Pet-Friendly Plants!
- Posted on
- By Zocalo
Hey plant lovers and pet parents! It can be a dilemma: how to bring a living green plant world into your home without posing a risk to your furry family members? Luckily, you don't have to choose between a lush home and a happy pet. There are plenty of fantastic, non-toxic plants that can thrive indoors, adding a touch of green to your space without any worry.
We’ve split our favourites into two groups based on their light preferences, making it easy to find the perfect plant for any room in your home.
Low-Light & Pet-Friendly Plants
These plants are perfect for adding life to a shady corner or dimly lit hallway.
1. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum):
This is a classic for a reason. With its arching, striped leaves and a knack for producing "baby" plantlets, the spider plant is a fun and easy-to-care-for option. It's tough, adaptable to various light conditions, and completely safe for your pets to be around - in fact, cats love to nibble on the leaves as it acts as a mild stimulant for them!
2. Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura):
Known for its beautifully patterned leaves that fold up at night (like hands in prayer), this plant adds a dynamic element to your decor. It prefers medium to low indirect light and a moderate level of humidity, making it a great choice for a bathroom or a spot a few feet away from a window. Two great varieties include Lemon Lime and Red Maranta.
3. Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata):
If you're looking for a plant to give your home a tropical vibe, this is a great pick. Fairly slow-growing, these low-maintenance, air-purifying plants are perfectly safe for both cats and dogs.
4. Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum):
An airy and delicate plant that brings lush, understory vibes to any low-light corner. These beautiful fronds can be considered a bit more high-maintenance than some ferns, but they are definitely worth the effort.
Bright-Light & Pet-Friendly Plants
Do you have a sunny windowsill or a room that receives a lot of direct sunlight? These plants will absolutely soak it up!
1. Lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus radicans):
Lipstick plants are wonderfully versatile indoor plants, and bring lovely, bright blooms into your space. They do great hanging off a hook or in a plant stand where they can trail. Pet-friendly and long-blooming, this is a must-have plant for brighter spaces.
2. Pep Plant “Ginny” (Peperomia clusiifolia):
This is a great plant for beginners or those who prefer low-maintenance house plants. Pep plants come in a wide variety of foliage and forms, but “Ginny” is characterized by bright pink accents on the leaves. This plant can dry down between waterings and is fairly pest-resistant.
3. Hoya (Hoya carnosa):
Also known as a "wax plant," the Hoya is a vining plant with thick, waxy leaves that can produce beautiful clusters of star-shaped flowers. It loves bright, indirect light and is a great option for a hanging basket or a high shelf, keeping its trailing vines out of a pet's reach.
4. Echeveria (Echeveria spp.):
This is a popular type of succulent that forms beautiful rosettes of plump leaves in a wide variety of colours. Echeverias need lots of bright light to maintain their compact shape and are a great addition to a sunny spot.
These plants are guaranteed to make your house brighter, happier and healthier. With these options, you can create a beautiful indoor jungle that everyone in the family—pets included—can enjoy safely! Many other tropical and succulent indoor plants are safe for pets. Come into the store with any questions. We can point you in the right direction!