We thought we should develop a list of houseplants that are safe for your pets in the indoor garden. Read this so you can decide which plants you can feel comfortable bringing home.
A List Of The Houseplants That Are Safe For Pets
Researching the ASPCA website that lists the poisonous plants, we found that these are some of the houseplants that are safe for pets for you to consider. They are all listed as non-toxic to dogs and cats.
I have listed them alphabetically and included the Amazon links if you want to order them for your own home. I think we will all feel better if we have plants that are non-toxic for our pets!
African Violet (Saintpaulia spp)
Our first houseplant that is safe for pets, African violets are cute little plants with beautiful violet-colored blossoms. They are a bit quirky, but once you get to know about them, they are relatively easy to grow. And they don’t take up too much space.
They like moderate to bright, indirect sunlight. They like west- or south-facing windows. Try to turn the pots regularly to keep flowers from reaching for the light.
Keep the soil moist to dry. Allowing the soil around the roots to dry out before watering will encourage blooming. So will pinching off the spent blossoms.
Water them carefully, and do not get any water on their leaves as this will cause damage and spots. I heard that the best water for them is tepid and has been allowed to stand for 48 hours. Never let them stand in water or the roots could rot.
You can find African violets at Amazon. Get a few and make a showy display with them.
Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)
The Areca Palm is a beautiful houseplant that is safe for your pets. Other common names for the Areca Palm include Golden Butterfly Palm, Cane Palm, Golden Feather Palm, Yellow Palm.
Whatever you call them, the areca palms are one of the most popular indoor houseplants sold today and help bring a bit of the tropics into your indoor garden.
And, areca palms are one of the most efficient houseplants at purifying indoor air! You might want two or three in your house or office. Imagine a trip to the jungle every day!
Place the plant in indirect light. Keep the soil somewhat dry and water every two weeks.
You can get areca palms at Amazon.
Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
You’ve met lucky bamboo before. It seems to be everywhere: on office desks, homes, bathrooms, and available at the grocery store. You can find a three-stalk plant for around $10 or so.
Lucky bamboo is an important part of feng shui and thought to bring good luck and good fortune, especially so if one is the recipient of lucky bamboo as a gift.
This plant is popular and easy to care for. It has a reputation as being almost indestructible. It will survive in all lighting conditions, even indirect light. You’ll see some planted in water and some in soil.
And you can be comfortable bringing one home because they one of the houseplants that are safe for your pets.
But if you want a really happy lucky bamboo plant, place it in an area that gets bright, filtered sunlight and temperature ranges of 65°F – 90°F.
You can plant it in water or in well-drained potting soil. Keep the soil moist, not soaking.
You can find Lucky Bamboo at Amazon.
Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exalta bostoniensis)
This is a really old-fashioned houseplant that is safe for pets! Your great-grandma probably had one in her parlor!
Boston ferns love cool temperatures, indirect light, and high humidity. You could even keep one in the shower if you have room for it.
Keep the soil damp at all times, and don’t let it dry out. If the fern dries out or the humidity isn’t high enough, the leaves will turn yellow. To help with humidity, you could set the pot on a pebble tray with water in it, and even add moisture by misting water on the leaves with a sprayer. You might want to soak the pot once a month or so to keep the potting soil moist.
You can find Boston Ferns at Amazon.
Calathea (Calathea spp)
Also known as prayer-plants, Calatheas have beautiful green foliage with bold stripes of varied colors like purple and dark green. Other colors include rose, white, or yellow leaves. They remove toxins from the air and are one of the houseplants that are safe for pets if yours tries to eat one.
They are interesting plants and follow the light during the day. You can see them rearranging their leaves as the light moves. Watch out! Maybe they are watching us too.
Place them in an area with indirect light and temperatures between 65°F and 80°F. Direct sunlight can burn the leaves and cause their color to fade.
Calatheas prefer humidity in the air (above 50%) and are happy when placed next to a humidifier. Keep the soil moist and avoid overwatering. Don’t let the plant pot stand in water.
Propagate yearly by splitting the plant into two plants when repotting.
You can find Calathea plants at Amazon. This one is the gorgeous Rattlesnake Calathea (prayer plant).
Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)
A member of the lily family, it’s also known as iron plant, bar room plant, and ballroom plant. The cast iron plant is one of the toughest plants you can grow indoors.
I heard that they get their “cast iron” name because they can thrive almost anywhere regardless of being neglected, and in low light, low humidity, and a wide range of temperatures. They have been popular off and on since the Victorian times when they were used as decor in the parlors.
