Houseplants and pets make a house a home; however, some popular houseplants can be harmful to our precious pets. Fortunately, there are plenty of beautiful, pet-friendly houseplants that can create the ambiance you crave and are safe for your furry friends.
Favorite Pet-Friendly Houseplants
There are a variety of plants, ranging from easy-care for beginners to the more challenging for experienced growers, that are pet-safe, excellent choices, suitable for homes with both dogs and cats include…
- Spider Plant– A great plant for beginners because of its forgiving nature, the spider plant may have either striped or plain foliage that cascades in elegant curves. This easy-care plant looks best when hung or may be perched on a pedestal for a similar effect.
- Ponytail Palm– While this palm-like plant is actually part of the agave family, it is an excellent air purifier and its long, slender foliage adds welcome variety to a houseplant grouping. This plant prefers full sun and can grow up to four feet tall indoors.
- African Violet– A classic blooming houseplant with rich purple, pink, magenta, white, and bicolor flowers and broad, velvety leaves, the African violet is a pet-friendly favorite. These colorful plants are compact, making them great for smaller spaces in the urban jungle.
- Boston Fern– The delicate, feathery foliage of the Boston fern prefers filtered light and a higher humidity environment, making it great in bathrooms. Hang the plant to show off its foliage or perch it on top of a bookshelf or pedestal instead.
- Wheat Grass– Also called cat grass or pet grass, is a lawn-like houseplant that is fun for pets to nibble. While wheat grass is relatively easy to grow, it does require regular “mowing” with appropriate shears to stay full and lush.
- Cast Iron Plant– This extremely hardy plant is great for beginners and tolerates all types of neglect, including low light, low humidity, and irregular watering. This makes it a wonderful houseplant for the new plant parent or anyone who may find it difficult to offer scheduled care.
- Polka Dot Plant– The colorful splashes of pink or white on this plant’s foliage make it a bright addition to any houseplant collection, and it can be a pet-friendly alternative to the highly toxic poinsettia during the holidays. Bright, indirect light is best to help this plant keep its fun coloration.
- Bromeliad– These bold plants have colorful blooms and dramatic foliage, making them favorite statement pieces in the home or office. Bright light will help bring out their color, and humidity should be kept between 40 to 60%.
- Prayer Plant– The colorful, striped foliage of the prayer plant, plus its unique habit of “folding” its foliage at night, make it a houseplant favorite. Bright, indirect light and high humidity will help keep this plant healthy and lush.
- Peperomia– There are more than 1000 varieties of peperomia, not all are readily available, but all are easy-care and pet-safe plants. Small in stature, they are an excellent choice for placing on a nightstand, shelf, or desk. Peperomia prefer a medium to low light location out of direct sunlight. Allow the potting soil to become dry between waterings.
Protecting Your Houseplants from Pets
It’s important to remember that even if a houseplant is considered pet-friendly, pets that nibble on the foliage may have some digestive trouble, particularly if they were to eat a large quantity of the plant. Furthermore, pets can stress plants by tipping pots, laying on the plant, digging in the dirt, or otherwise disturbing the plant. For the safest relationship between your houseplants and your pets, you can take several steps to help them get along.
- Position houseplants out of reach of pets, or in a room where pets are not permitted to enter.
- Train pets to leave houseplants alone and reinforce that training whenever necessary.
- Use heavier clay, concrete, or ceramic pots that pets will be unable to easily tip.
- Use stones as a top dressing so pets are unable to dig in the plant’s soil.
- Spray the pot or foliage with bitter apple or other safe pet repellant sprays if needed.
To keep all of your precious houseplants healthy and looking their best, be sure to pot-them-up using Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Potting Soil. Choose the product for your region:
EASTERN & MIDWESTERN REGIONS: Bumper Crop® Gardener’s Gold Organic Potting Soil is good for all outdoor and indoor container plants! It is a blend of sphagnum peat moss, composted hen manure, shellfish, perlite, and very old dark bark. It is also pH adjusted with lime, as needed. This product is perfectly suited for houseplants and all general garden planting. Gardener’s Gold Organic Potting Soil is a rich, earthy blend made with natural and organic ingredients with a special water-saving formula.
WESTERN REGION: Bumper Crop Natural & Organic Potting Soil is a premium blend of natural and organic ingredients that are perfectly balanced for both water-holding capabilities and drainage. It is an excellent potting soil for both indoor and outdoor use in all container types and sizes. This special natural and organic potting soil offers a blend of high-quality ingredients including earthworm castings, bat guano, and kelp.
When repotting your houseplants, it’s a great idea to add a little Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® All Purpose Food to your potting soil. This organic, all-purpose plant food is non-burning and will give your houseplant transplants a healthy start in their new dwelling.
Houseplants can be just as much a part of your family as any four-legged, furry family members, and by choosing pet-friendly houseplants, your pets can get along with your urban jungle just fine.
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