Are you a pet parent looking to start a greenery indoors? You must proceed with caution because there are many houseplants that pose a threat to our furry friends. But don’t despair; there are also many pet-friendly options. Therefore, why pick either pets or houseplants when you can have both?
Select the right houseplants to beautify your home, purify the air, regulate humidity, and make your home generally pleasant without putting your pets at risk.
Cultivate a thriving garden indoors with a selection of pet-friendly houseplants. Below are 30 excellent plants that are not only safe for pets but also beautiful.
19 Pet Safe Houseplants (With Pictures)
1. Boston Fern
This tropical sword fern with lush, feathery fronds makes an attractive addition to traditional and contemporary décor styles. You can put this humidity-loving plant in your bathroom and kitchen. Boston Ferns were popular in the Victorian era and continue to be loved today.
2. Spider Plant
It’s among the easiest plants to grow indoors. It thrives with minimal care and can adapt to various indoor growing conditions, from bright, indirect sunlight to partial shade. With proper care, this plant can remain attractive and healthy for many years.
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3. Areca Palm
Add some tropical touch to your indoor spaces with this stunning plant with slender, yellow-green fronds. It’s a worthy choice if you desire a large houseplant that is safe for dogs and cats. It’s best grown in bright, indirect sunlight but can tolerate low light.
4. Cape Marigold
This plant does little harm to pets even if ingested. Besides being safe for pets, consider growing cape marigolds indoors for their cheerful, eye-catching flowers and long flowering periods. Their daisy-like flowers come in many vibrant colors, including yellow, orange, pink, and purple.
4. African Violet
Keep this dazzling flowering plant in a spot with plenty of sunlight, and it will brighten your house with colorful flowers all year round. Its tiny size makes it ideal for container growing, hence perfect for apartments, offices, and other small spaces.
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6. Bamboo Palm
It’s graceful, elegant, pet-friendly, an air purifier, and versatile, but it is a tall plant that grows up to 8 feet tall. So, avoid the bamboo palm if you don’t want a large plant or lack space. They grow best in consistently moist soil, but occasional drying between waterings isn’t harmful.
7. Money Tree
This houseplant offers a unique, ornamental piece perfect for offices and homes. They are typically sold with the trunks braided together and have distinct glossy, green, palmate leaves. Although money trees are pet friendly, keep them out of their reach because frequent ingestion causes gastrointestinal upset.
8. Cast Iron Plant
Famously associated with resilience and the ability to tolerate neglect, cast iron plant is super low-maintenance plant suits you if you often forget about your houseplants. This long-lived plant grows slowly, requires infrequent repotting, and can maintain its attractive appearance for extended periods.
9. Friendship Plant
This pet-friendly plant carries a unique cultural significance. You can easily propagate your friendship plant and gift the new plants to your loved ones. Hang your friendship plant in containers or baskets to display its cascading foliage and interesting leaf shape.
10. Parlor Palm
This is another excellent choice for those seeking for large house plants safe for pets, as it can grow up to 6 feet tall indoors. The gracefully arching fronds and slender, green leaves give this plant a classic and timeless aesthetic. Parlor palms can tolerate low light but are sensitive to overwatering.
11. Christmas Cactus
Grow Christmas cactus indoors in well-draining, organic-rich soil mixes, and somewhat humid conditions. During selection, pick a variety with the size, shape, and flower color that will complement your décor and preference. It blooms around Christmas and often lasts well into the New Year.
12. Peperomia
With over 1,000 known species, each with unique characteristics, there’s a Peperomia perfect for your indoor garden. This compact, slow-growing plant will do well in your home’s small spaces like desks and shelves. It’s eye-catching due to the dazzling foliage and smooth, shiny texture.
13. Prayer Plant
The prayer plant deserves consideration for a statement piece due to its prized, colorful foliage with intricate stripes, veins, or spot patterns. That’s not all; the leaves open and close in response to light changes, which is captivating and visually interesting.
14. Baby’s Tears
It’s a delightful little plant with tiny, round leaves that densely cover trailing stems, giving it a soft, lush appearance. If you run your fingers through the dense foliage, you will experience a soothing feeling. Baby’s Tears is an enjoyable indoor plant that won’t harm your pets.
15. Bromeliad
A humid environment and bright light are sufficient for bromeliad to thrive indoors. You do not need a soil mix to plant bromeliads; just mount them on wood or cork pieces. It produces stunning flowers that emerge from the rosette’s center and can last several weeks or even months.
15. Burro’s Tail
To showcase this plant’s unique look in full effect, grow it in hanging baskets, tall containers, or elevated planters. Burro’s tail has bluish-green, fleshy, cylindrical leaves with a smooth surface and a slightly powdery coating that grows densely along the trailing stems.
