If you’re looking for pet safe indoor houseplants there are many available. Many people who love pets and plants often have to consider how the two will co-exist in the same space. Some houseplants and flowers can have serious consequences when consumed by cats and dogs. They can cause vomiting, stomach aches, lethargy, drooling, confusion, and irritation. Although most pets leave plants alone, you might have a curious pet that keeps nibbling on plants.
Pet Safe Indoor Houseplants
African Violet
African Violets are pet friendly plants. They’re also super pretty and are some of the easiest indoor flowering plants that you can own. They do require light-medium to bright light to do well.
They also don’t like water on their foliage. It’s advisable to use a long watering can that will go under the leaves when watering. This is also one of the plants that should not be misted. Check this post on the complete guide to growing and caring for African Violets.
Palms.
There are very many types of palms. Palms are great plants but do need a lot of light and a lot of water. Most cats love playing with them and it’s a great thing that they are pet safe.
Examples include Bamboo palm, fan palm, Christmas palm, Kentai palm, Parlor palm, Ponytail palm, Areca palm, and Majesty palm. The Bamboo palm is so hardy and doesn’t need a lot of light. The Christmas palm needs a ton of light and can get huge
Parlor palms are often smaller compared to other palms and are also pet safe. The Kentia Palm can handle lower light levels and are significantly more expensive.
Majesty palms are a little more difficult but are more readily available compared to Kentia palms. They are also short-lived. To maintain them and keep them happy, water them regularly, and place them in a bright location. You should also watch out for spider mites.
The Kentia palms and the Majesty palms don’t last long, few people can make them last for two-three years.
Ponytail palms are not real palms but are also pet friendly and so cute. They are also easy to care for and do well for most plant owners. check this post on different types of palm trees.
Pileas
Many pileas are pet friendly including pilea pumila, pilea nummularrifolia, pilea cadieri, pilea involucrate, and Pilea microphylla. You can find the varieties that you like and add them to your plant collection.
Staghorn Fern
Staghorn Ferns are usually mounted up on walls. This is an added advantage because the cats and dogs can’t reach them. However, even if the pets can reach them, they are pet friendly.
Boston Fern
Boston ferns are easy to grow. They are some of the fast-growing houseplants that anyone can grow. When provided with the right conditions they can grow big very fast.
Other types of ferns are pet safe including Dainty Rabbits-Foot Fern (Davallia fejeensis) and Fer Holly (Aspidium falcatum).
Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii)
Christmas Cactus are also pet friendly. They are also known as Holiday cactus or Thanksgiving cactus. They are not the easiest plants to care for because they are super sensitive to over-watering and under-watering. They also like humid and warm conditions.
Polka Dot Plant
The Polka Dot Plant is also known as Hypoestes phyllostachya. These are super pretty and are available in pink, white and purple. However, it’s important to note that they can be hard to keep alive. For people who manage to keep them alive, they are awesome house plants and great conversation starters.
Gerbera Daisy
Gerbera Daisies are pretty beautiful flowers that are available in many different colors. When growing gerbera daisies, you have to provide them with a lot of light and water. They are beautiful flowering indoor plants. However, if you can provide them with a lot of light, you might want to pass on them.
Banana (Musa acuminate)
Banana plants are pet safe. All the Musa family is pet friendly. If you plan on getting any of them just know that they love a lot of light.
Grape Ivy
Grape Ivy (Cissus rhombifolia) are beautiful house plants. They are ideal for plant owners who want trailing plants. Cats love to play with them but they are pet friendly and will not cause any harm to felines.
Rex Begonia
The Rex Begonia vine (Cissus discolor) is another gorgeous vine. Easy grow and produces beautiful variegated leaves.
Bromeliads
Bromeliads also make beautiful houseplants and are safe for cats and dogs. They also produce beautiful flowers. Easy indoor plants to care for and grow. They don’t have special requirements.
Burrows Tail
Burrows Tail or Sedum morganianum is also non-toxic to cats and dogs. Cats however love to play with the trailing branches. If your cat is too tempted by the plant and you’re worried the plant might get damaged, you can keep it out of reach.
Polynesian Ivy
Polynesian Ivy or Pellionia pulchra is also pet safe. They require fertile well-draining soils. They also like to remain moist but should not be overwatered. Don’t allow it to dry out completely. They also like low sunlight and high humidity.
Rattlesnake Calethea
Calathea lanciofolia is a beautiful house plant. Produces leaves with variegation resembling rattlesnakes hence the name. The house plant is also non-poisonous to pets.
Swedish Ivy
The Swedish Ivy is also known as Plectranthus australis is also non-toxic to cats and dogs. It’s an awesome indoor plant especially for people who want to grow it in hanging baskets. It produces glossy leaves from thick stems that grow upwards before cascading downwards. It’s an easy plant to care for and perfect for beginners.
Echeveria
All Echeveria’s and all the other colored succulents are also pet friendly. There are many types of echeveria check this post on 40 echeveria types and care with pictures. They range from the common ones to rare and exotic varieties. Echeverias are some of the easiest houseplants to grow.
