People and Pet Friendly Houseplants
Got a hankering to greenify your home but worried about your furry friends or tiny tots? Fear not! There’s a jungle of houseplants that are totally safe for your household. When it comes to indoor plants and furry friends, the golden rule is: keep those leafy beauties out of paw's reach! But if you’re 100% sure your pet won’t turn your plants into chew toys, go wild and decorate away! I’ve got two older cats who couldn’t care less about the 50 plants chilling around them—it's like living in a jungle for them!
If tiny humans are your concern and they love to explore with their hands, it’s best to elevate those plants. But hey, if your little one is old enough to grasp the art of plant parenting, let them dive in! My daughter is a watering wizard and knows just when to snip off the sad leaves. This is a golden opportunity to show our kids on how to nurture the world around them! These plants are like little green teachers, demonstrating how their surroundings can totally switch up their growth game!
I’ve whipped up a wonderful list of 10 pet- and kid-friendly plants, featuring everything from palms and ferns to succulents and trailing beauties. Let’s dive in!
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Spider plants are a nice easy going plant that enjoy indirect sunlight and to be watered after the top 2” of soil dries out. If a spider plant thrives from its environment, it will produce plantlets that look like baby spiders. This is where the spider plant gets its name from. And it’s a houseplant that keeps on giving, so give some to your planty friends as gifts.
Calathea ( many varieties)
Some planty people have a love-hate relationship with this type of plant. They love the colors and shape of the leaves of the plant and the way it moves in the day and night time, but they are just too finicky to keep alive. A reason behind this is because they are a shade growing/ filtered light plant. This means keep it away from bright direct sunlight and dark areas of your home. Find a grow light to keep it under or in a east, west or south facing window area. They thrive on a well draining potting mix with peat moss mixed in. Follow this and your Calathea plant will thrive!
Parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
Parlor palms are a cute palm to me because most that I have seen are small and compact. They do eventually grow up to 6 feet in height, but they are slow growers. If you want a parlor palm to grow, keep it in bright, filtered light. A peat moss based potting mix will suffice and water the palm when the top 1” of soil dries out. They have a weak root system, so repotting will only be necessary if something unfortunate is happening to the plant.
Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
Ponytail palms are slow growers but are easy to care for. They love bright sunlight and only need to be watered every couple of weeks during the growing season. Less water is needed in winter. Ponytail palms are able to store water in the trunk so if you forget to water this plant, it’s not the end of the world. Keep this palm in some sandy potting mix with peat moss and you will have a happy ponytail palm.
Ferns ( many varieties)
Most of the ferns that people have in their houses are pet friendly. The asparagus fern is actually toxic to pets. They look very similar to most ferns but this one is from a different family, lily, actually. Boston, stag horn, lemon button, bird’s nest are all pet friendly plants. And to keep them thriving, they like a variety of light, some like filtered light to bright, indirect light. All ferns love humidity! This plant would be best kept in a bathroom or kitchen with windows for the humidity. Ferns love consistency with their watering schedule. When the top 1-2” of soil dries out, that is when it will be time for watering.
Peperomia ( many varieties)
All the varieties of Peperomia love medium indirect sunlight. If placed in direct light, the leaves will burn. These plants love chunky soil like an orchid bark potting mix and only needs watering when the top 2” of soil dries out. There are many different shapes and color variations of Peperomia out there, seek out them all!
Haworthia
This petite succulent makes a cute addition on a tabletop or bookshelf. It grows these green spikes dappled in white spots all around and stays relatively small. Since it’s a succulent, it loves bright sunlight. It will live best in sandy potting mix and needs watering when the top 1” of soil dries out in the growing seasons. Reduce watering in the cooler months.
Hoyas( many varieties)
Hoyas are one of the most popular plants that I have seen in the houseplant community online. So many people have them and love to show off their impressive blooms. I am still waiting for my Hoya carnosa to bloom but look forward to it when it happens. I’ll post pictures as soon as it happens. Anyways if you want your Hoya to thrive, you will want to plant it in well draining soil, put in bright, indirect sunlight and water when it dries out. They love humidity as well, keep this plant near a humidifier for boosted humidity.
Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides)
This houseplant is another plant that keeps on giving. Once placed in ideal living conditions, it will produce bright green, round leaves like crazy. They love bright indirect light, water thoroughly when half the soil dries out, and they live their best in well draining soil.
Money tree (Pachira aquatica)
Money trees will be most content in bright indirect sunlight, water when the top 1” of soil dries out, and keep in well draining potting mix. This houseplant is thought to bring good luck and prosperity. Plus this plant’s trunk can be found braided for an added aesthetically pleasing look.
There are tons of pet- and kid-friendly plants out there, just make sure to do your homework before you bring one home. Most stores have a special section for the safe ones, or just ask a friendly staff member. And voilà, you’re now a plant safety guru! Hope you picked up a thing or two from this leafy chat!