17. Haworthias
Known for their rosette-shaped leaves, often with intricate patterns or textures, Haworthia’s are excellent ornamental houseplants. Like other succulents, Haworthias flourish in arid conditions, hence perfect for water-wise gardening. Grow it in soil mix for succulents, bright, indirect light, and warm temperatures.
18. Orchids
Enjoy orchids’ diverse and impressive floral displays, from Phalaenopsis orchids’ classic moth-like blooms to Oncidiums’ delicate, star-shaped flowers, without worrying about your pet’s wellbeing. Under the right conditions, this flowering plant can retain its bloom for several weeks, even months.
19. Ponytail Palm
Ponytail palm is among the best air-purifying plants and is thus perfect for indoor growing. It is a resilient plant with a swollen, bulbous trunk that stores water and can tolerate neglect, withstand drought, and even forgive occasional overwatering. It can tolerate temperature and humidity fluctuations to some degree.
20. Polka Dot Plant
The Polka dot plant effortlessly adds color and interest to any room due to its vibrant, spotted foliage. The leaves come in different colors, like pink, red, white, and green, with contrasting polka dot-like spots or splotches. This plant is primarily an indoor plant and it’s safe for your pets.
21. Swedish Ivy
Swedish Ivy combines beauty, versatility, and pet-friendly characteristics to give you a lovely houseplant. It will look great in tall containers or hanging baskets because it’s a cascading plant. You can make new Swedish Ivy plants from existing ones with minimal effort through propagation.
22. Baby Rubber Plant
You cannot go wrong with a baby rubber plant if you seek a tropical-looking, pet-safe, low-maintenance, compact houseplant. While it occasionally blooms, the tiny flowers are not showy. The real showstopper is the glossy green, thick, fleshy spoon-shaped leaves.
22. Lipstick Plant
Aside from the Christmas Cactus, this is another winter-blooming plant that will happily co-exist with your pets. Its stunning flowers resemble lipstick tubes and hang down from the long, slender stems in clusters for an elegant look.
24. Aluminum Plant
This houseplant is also called a watermelon plant because it looks like watermelon skin. The leaves oval shape and intricate patterns of silver markings give the plant a shimmering appearance. Aluminum Plants prefer consistently moist soil, regular watering, and bright, indirect light.
25. Calathea Rattlesnake
Calathea Rattlesnake is super cool for multiple reasons. It is non-toxic to cats, dogs, and other pets, has air-purifying properties, and unique leaf movements. The leaves droop at night due to water pressure drop, then rise again when daylight comes.
26. Air Plants
Display this epiphytic plant (it doesn’t need soil to grow) decoratively by attaching them to decorative items. You could attach it to driftwood, insert it in glass terrariums, arrange it on shelves, or even hang it from the ceiling.
27. Staghorn Plants
These plants stand out in appearance, resembling a pair of elk or deer antlers, and because they can grow without soil. Create a living wall art piece by mounting your staghorn plant on a wooden plant and hanging it on a wall.
28. Venus Fly Trap
Introduce some fun and funk to your indoor spaces with this carnivorous plant. You may be concerned that your pets may find this plant intriguing and want to nibble on it. Fortunately, this will not lead to a trip to the vet.
29. Wax Plant
When your wax plants bloom, the pleasant scent of its fragrant flowers will perfume the room. You will notice the fragrance more readily if you place the plant strategically in smaller spaces like bedrooms. This beautiful plant also has thick, glossy, waxy leaves.
30. Gloxinia
Gloxinia is a fantastic choice for a flowering, pet-friendly houseplant. It’s popular for indoor decoration due to its big, showy flowers. Each flower has a bell-like shape with ruffled edges. The large, rich-green, velvety, and heart-shaped leaves create a lovely backdrop for the blooms, giving the plant a visually captivating look.
Summary
Despite your best efforts, pets often find a way to put things they shouldn’t in their mouths. Therefore, stick to non-toxic plants. In addition, place your houseplants where pets cannot reach them or use deterrents such as bitter sprays or barriers to keep your pets from digging or chewing on them.
Hey there, fellow plant enthusiasts! I’m Rachel, the green-thumbed writer behind Rooted In Garden. With a deep-rooted love for all things botanical, I’ve made it my mission to help you cultivate a thriving collection of houseplants. As a devoted plant parent myself, I understand the joys and challenges that come with nurturing these leafy wonders. Whether you’re a succulent aficionado, an orchid enthusiast, or simply adore all potted flora, join me on this journey as we explore the secrets to growing and caring for our beloved green companions. Together, let’s create a flourishing oasis indoors.