Hi There.
Although your plants will probably never be 'safe' from your pets
There are non-toxic houseplants for your animals. And there are a few risky varieties. You don't have to choose between plant friends and dog and cat friends. You can own beautiful houseplants while parenting your pets, simply do a little research to find pet-safe plants botanicals instead of poisonous ones.
Houseplants That Are Safe To Bring Home to Your Furry Friend
I have pulled together a list of four suggestions so you know How-To get your green thumb going. These suggestions should keep your plants and pets happy. This way you feel confident to leave your leafy friends and furry fellas at home together.
Image of our family and shop dog, Tulley. We adopted him from the Atlanta Humane Society animal shelter on Howard Mill Road. Tulley attended Daren's training program at Five Star Pet Resort in Crabapple and brings us joy.
1. Spider Plant
A favorite among veterinarians, this plant is hardy, stylish and safe. The easy to grow Spider plant is resilient and named for the their eight-leg appearance. If you like hanging basket plants, this is your man. The long dangly legs with charming platelets are popular with cats. Spider plants are also great air purifiers, so they can help get rid of your home’s toxins.
Care instructions:
Spider plants don’t like direct sunlight (it scorches their leaves). Though they’ll tolerate lower light conditions, indirect bright light in temperatures of 60–80 degrees F is where they flourish best.
- 15 spider plants can purify the air in an average size house.
- Spider plants grow from 12 to 24 inches tall.
- Spider plants are a perennial herb.
- If wrapped in a ribbon and given as a gift, a spider plant symbolizes caring.
- A spider plant’s scientific name is chlorophytum comosum and it belongs to the Asparagaceae family.
Image courtesy The Habitat: Why You Should Have Spider Plants In Your Home
2. Staghorn Fern
This popular fern is popular in our shop and Staghorn Ferns Mounting Worshops like the one we had at Barnsley Resort always sell out.
According to Daniela Lopez on The Wildest, "These unusual plants have two types of leaves: one heart-shaped and one that looks like the horns of a deer (hence the name). They are non-toxic to both cats and dogs, and they are easy to grow if you provide the right living conditions. Typically, these unique plants will be found mounted on a wall or draping from a hanging basket."
Care instructions:
These ferns do well in bright or indirect light, but they ask you to please avoid a dark room. Depending on the weather and humidity, you can water it every one to three weeks (the more humidity, the less you need to water it). If you place it in a bathroom, you’ll need to water and mist it only every three weeks. Keep your Staghorn ferns in a loose, fast-draining soil in temperatures of 60–80 degrees F.
Additional Reading:
- How to Mount a Staghorn Fern
- Staghorn Ferns 101 from Martha Stewart
Image courtesy Apartment Therapy: 7 Rooms That Will Make You Want A Staghorn Fern
Image courtesy Lauren Leiss: How To Keep Plants Alive If You Have A Black Thumb
3. Herbs
Basil, rosemary, and thyme are great herbs that are absolutely safe for your pets to eat. These plants love direct light as a window sill is usually a great location. They also make the yard interesting to pets and have magic powers like repelling fleas.
Care instructions:
Water regularly and expect seeds to harvest sometime between 75 and 100 days, depending on the herb.
The oils in the garden herbs below make them naturally great flea repellants:
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leawort (Erigeron canadense), annual
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Fleabane/pennyroyal (Menta pulegium), perennial
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Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), perennial
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Wormwood (Artemisia absinthum), shrubby perennial
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Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis), shrub
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Sweet Bay (Laurus nobilis), tree
Shop: Wooden Herb Plant Stakes in Wooden Box, Colonial House of Flowers
Image courtesy Cat Time: 5 Tasty Herbs That Are Safe To Feed Your Cats
4. (Many) Succulents
Add some pet-friendly succulents like a Haworthia, Echeveria, or a group of air plants and it's all good.
Care instructions:
For the most part succulents are pretty easy plants to care for which makes them popular houseplants, you’ll want to make sure they get plenty of direct sunlight and light watering every two or so weeks. Make sure the soil is dry before you whip out the watering can.
- Zebra Haworthia.
- Blue Echeveria.
- Ponytail Palm.
- Burro's Tail.
- Sempervivum “Ruby Heart”
- Holiday Cacti.
- Haworthia retusa.
- Opuntia Species.
Image taken by Catherine Smeader Photography at a Colonial House of Flowers Succulent Workshop inside the Highland Village Pottery Barn in Houston, Texas.
Image courtesy of Buzzfeed: 15 Plants That Are Beautiful AND Safe For Cats and Dogs (@infinitesucculent / Via instagram.com)
Did you find the plants lsted in this article helpful? What are some of your favorites pet friendly botanicals? Let us know and send us pictures. If you have a cat or dog be sure to shop for those babies pet accessories, dog beds & pet toys in the our CHOF Pet Shop