Hawarthia
Hawarthia is also a pet-friendly succulent. Beautiful houseplants with cute variegation on the leaves. Just like most succulents, they are easy to care for and keep alive even for beginners.
Cast Iron Plant
Cast Iron Plants (Aspidistra elatior) is also pet friendly. They are also known as The Ballroom plants. They are a favorite perennial plant and an extremely hardy houseplant. If you have not had much success with plants, you should try this one.
Spider Plants
Spider plants are also pet friendly. They are adaptable to different conditions and are among the easy to grow houseplants. They are beautiful and are available in different varieties that have different types of variegations. Please check this complete guide on how to grow Spider plants.
Club Moss (Solaginella Varieties)
Club Mosses are also pet safe. They are perennial plants that produce runners that can get as high as 3-15 inches. There are over 400 species but only a few are grown as houseplants.
Rubber Plants
Peperomia varieties are also pet safe indoor houseplants. The varieties to choose from including Peperomia obtusifolia, Peperomia caperata, and peperomia prostrata. They are beautiful house plants that can be successfully grown in different locations.
Lace Flower Vine
The Lace Flower Vine (Episcia dianthiflora) is also non-poisonous to pets. It can take some time to figure out where the plant likes to be placed, but once you do, it is a great plant to have in your collection.
Paper Plant
Paper Plant (Fatsia japonica) is also known as the False Castor Oil. It is also pet friendly. The plant is broad-leafed and each leaf typically has 8 lobes. It’s an evergreen shrub but when grown indoors doesn’t reach the full height.
Wax Plants
Wax plants (Hoya Carnosa) is a great trailing plant. It’s a great plant to add to your collection if you want to hang and trailing pet-safe plants. There are also other varieties including Hoya Compacta.
Hoya Publicalis
Hoya publicalis is also pet friendly. Hoya kerrii is also pet safe. Easy plants to grow as well as take care of for most people.
Lipstick Plant
The Lipstick Plant is also known as Aeschynanthus longicaulis. The plant produces cute red flowers that look like miniature sample tube lipsticks hence the name. The plant also has beautiful shiny foliage. They also like to be watered moderately.
Living Stones
Living Stones (Lithops varieties) also pets safe. They are interesting house plants that are available in brown, green, and even other colors. Some look like stones, while others look like horse feet. When provided with optimal conditions they produce flowers that appear at the end of stems that originate in between the stones.
Prayer Plants
The Prayer Plants or Maranta varieties are also non-toxic to pets. They are different varieties including the Red Maranta. They produce beautiful leaves with veins that form different patterns. Check this post on the complete care guide for Prayer Plants and varieties.
Baby’s Tears Pet Safe Indoor Houseplants
Baby’s Tears or Soleirolia soleirolii are also safe for your cats and dogs. However, Baby’s Tears also require a lot of attention. This is not the plant that will forgive you if you neglect it at all. It will die on you. They require a high frequency of watering and if you don’t remain on top of it, they will die.
Mother Ferns
Mother Ferns or Asplenium bulbierum are also safe for cats and dogs. Mother Ferns are great houseplants. You should consider them if you’re looking for tall big ferns. They are also easy to care for and are not super high maintenance.
Purple Passion Plant
The Purple Passion Plant or Gynura aurantiaca are also pet-safe indoor houseplants. Super pretty and have leaves with purple hairs that make the leaves appear velvety. The leaves have also led the plant to be referred to as the Purple Velvet Plant.
Red Star
The Red Star Plant or Cryptanthus bivittatus is also known as Starfish Plant or Earth Star Plant. A bizarre plant that grows to only 6-8 inches. They also prefer moderate light. Most of the time they are included in terrariums and planters.
Nerve Plant
Nerve plant or Fittonia varieties are also pet friendly. They are pretty houseplants with great variegation patterns. However, they are not the easiest to keep alive. This is a high maintenance indoor plant that even experienced plant owners struggle to keep alive. But if you master what they like, you will enjoy their beauty.
Prickly Pears
Prickly Pears or Opuntia is also pet friendly. The cactus plant is also known as tuna fruit, nopal, paddle cactus, and sabra. The fruits they produce are edible. They also produce pads that are wide and flat.
California Pitcher Plant
California pitcher plant or Darlingtonia californica is also non-toxic to pets. It is also commonly referred to as Cobra plant or Cobra lily.
It is also a carnivorous plant perfect for plant owners who like these types of plants. It attracts insects to its pitcher shaped leaves, traps them, and eventually dissolves them.
Venus Flytrap
Venus Flytrap or Dionaea muscipula plants also pet safe indoor houseplants. They are carnivorous flowering plants that can be grown successfully indoors. The perennial has two hinged lobes at the end of each leaf that trap and digest insects.
Conclusion
If you have pets it’s important to take a minute and find out which plants won’t be toxic to them. This is an extra consideration to the zone you intend to grow the plants in.
Most cats and dogs tend to leave plants alone and only play with them but you might have one that loves to chew and nibble on plants. It will only take a few minutes to find out if the plant you want to get is pet safe but it can save you a lot of headaches later.
Alternatively, if you love a certain plant and it’s not pet-safe, you can still get it but keep it out of reach.
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