Most of cast iron plants have large, dark green leaves but you can find some that have white or yellow variegation on their leaves. They grow very slowly up to 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide at maturity.
You can find Cast Iron plants at Amazon.
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)
This is on my personal list of favorite houseplants! One of the most popular houseplants today, it’s also one of the most durable and easiest to grow. And the best part? They are safe for pets.
The Chinese evergreen tolerates neglect, poor light, dry air, and drought. You can fool everyone and look like a true plant expert with the resilience of this plant in your home!
Chinese Evergreens will grow up to a maximum of 3 feet tall. They require moderate watering in a well-drained pot. Place in an area with medium to low light or indirect sunlight.
You can find an assortment of Chinese Evergreens at Amazon. This one is the Silver Bay.
Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii)
One of my all-time favorite houseplants is the Christmas Cactus. I have a Christmas cactus of my own that I bought a few years ago, and another that my grandmother passed down to me. This is another houseplant that is non-toxic for cats and dogs.
There are actually three different types of holiday cacti: Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. You can tell the difference by their leaf shape and flowers.
- Christmas cacti have flattened leaves with rounded teeth and tubular flowers.
- Thanksgiving cacti have flattened leaves with sharp teeth and tubular flowers.
- Easter cacti have flattened leaves with rounded teeth and daisy-like flowers.
Most of the Christmas cactus you see at the stores are actually Thanksgiving cacti. They tend to bloom at the perfect time of year around the holiday season. When you begin to see this Brazilian native bloom, it’s telling you “Winter is coming,” just like John Snow.
The blooms often are seen in pink or purple hues and will stick around for a week or so. If your cactus is healthy, it may bloom a few times a year!
This plant loves to be on a windowsill but likes a little humidity. Make sure to water when its soil begins to dry out.
You can find Christmas Cactus at Amazon. The one I linked to has beautiful, vibrant Fuschia colored blossoms.
Fittonia (Fittonia verschaffeltii)
These are also known as Nerve plant, Jewel Plant, Silver Nerve, Mosaic Plant, or Silver Threads. Quite a variety of names, huh?
Fittonia is a small plant that features beautiful red, pink, or white veins that contrast nicely with the dark green foliage. I love this plant because it’s so sweet in any surroundings. And the best part of the Fittonia is that the entire species is safe for pets.
An easy to grow house plant, Fittonia prefers bright, indirect light, and can be happy in your bathroom or other locations.
Keep the potting soil evenly moist, not too wet or too dry.
Trim is as needed, so you can keep the shape you prefer.
You can find Fittonia plants at Amazon.
Goldfish Plant (Columnia gloriosa)
A common name of the Goldfish Plant is Candy Corn Plant. It kind of resembles candy corn. This houseplant is not poisonous to cats or dogs and safe for your pets.
A cousin to the African violet, the Goldfish Plant is a trailing plant with dark green leaves that produces masses of bright orange flowers that look like goldfish (you might have to squint to see it!). They bloom in the spring and summer.
A mature plant will have stems that are 2 to 3 inches long and branches that are 3 feet long.
Place it in an area that receives bright, indirect light. They can even thrive under artificial light.
Use a soil that is fast-draining. Water generously in the summer and keep the soil always moist. In the winter, cut back on the water and let the soil become slightly drier. Try to keep the leaves dry when watering.
Goldfish plants like to be slightly pot-bound. When you re-pot it every 2-3 years, limit the new pot to just one size larger than the last one.
Here’s a link to Goldfish Plants at Amazon.
Ivy Peperomia (Peperomia griseoargentea)
All peperomia are non-toxic to dogs and cats. These little plants have many names including Platinum Peperomia, Silver leaf Peperomia, Ivy leaf Peperomia.
You might think these are succulents because of their thick leaves, but they are not! Peperonia prefer more humidity than succulents do. They make great houseplants because they are easy to care for, adapt well to a variety of conditions, and are available in many leaf shapes and colors. They can grow to 12 inches wide and 8 inches tall, depending on which plant you get.
Place them in an area that receives light to moderate light. They make ideal candidates for a desk-top plant because they can also flourish under artificial light,
They like steadily moist soil, but not soggy. Don’t overwater your peperomia! Peperomia thrive when slightly rootbound, so plant them in a smaller pot using rich potting soil.
Propagation is easy using leaf cuttings. Take a large leaf with the stem and bury in seedling starting soil. Place the plant in a warm, bright area until it starts to grow.
