Plants and Pets: Our 10 Favorite Pet-Safe Indoor Plants

All too often in our nursery, people fall in love with a plant, only to remember, to their dismay, that not all houseplants are pet-safe. “Is this plant safe for dogs? Cats?” they ask.

The answer, as it turns out, is a bit complicated. Many of the most common varieties are not pet-safe indoor plants. That said, the majority of plants that are “poisonous” to your pet will actually only cause them some temporary discomfort, such as indigestion, of course depending on the size of your pet and how much of the plant he or she makes as a snack.

While pets munching on plants isn’t a problem we’ve personally experienced in our homes, it’s always a good idea to play it safe. That’s why we’ve assembled this list of our favorite pet-safe indoor plants that we commonly carry in the nursery and ship from our web shop. Plus, we’ve listed a few that you should avoid (or isolate from pet areas), just to be sure.

Our 10 Favorite Pet-Safe Indoor plants:

1. Rhipsalis – Mistletoe Cactus
   This easy-to-care-for jungle cactus works wonders as a hanging plant, mounted on cork, or in a kokedama.
   
   
2. Asplenium nidus – Bird’s Nest Fern
   Beautiful, rosette-like fern that is happy in medium light and looks beautiful as a kokedama.
   
   
3. Giant Tropical Bromeliads
   Low light tolerant, easy to care for, and shooting out enormous, long-lasting flower spikes
   
   
4. Hoya – Wax Plant
   A classic houseplant that lives for years and likely crept around your grandmother’s kitchen. Works well in a kokedama. Loads of Hoya species are available, and we love them all! A few favorites are Hoya carnosa 'Compacta,' Hoya kerrii, and Hoya pubicalyx.
   
   
5. Pilea peperomioides – Chinese Money Plant
   This is an Instagram-famous plant with coin or pancake-like leaves. A prolific grower, easy to care for, and with a look entirely unique! 
   
   
6. Chlorophytum comosum – Spider Plant
   Long, leaves, often variegated and curly, and produces lots of baby plantlets to share with your friends! Plus, it’s said to be a great air purifier
   
   
7. Echeveria – Hens and Chicks
   Beautiful rosettes that spread easily with little root space and love a sunny window.
   
   
8. Platycerium bifurcatum – Staghorn Fern
   Antler-like fronds shoot out of these epiphytic ferns, making them beautiful wall mounted plaques.
   
   
9. Tillandsia – Air Plants
   A favorite in aeriums and as standalone stunners, tillandsia are fascinating and easy to care for.
   
   
10. Calathea lancifolia – Rattlesnake Plant
    These colorful plants are perfect additions to any home! In fact, all Prayer Plants in the family Marantaceae are pet friendly!
    
    

Bonus: Peperomia species

Since we wrote this blog post, we’ve discovered loads more pet safe plants to love. All Peperomia species are considered safe to cats and dogs, and there are so many great ones to choose from, like Peperomia 'Hope' and Peperomia tetragona.

Plants to Avoid or Keep Away from your Pets

Unfortunately, many of our favorites fall onto this list of unsafe plants for pets. Here’s a few to keep away from your dog or cat.

• Epipremnum / Pothos species
• Philodendron species
• Monstera deliciosa
• Euphorbia species
• Schefflera species
• Jade plant / Crassula species
• Sansevieria / Dracaena

We hope this list of pet-safe indoor plants helps you liven up your home with confidence that everyone in your household will benefit from the greenery!