There’s no question that both houseplants and pets make our homes a happier place to live. They both make great company, give us something to take care of, and bring so much joy to our lives. And that’s why we put together this list of 11 pet-friendly houseplants that are easy to keep alive.
We want to make sure that your pets and houseplants can live together in harmony. If your pets tend to nibble on houseplants or you keep houseplants low to the ground, you should make sure that they are safe for your pets.
We chose these non-toxic indoor plants because they’re easy to find online, most are sold at big box stores, and they’re easy to care for. We want both you and your pets to live in harmony!
Note: Eating any plant can cause vomiting and diarrhea in our pets but ours is a list of nontoxic plants for pets. (Source: https://www.aspca.org/news/liven-your-space-these-pet-friendly-plants)
Nell’s thoughts on toxicity, pets and houseplants.
Some Of Our General Houseplant Guides For Your Reference:
- Guide To Watering Indoor Plants
- Beginner’s Guide To Repotting Plants
- 3 Ways To Successfully Fertilize Indoor Plants
- How to Clean Houseplants
- Winter Houseplant Care Guide
- Plant Humidity: How I Increase Humidity For Houseplants
Most Popular Non-toxic Houseplants
Christmas Cactus
A Christmas Cactus is a beautiful and easy-to-care-for houseplant that blooms around the holidays. Christmas Cacti (Thanksgiving & Holiday Cactus included) love bright light but no direct sun so keep yours out of a hot window.
Buy a Christmas Cactus online
Be sure not to overwater your Christmas Cactus or else its roots can rot. Wait for the soil to dry up completely, then water it thoroughly. This usually means every 2-3 weeks, depending on the size of the pot, the soil it’s in, and what type of light exposure it has. When they’re blooming, you can water it a little more frequently.
Since Christmas Cacti are actually tropical cacti, they like a little more humidity than other cacti. You can mist them to keep them looking nice but avoid doing so when in bloom.
Many people think of Christmas Cactus as a holiday blooming plant but they are actually long-lasting indoor plants.
More On Christmas Cactus Care:
- Christmas Cactus Care Tips
- How To Propagate Christmas Cactus
- How To Get Your Christmas Cactus To Flower Again
Baby Rubber Plant
Baby Rubber Plants are a great option for beginning indoor gardeners because they are easy to care for and their thick, glossy leaves are so cute! They do well in moderate, bright indirect light. Make sure not to keep these pet-friendly houseplants too close to direct light or else their leaves can burn.
Since their leaves and stems are so thick, they store water very easily, so don’t over do it with the watering. Water approximately every 7-10 days in the summer and every 14 – 21 days in the winter.
Let the soil almost completely dry out in between waterings. One good way to measure this is to just stick your finger right in the soil. If your finger comes out dry, then it’s time to water. If there’s damp soil stuck to your finger, then you know you can wait a couple of days and then check again.
More On Baby Rubber Plant Care:
- How To Plant Baby Rubber Plant Cuttings
- Pruning and Propagating a Baby Rubber Plant
- Buy a Baby Rubber Plant online
Hoya
Hoyas, usually sold as hanging plants, are another great pet-friendly option for beginners because they are very durable. They offer so many choices in terms of leaf shape, size, and color.
It’s definitely better to underwater your Hoya than to overwater it. In the summer, water them about every 7-10 days and in the winter you can water them every 14 days or so. Just make sure the soil is almost completely dry before watering. And make sure whatever soil you pot your in is rich in nutrients and drains well.
More On Hoya Care:
Spider Plant
Spider Plants are the plants that keep on giving! As they mature, you’ll see babies (pups) appear on long stems. They’re easy to propagate and make great gifts for friends (or you can keep it yourself and keep growing your collection).
These pet-friendly houseplants have thick roots. Check the soil every 10-14 days and water yours when the soil is dry. I like to water most of my houseplants over the kitchen sink to make sure I water deep enough and allow the water to fully drain out the bottom.
Spider Plants do best in bright, indirect light. That’s where they will produce the most babies. They’ll do fine in lower light conditions but you may not see babies and the growth will be slower. Make sure yours isn’t in any hot sun or else the leaves will burn.
More On Spider Plant Care:
- Spider Plant Care
- Spider Plant Repotting
- 1 Way To Get more Spider Plant Babies
- Buy a Spider Plant online
Ponytail Palm
Ponytail Palms are a fun and unique houseplant that thrives with lots of bright light. This isn’t a hyseplant that does well with lower light.
Buy a Ponytail Palm
Make sure to rotate your Ponytail Palm so it gets an even light exposure all around it. You might even want to move yours to a brighter window in the winter months to keep it growing strong.
They grow very slowly, which is good for beginners since they won’t need to be repotted as often as other houseplants.
Ponytail Palms store water in their trunks and bulbous bases so definitely let yours dry out between waterings.
More On Ponytail Palm Care:
Phalaenopsis Orchids
Phalaenopsis orchids are very popular pet-friendly houseplants, and for good reason! Their flowers are beautiful, they’re widely available, and when taken care of correctly, they can bloom multiple times.
More On Phalaenopsis Orchid Care:
- Phalaenopsis Orchid Care
- Pruning A Phalaenopsis Orchid For Rebloom
- How To Water A Phalaenopsis Orchid
- Buy a Phalaenopsis Orchid online
Peperomia
Peperomias are very similar to Hoyas in their care. They do best in moderate light, but can also tolerate low light conditions too. If your Peperomia has a lot of variation and coloring, you will need more light to maintain the foliage.
Neoregelias
Spider Mites
you can read more about that here