The watermelon peperomia is very popular as a houseplant or in offices on your desk. You can find it at Amazon.
Haworthia (Haworthia spp)
Looking like an aloe vera plant, haworthia are delightful small succulents with white pearls or stripes on their fleshy green leaves. You would care for the haworthia just like you would aloe vera. Bonus, these are cute houseplants that are safe for plants.
There are about 80 species of haworthia. They go by different names like pearl plant, zebra cactus, star window plant and cushion aloe. The main differences are the size of the leaves and the orientation of the white markings. They are slow growers, reaching a height 3″ – 5″ tall at maturity.
Place them in an area with bright light and partial sun. Direct sunlight can cause leaf burns.
Don’t overwater them and don’t let them sit in water! Only water them when the soil feels dry in the summer, and then only water them every month in the winter.
Here’s an assortment of three different Haworthias that is available at Amazon.
Hoya ‘krinkle kurl’ (Hoya carnosa)
These are called Hindu Rope Plant and Porcelain Flower, and you can see why!
Another name for this is the wax plant. The hoya is one of the best indoor flowering plants for beginners, and it’s not poisonous to dogs and cats.
It has trailing stems that are lined with beautiful waxy foliage and can grow to 4 feet or more. It will produce small clusters of fragrant pink flowers that you’ll be able to smell all through the house.
You can choose how you want your hoya to grow. It can be a trailing or trained as a climbing plant.
Place the plant in an area that receives medium to bright light in temperatures between 55°F – 75°F.
This is a low-water plant. Allow the top of the soil to dry out between watering.
You can get the Hoya or Hindu Rope Plant at Amazon.
Parlour Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
You’ve seen its fronds in floral arrangements, palm Sunday decorations, and palm wreaths. A popular indoor palm, the Parlor Palm also goes by Miniature Fish Tail Dwarf Palm, Good Luck Palm, and Bamboo Palm.
It has been an immensely popular houseplant since it was introduced due to its ease of care. It is adapted to lower light and temperatures, it grows in clumps that look great in pots, and is safe for pets, your dogs and cats.
Place your parlor palm in an area with bright, filtered sunshine and perhaps a north exposure.
Water when the top 1 inch of soil feels dry and err on the side of underwatering. Yellow fronds are a sign of underwatering; roots will rot if overwatered.
There is no need for repotting, as they grow slowly and have a weak root system that doesn’t like to be disturbed.
Look at this beautiful Parlour Palm at Amazon. You won’t regret getting one!
Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
Another palm that is safe for pets is known as the Elephant’s Foot, Elephant-Foot Tree, Pony Tail Plant, Bottle Palm. The Ponytail Palm is not really a palm but a succulent from the lily family. This plant is one of the easier houseplants to care for and is a non-toxic plant for your pets.
The swollen trunk is a water reservoir for storage, so it can go without water for long periods. This plant is perfect for the person who forgets to water the plants!
Slow growing, the ponytail palm tolerates dry air and likes even, hot temps. Place it in an area that receives bright light and with a range of temperatures between 65°F – 75°F.
Allow the soil to dry out between watering. Avoid frequent watering and don’t overwater it!
This Ponytail Palm is available at Amazon.
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
This is a wonderful houseplant that is easy to care for and it is non-toxic to pets.
Other names include Ribbon Plant, Anthericum, Spider Ivy, the Spider Plant is really fun.
Spider plants were in the NASA clean air study and found to eliminate carbon dioxide from the air.
One of the most popular houseplants, spider plants are very adaptable and very prolific. They can adapt to almost any condition. They are tough, low maintenance, and easy to propagate, making them one of the easiest house plants to grow.
Spider plants are really easy to grow and they are also houseplants that are safe for your pets!
Several varieties are available, and you mostly see them displayed as hanging plants. The plants form grass-like clumps with long slender stems hanging two to three feet below the container. Spider plants are named for the baby plantlets, or spiderettes, that form on their dangling stems.
You can propagate the spider plants by putting the spiderettes into potting soil for rooting. You will have so many spider plants that you could give them to friends and family!
They like evenly moist soil, and bright to medium light. Their favorite room temperature is between 60°F-75°F.
You can find Spider Plants at Amazon.
Houseplants That Are Safe For Pets
Recently, I wrote about some of the houseplants that are toxic to pets, and that could poison your dog or cat.
Today, I talked about 16 fabulous houseplants that are safe for your pets and easy to care for.
They are all beautiful. All of these plants would look good in your home and be safe in case your pets decide to try a bite.
Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.