If you’ve got a green thumb but you’re worried about keeping plants around your animals, you’re not alone. Many plants can be surprisingly toxic to cats and dogs! Let’s take a look at ten pet-safe house plants that you can keep indoors.
Boston Fern
The light and airy-looking Boston fern is a classic choice for hanging baskets. They prefer lower light and humidity, so this is a plant that often does best in a bathroom. Interestingly enough, any true fern is completely pet-safe, so go nuts with these!
Staghorn Fern
Staghorn ferns aren’t technically ferns, but they are durable and unique. They get their name from the antler-like shape of their leaves. Keep them in a bathroom with lots of humidity and a large window and they’ll perform quite well!
Prayer Plant
If you’re a fan of unusual plants, the prayer plant has some interesting behavior. At night, their leaves curl up, making it look like they’re “praying”. This is a way for the plant to preserve moisture. Essentially, it’s a plant that sleeps!
Cat Palm
Cat palms aren’t just adorably named, they’re also safe for your pets to be around. They’re best suited for a sunroom or a similar large room with lots of direct light. They can grow to be up to six feet tall, so make sure they’ve got plenty of room to spread out!
Spider Plants
The spider plant, also known as the airplane plant, has a unique appearance and is very easy to care for. They do just fine in low light conditions with occasional watering. They’re among the most popular houseplants due to their vitality and ease of cultivation.
Ponytail Palm
While a ponytail palm isn’t actually a palm tree, it’s easy to make that mistake. Its technically an agave, which means it needs very little water to survive. They need plenty of direct sunlight and occasional watering. They’ll grow up to four feet tall eventually!
Air Plants
The air plant doesn’t require much maintenance to look great. They’re also completely pet safe! They look interesting and don’t even need soil to grow, hence their name. Throw them in a terrarium or a display pot and watch them pull in the nutrients they need through their leaves. Just mist them every now and then and keep them in a humid room.
Orchid
Orchids can be tough to grow in some conditions. They need specialized soil and a very exacting watering schedule. However, some varieties like moth orchids are easier to cultivate than others. Just make sure they get low light and that you water them weekly and you’ll be set!
Read More: From Furballs to Freshness: 10 Ways to Maintain a Clean Home with Pets
African Violet
If you’re looking for a plant with blooming flowers but don’t have areas of direct sunlight in your home, check out the African violet. This hardy plant can bloom even when not in direct sunlight! Just make sure it doesn’t get direct sunlight and water it every now and then and watch it thrive.
Read More: 10 Ways to Keep Your Outdoor Cats Safe
Bromeliad
The tropical bromeliad is a fan of humidity, indirect light, and moss baskets. These bizarre-looking air plants don’t need soil and are instead capable of pulling their nutrients from the air around them. Store them in a bathroom or mist it once every few days and make sure it gets plenty of indirect sunlight.
Read More: Toxic Houseplants to Keep Your Pets Away From
