The two most loved ways to breathe life in your home are to get pets and plants. While pets are your companion for everything, plants take care of the positive environment around you. While plants can add lushness and positivity to your home, many species are toxic to your pet. Even if your pets are well trained, they will take a bite from your houseplant someday or the other.
Dogs or cats may eat plants during a play session or while chasing someone. Dogs and cats may also ingest the plant to calm an upset stomach. While it’s not quite possible to keep our pets away from plants, you can ensure they aren’t toxic. Some plants are so toxic to pets that they may even cause seizures, tremors, or worse. Don’t get disheartened. There’s always hope. You won’t have to compromise with either greenery or having pets. Here are 9 pet-safe houseplants you can place in your home.
Contents
African Violet
If you want a decorative plant for your home that is also pet safe, look no further than the African Violet. With mesmerizing purple or pink hues, these plants produce gorgeous blooms. Want more reasons to get an African Violet? These plants are very low maintenance and don’t need bright light to survive. So, if you want something gorgeous to make up a dull corner of your house, this plant is a perfect choice.
Air Plants
Air plants are extremely pet-friendly and low-maintenance plants as they don’t even need soil to grow. That means no need to water the plants every day. These plants can grow in bright indirect light and need water once a week. Most people hang them in baskets as they only grow less than 12 inches. However, cats and dogs find the leaves of air plants very tempting, so make sure you keep them out of their reach.
Christmas Cactus
Unlike their counterparts, Christmas Cacti are safe and non-toxic plants to have around notorious cats and dogs. Still, keep them out of their reach because they can cause discomfort when eaten despite not being toxic. The plant grows well with regular watering and in indirect bright light.
Parlour Palm
There’s nothing better than a parlor palm if you’re looking for a decorative indoor pet safe plant. Also, parlor palm is a great option if you’re a beginner as it very low maintenance. Water these plants when you see the top layer being dry and store them in bright indirect light.
Spider Plant
Native to southern and tropical Africa, this plant is also known as the spider ivy, ribbon plant, or airplane plant. The plant grows well in moderate light and doesn’t even require regular watering. You can even grow more spider plants from the baby’s mother plant. Let the soil dry between waterings, and your plant will grow up to 12 inches tall and 24 inches wide.
Certain Succulents
Many succulents, including Haworthia, Echeveria, or a group of air plants, are not problematic, but many plants may create problems for your pet. That’s why make sure you research about every variety before bringing it home. Jade, for instance, is dangerous to pets despite being similar to other succulents. Most succulents stay small when grown indoors and thrive in indirect sunlight. Also, they need watering once every couple of weeks.
Staghorn Fern
This fern grows wild in Australia and has two different kinds of fronds. The pet-friendly plant can be mounted on a wall, potted, or hung in a basket. Staghorn Fern will do well in direct or indirect sunlight but never in a dark room. Also, depending on humidity and weather, you can water the plants every one or three weeks. The more humidity, the less you need to water it.
Friendship Plant
The friendship plants have extremely soft leaves and are completely harmless to your pets. This small plant can grow well in low light as long as it gets a few hours of sunlight daily. You’ll occasionally see pale pink buds on the plant.
Bromeliads
If you want a low-maintenance plant that doesn’t require much watering but still produces gorgeous flowers, go for bromeliads. These amazing plants thrive in direct sunlight and can grow up to 20 inches tall. No matter which bromeliads variety you pick, you’ll get a touch of tropics to your home with a pet-safe plant.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to give up your green dream due to your furry friend. You can totally have them together and be happy! While all the plants mentioned in the list are not toxic to your pets, it’s best to keep them at a place your pets can’t reach to protect the foliage. Do this, especially when you’re living with a chewer.