When you introduce a new plant to your house, you’re also introducing it to your pets. If your furry friends are curious like mine, it will only be a matter of minutes before they are tasting the leaves, and many plants that aren’t harmful for humans to touch can be poisonous for animals to eat. Learn what houseplants are the safest for pets.
Houseplants can bring life into your home while purifying the indoor air. This is great, unless Fido or Fluffy decide to gnaw on a plant and get sick. Many of the most popular houseplants are poisonous if ingested.
If you’re looking to add a few new plants to your home, try these varieties which are considered safe by the California Poison Control System:
- African Violet
- Areca Palm
- Bamboo
- Boston Fern
- Cast Iron Plant
- Flame Violet
- Fuschia
- Gardenia
- Gerber Daisy
- Gloxinia
- Lady Palm
- Prayer Plant
- Velvet Plant
- Spider Plant
- Yucca
When choosing houseplants that are safe for animals, be sure not to stray too far from the list. Plants in the same family are not necessarily poison-free. For example, the Boston Fern is pet-safe, while other types of ferns are toxic. If you m have a plant that is not pet-safe, consider planting it in a hanging container out of animals’ reach.
Martha on 
Melissa Dunlap on 
Blue Duck on 
Hi, thanks for posting the information on plants which are toxic to pets. Unfortunately some of the non toxic plants listed can be detrimental to a pets health such as the yucca which can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures and depression in dogs and cats. Gardenias can also be problematic. The hard thing is even though these plants are alright for humans, they can be poisonous to animals. Take for example macadamias – we love them, but they can cause muscle tremors and seizures in dogs. It took me a long time to work this out and I have been researching the topic for eight years to eventually have a book published on the topic. There is so much information contradicting each other, that it is hard to work out the fact from fiction. But any exposure to this topic has to be good and I am hoping that eventually every animal owner will have knowledge relating to the damage plants can do. As a horticulturist, I am continually researching this never-ending topic.
Hi,
What can you tel me about a Ficus tree. I have
read contradictory statements. We have a dog.
so I need some accurate info. Thanks for you time.
Rich