Houseplants and Pets
Houseplants are a great way to bring the garden indoors with their fabulous foliage and air cleaning qualities. Unfortunately, some green-leafed beauties may be troublesome for our four-legged friends, and it is important to be mindful when bringing something potentially toxic into the home.
Below is a list of Pet Friendly Houseplants to help you in choosing an indoor plant safe for your dog or cat. We’ve also provided a short listing of houseplants to avoid. For a comprehensive listing, please visit ASPCA.
Pet Safe Plants
- Air Plants
- Aluminum Plant
- Boston Fern
- Maidenhair Fern
- Calathea
- Cast Iron Plant
- Christmas Cactus
- Echeveria
- Haworthia
- Hibiscus
- Hoya
- Lipstick Plant
- Norfolk Pine
- Peperomia
- Palour Palm
- Prayer Plant
- Spider Plant
- Staghorn Fern
Plants to Avoid
- Aloe
- Anthurium
- Asparagus Fern
- Bird of Paradise
- Caladium
- Calamondin Orange
- Calla
- Chinese Evergreen
- Clivia
- Croton
- Cyclamen
- Desert Rose
- Dracaena
- Dumb Cane
- English Ivy
- Euphorbia
- Ficus
- Fiddle Leaf Fig
- Jade
- Kalanchoe
- Lantana
- Philodendron
- Polka Dot Plant
- Pothos
- Rubber Plant
- Sago Palm
- Schefflera
- Snake Plant
- Wandering Jew
- Yucca
- Zebra Plant
Keeping Pets Away from Plants
Though it is important to choose non-toxic plants to protect your pets, you’ll also want to deter pets from damaging your plants. Here are a few of options:
- Critter Ridder – This pepper/oil blend has a scent to irritate animals when they taste/touch/smell the product. Simply scatter on top of the soil.
- Citrus – The scent of lemon and orange is a natural deterrent for cats and dogs. Place lemon or orange peels at the base of plants, or spray plants with a solution of diluted lemon juice.
- Pebbles & Pinecones – Decorative pebbles or cones are an effective way to deter digging for both cats and dogs, and also add a pretty touch to potted plants. Do not exceed 2” of rock.