Yes, houseplants can be poisonous to pets – but these 7 are completely safe
Houseplants are a great way to add color to your home, and they can even help purify the air, but if you have a cat or dog, you want to make sure that any plant you bring home is safe for them.
Although it may seem strange, some of the most popular houseplants can be quite dangerous to our pets. The American Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reports that toxic exposure to plants and fungi accounted for 8.1% of calls to the animal poison control center in 2023.
To find out which plants are best for your furry family members, I asked Joe Ferrari, owner of Take care of Green Pointa plant shop and garden shop, for his input. Ferrari has been running his plant shop in Brooklyn since 2018 and has experience researching pet-safe plants and marking which ones in his shop are non-toxic.
Here’s everything you need to know about combining plants with pets.
Which plants are not poisonous to cats and dogs?
1. Money tree
Money trees usually have multiple stems that are braided together.
Money trees are being considered bring luck and fortune to their owners, hence the name. According to the New York Botanical Gardenthe often woven plants can grow anywhere between 3 and 1.80 meters tall indoors.
2. Real ferns
Real ferns are not poisonous to cats and dogs.
Many ferns are not poisonous to pets, including Boston ferns, moss ferns And staghorn ferns. Some plants with ‘fern’ in the name are not actually true ferns and can be poisonous to cats and dogs asparagus fernaccording to the ASPCA.
3. Spider plant
Spider plants have slender and narrow leaves
Spider plants are low maintenance and fast growing. They are also one of the best plants for air purification and low-light environments.
4. Bamboo
Real bamboo grows best in the ground and not in rocks or pebbles.
Like ferns, bamboo is not poisonous to pets if it is real bamboo. Despite their nicknames, both sacred bamboo And lucky bamboo are not true bamboos and are poisonous to cats and dogs.
5. Hoya
The flowers of hoya carnosa houseplants are usually white and pink, as seen in this close-up photo.
There are numerous varieties of hoya plants and they are pet safe. They are also one plant that blooms and are often called wax plants.
6. African violet
African violets should be watered about once a week.
African violet plants can do that too grow flowers in numerous colors – usually purple – on top of their leaves, making them a perfect addition to any home.
7. Haworthia
Haworthias belong to the succulent family.
These popular succulents have many varieties. Haworthia fasciata, commonly called a zebra plantgrows in a striped pattern and requires minimal maintenance.
The list doesn’t end there. Ferrari said there are a few additional and non-poisonous plants lady palmwhich can thrive in indirect sunlight, and the ponytail palm, which does best in direct sunlight.
What makes a houseplant poisonous to pets?
“Overall, the composition of the plant material determines whether a plant is considered poisonous,” Ferrari said. “Things like certain salts, proteins or chemicals can all cause irritation in cats, dogs or even people.”
Ferrari said the negative reaction cats and dogs can experience to poisonous plants can occur after ingestion, but also that “some plants contain chemicals in their sap that cause a reaction on contact.”
If in doubt, check the ASPCAs website, which has an extensive list of plants with details on whether they are poisonous or non-poisonous to cats, dogs and even horses.
“If we can’t find a reference to the toxicity of a plant [ASPCA]“We will not recommend it to our customers,” Ferrari said. “It’s a great resource for anyone researching the plants they already have.”
If you think your cat or dog may have ingested a poisonous plant, call the ASPCA’s 24/7 Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 or your veterinarian.
What is the easiest pet-friendly houseplant to care for?
Spider plants are a great option for pet beginners because they are non-toxic and low maintenance. Plus, they grow large and you can easily propagate the spider plant ‘babies’ that grow from the stems.
Ferrari said his personal pet-friendly choice is the hoya genus.
“There are so many leaf shapes and growth habits,” he said. “I like the long, wispy stems that grow in front of the leaves and eventually grow flowers. They generally don’t need a lot of water and just like a bright area without full direct sunlight.”
