Being a gardener and a pet owner can be a tricky balancing act, especially when you want to bring your gardening indoors. Houseplants are great for brightening indoor spaces and helping to keep the air clean, but you don’t want to add them to your home if they’re dangerous for your beloved pet. Many common houseplants are poisonous to cats and dogs. We’ve gathered some of our favorite houseplants and flowers that are safe for even the most curious kittens and puppies.
1. Spider Plants
Spider plants are easy to grow and even easier to propagate. Perfect for newbies, spider plants thrive in low light conditions and are resilient against over and underwatering. They’re fantastic at cleaning your home’s air, producing fresh oxygen and removing toxins like carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, Xylene, and toluene. I recommend everyone have at least one spider plant in your home, especially since they’re safe for four-legged friends.
2. Zebra Plant
If you’re interested in succulents and low maintenance plants, a zebra plant is a cute and pet-safe option. This is a common succulent that grows well indoors with proper care, so it’s great for beginners. Named for the bold white stripes on dark green leaves, it looks great displayed anywhere in your home. Provide partial sun and water it whenever the soil dries out completely.
3. Money Tree
Another popular plant for newbies and people who lack a green thumb, a money tree is very tolerant of poor care. A money tree is instantly recognizable because of its braided trunk. While in the swampy wilds of South an Central America this tree can grow up to 60 feet tall, the one in your living room will only reach 3 to 6 feet. Provide bright, indirect light and moderate to high humidity and the plant will be happy. They especially like sunny bathrooms. Best of all: this adorable tree is perfectly safe around your furry friends.
4. Bird’s Nest Fern
If your home is short on sunny windows, the bird’s nest fern is a great option for pet-friendly homes. Unlike more feathery ferns, the bird’s nest has thick leaves with ruffled edges. The name comes from its appearance, with the center forming the perfect space for a bird’s nest. This variety is more forgiving than other ferns as it doesn’t require as much humidity. Keep the soil moist with regular watering and it will make a great addition to your collection.
5. Peperomia
If you have bad luck with houseplants, this one is not only safe for cat and dogs but also safe against black thumbs. Native to Central and South America, peperomia plants are resilient against poor care thanks to their semi-succulent status. Their thick leaves hold water so they can withstand it if you forget to water them for a few weeks. Some people have even had their peperomia come back to life after it appeared to be dead. Give it a try if you often kill less hardy houseplants.
6. Swedish Ivy
If you’re searching for a creeping plant that looks great in a hanging planter or cascading down a shelf, Swedish Ivy is beautiful and safe for your furry friends. Not an actual ivy, this plant is also known as Creeping Charlie because of it’s fast-growing, trailing leaves. Swedish Ivy thrives in low light conditions and is easy to grow for beginners.
7. Wandering Jew
If you’re looking for some color variation in your house plants, Wandering Jew or Spiderwort features beautiful striped leaves in green and purple colors. Enjoying bright, indirect light, if you keep the soil moist it will flower freely. The flowers can be pink, rosy-purple, or even white. This plant is a lovely addition to any room.
8. Moth Orchid
If you’re open to a little bit of challenge with your plants that comes with beautiful rewards, common phalaenopsis or moth orchids are safe to grow alongside your pets. The perfect entry-level orchid, you can get one anywhere (even the grocery store). Give your orchid a bright windowsill and water it weekly whenever the growing medium begins to dry out.
Learn about repotting orchids.
9. Christmas Cactus
Another opportunity to add color and a little Christmas cheer to your home is the aptly named Christmas Cactus. The name is because they bloom every winter around the holidays. The lovely green branches can produce red, white, yellow, pink, or purple flowers. The “cactus” name is deceptive though because you want to keep the soil evenly moist while it’s blooming. It also prefers cooler temperatures during and after blooming. Easy to care for, it’s a fun addition to your home.
10. Airplants
If you’re looking for a new and interesting type of houseplant to try, air plants make beautiful additions to any home while being safe for puppies and kittens. Air plants are known as such because they don’t grow in soil like most house plants. In nature, they often live attached to trees, rocks, or even the ground. In your home, there’s a variety of interesting and fun ways to display them. Care is actually pretty simple. Make sure your air plant is protected from full sun and watered once a week. Watering is a little different, you should rinse your plant thoroughly in the sink and them leave them overnight to “drain.”
With plenty of different colors and varieties available, air plants are a great pet-friendly option for indoor gardeners.