garden okay? What do you do to them for natural wood?

Bri
Bri
2 years ago

This is an excellent resource. Thank you so much!

claire
claire
2 years ago

Is moringa branch safe for budgies?

kaidi
kaidi
1 year ago

how do we tell which wood is which?

Teagan
Teagan
1 year ago

You guys should really add the botanical names because common names can be misleading. Two completely different plants/trees can have the same common name.

Achilles
Achilles
1 year ago

Are mirabelle trees safe?

Darshan
Darshan
1 year ago

In my garden, I have a Custard Apple tree and a Tulsi tree, Both seem to have branches of decent size, but both seem to be absent from the list. Are either of these wood types safe for Budgies?
Please forgive me if there are equivalent plants already on the list, that I overlooked.

Desiree V.
Desiree V.
7 months ago

Thanks for the extensive list of safe versus toxic woods for perches. Very helpful.

Katherine
Katherine
7 months ago

Super helpful list! Thanks so much.😊

Lachlan
Lachlan
6 months ago

thanks this is very helpful

Rob
Rob
3 months ago

Excellent knowledge base on this page.