Rice

Oryza sativa L.

Family: Poaceae

Grain Crop
Annual
Grass

Pet & Human Safety

People: No hazard foundPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them

Human edibility

Edible

Edible parts

grain

Hazardous parts

Not yet checked.

Preparation

Milled rice is mostly eaten after cooking by boiling (Purdue NewCrop).

Hazard type

Not yet checked.

Hazard route

not applicable

How complete this information is

We have not researched the safety of this plant yet.

Toxic to pets

No ASPCA entry found.

ASPCA has no entry under this or any related common name. No pet-toxicity verdict is recorded, and the absence of a listing is not treated as a verdict either way. See the hazard information below for the separate food-safety picture.

Patent / trademark

not applicable

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones: No university or extension source used for this guide gives a hardiness zone. Purdue's NewCrop page says rice needs warm conditions and will not persist through freezing weather.
Water needs: Penn State's PlantVillage says rain-fed rice needs roughly 800 to 2,000 mm (about 31 to 79 inches) of well-distributed rain over the growing season, and that irrigated fields keep shallow standing water of about 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2 inches) in the early growth stages.
Mature size: Purdue's NewCrop page says stem height varies a great deal by variety, from under 20 inches to 6 feet or more.
Where it comes from: Purdue University's NewCrop page says the cultivated plant probably originated in Southeast Asia, where wild types still persist.

Soil & Drainage

Pruning & Flush Rhythm

Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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