Pet-safe easy houseplants: forgiving plants and which ones are toxic to cats and dogs
TUREFF• •0
Most beginner plant lists are written for people without a curious cat or a dog that chews everything. Several of the most recommended easy plants are, in fact, toxic to pets. Here is how to choose plants that are both hard to kill and safer for a home with animals.
Start with how toxicity works
"Toxic" covers a wide range. Many common houseplants contain calcium oxalate crystals, which irritate the mouth and stomach and usually cause drooling, pawing at the mouth or vomiting rather than lasting harm. A few plants are far more dangerous. The ASPCA keeps a searchable database of plants that are toxic and non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses; check any plant there by its botanical name, because common names overlap and mislead.
Easy plants generally listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs
- Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum): tolerates bright or moderate light and the odd missed watering, and produces baby plants you can pot up. Cats do love to chew it, so it may look ragged.
- Parlour palm (Chamaedorea elegans): copes with lower light and stays compact for years.
- Calathea and prayer plants: striking leaves, happy away from direct sun, though they prefer steady moisture and dislike dry air, so they are a step up in fussiness.
- Boston fern: likes humidity and even moisture; a good bathroom plant with a window.
- Peperomia: small, fleshy-leaved and tolerant of drying out between waterings.
- Cast iron plant (Aspidistra): the name says it all; slow, tough and tolerant of shade.
- African violet: flowers on a bright windowsill and stays small.
- Ponytail palm: a succulent-like plant that stores water in its swollen base and likes bright light.
Non-toxic does not mean edible. Any plant eaten in quantity can upset a stomach, and some animals react to plants other animals tolerate.
Popular easy plants that are toxic to pets
These are excellent beginner plants for an animal-free home, but are listed as toxic to cats and dogs:
- Pothos (devil's ivy)
- Snake plant (Sansevieria, now classified as Dracaena)
- Philodendron
- Peace lily (Spathiphyllum)
- Monstera (Swiss cheese plant)
- Dieffenbachia (dumb cane)
- Aloe vera and jade plant
If you already have them, many people keep them on high shelves or in hanging baskets well out of reach. That works for many dogs; cats are better climbers, so it is less reliable for them.
Lilies and cats: the serious one
True lilies (Lilium) and daylilies (Hemerocallis) are extremely dangerous to cats. Small amounts, including pollen groomed from fur or water from a vase, can cause kidney failure. Keep them out of any home with a cat, including in cut flower bouquets. A peace lily is not a true lily, but it is still mildly toxic.
Practical tips for a pet household
- Buy plants with a label showing the botanical name, so you can look them up.
- Check pots for slow-release fertiliser pellets and pesticide residues; plant care products can also be harmful to pets.
- Give cats their own pot of cat grass to chew; it can draw attention away from the rest.
- Put new plants out of reach until you know how your animals react.
- Store fertilisers and pest sprays securely.
If you think your pet has eaten a toxic plant, contact your vet or a pet poison helpline straight away, and take the plant or its label with you.
Which plants have survived your pets, and which did they destroy? Share your experiences and questions in the comments.