Whether your pets leave your plants alone, or you've just welcomed home a new puppy or kitten, many of us animal-lovers want to keep our homes pet-friendly. This includes the decoration and greenery! It can sometimes be hard to find the right type of plant for you, as the conditions in your home and you yourself play a role into which plants are best for you. Do you have bright light and often forget to water? Succulents are your go-to! Dim light and someone who loves to dote on their plants? Try a fern! Remember, there is no such thing as a brown thumb! In this list, we will go over what plants are pet safe and what kind of care they need so you can have a pet safe jungle of your own.

 

 

 

 

1. Calathea

     Calathea is a genus within the prayer plant family that has incredible variations from plant to plant! Consistent across the genus you will see purple below the leaves, movement, and care, which you can find here. Being members of the prayer plant family, they will move their leaves up and down to take advantage of as much light as they can capture with their leaves. The photo above shows the plant in "night mode" with the leaves folded up and tucked away. The picture to the left shows a different species in "day mode" with the leaves flat and opened, absorbing all they can from the sun's rays. Calathea are often considered a tricky plant to take care of because of their humidity requirements. Their ability to tolerate low light conditions make them perfect for the room with the highest humidity in the house- the bathroom! As long as there is a window that gets some light, these plants will be happy. They come from the rainforest floor where the light is already extremely filtered by the massive trees above. These plants do best in bright indirect light, though, so they will also love a bright spot in the kitchen or other area near a window!

 

2. Ferns

     Ferns are another category of plants that are varied beyond belief. True ferns make up several plant families and have been around since the Carboniferous period, about 359 million years ago, possibly even older. Ferns have had a long time to adapt and diversify, and they sure did! Pictured above is a 'Crispy Wave' fern, a type of birds nest fern. The photo to the right is a staghorn fern, an epiphytic fern that lives its life attached to tall trees. Some ferns, like the heart fern, are even more unique! Their fronds are heart shaped and appear to float attached to their thin stalks. Then there are ferns we are more familiar with, like maidenhair ferns and wood ferns, that have the classic ferny leaf structure. All of these ferns have very similar care, which can be found here. The exception to that rule is the staghorn fern, which has its own care sheet here. The rule of thumb to remember with ferns is they like to be a little more on the wet side and to water when the soil is about 50% dry. The thicker the fronds, or leaves, the more they can tolerate underwatering. Ferns with thin fronds, like maidenhair ferns, cannot tolerate low water levels nearly as well as thick fronds, like birdsnest ferns. This is because they can't store as much water in their leaves. They can also tolerate low light incredibly well, being adapted to forest floors and life below the forest canopy. Like Calathea, ferns can survive in a dim bathroom or will thank you for being placed in a bright room as a statement plant with abundant growth!

 

3. Nepenthes

     Do pitcher plants really need anything else to make them cooler than they are?? On top of being carnivorous, they are pet safe, making them perfect for anyone's home! Nepenthes are not hard to care for, but they are a little different when it comes to their care requirements. You can find their care sheet here. Nepenthes are specified here in this list, rather than all pitcher plants, because they do the best as houseplants. Sarracenia, or American pitcher plants, do not make good houseplants because of their need to go dormant during the winter months. Without dormancy, their health will suffer. Nepenthes, on the other hand, are tropical and do not require dormancy. The biggest thing to remember with tropical pitcher plants is to use distilled water on them! You may see other articles saying other plants also need to use distilled water, but this is really only true for carnivorous plants. This is because they have evolved sensitive roots in exchange for taking up nutrients through their leaves. Most tap, well, or spring water will cause their roots to burn and for the plant to suffer.

 

4. African Violets

     African violets are a wonderful flowering houseplant that brings a little spark of joy to any room it is in! They often get a reputation for being hard to care for, but in all honesty, they are one of the easier houseplants to have thrive if you care for it properly! I've broken their care needs down in an easy to understand format for you here. The basic takeaway is to place this plant in an area where it will receive bright, indirect light, such as by a southern facing window, and plant it in a self watering pot. The two piece ceramic pots seems to be the most effective. Keep the well filled with water. Every time you refresh the water, add a few more drops of fertilizer made specifically for African Violets. Check on the reservoir every once in a while to make sure it doesn't dry and your plant will thank you with prolific blooms!

 

5. Echeveria

     Echeveria refers to a large genus of succulents that grow in rosettes, but have a wide variety in shape and color of the leaves. They're possibly the most common succulent in the horticultural trade. They are like most succulents, give them bright light and water when they are bone dry. Some people think that they can't keep plants because they kill succulents. These people are often starting off in a dim house or have their succulents in a dim area of the house, which is already one point against them. Lighting can really make or break succulents. The good news is, they will tell you almost right away that they are not getting enough light! The space between the leaves will elongate, get thinner, and turn towards the light. In severe cases, the leaves may also curve downward in an effort to absorb as much light as possible. This process is called etiolation, or in layman's terms, becoming "leggy." If you notice your succulent is becoming leggy, move it to a brighter window. If you don't have a brighter area, consider getting a grow light as a supplement. This will greatly improve the health of all of your succulents!

 

6. Air Plants

     Air plants are another plant on this list that have gotten the reputation of being a difficult plant. Air plants are truly not hard, they are just a little different than other plants and there is a lot of misinformation out there about how to care for them. It will vary from area to area, mostly depending on ambient humidity in your home. A care sheet is provided with every air plant purchase, which can also be found here. Here in the northeastern USA, air plants must be misted and soaked, both techniques are detailed in the care sheet. This is another plant that will do best in bright, indirect lighting, but will also tolerate low light. Another bathroom favorite! In nature, these plants grow on tree trunks and other dimly lit areas. While these plants are pet safe, they are also cat toy shaped, and that must be taken into consideration if you share your home with a cat.

 

7. Haworthia

     Haworthia are often mistaken for aloe, which is not pet safe. Aloe contains toxic traits in the skin of the leaves, but the gel is edible. Haworthia is another plant genus, containing about 150 species. With so many plants in the genus, there are a few common names to go with them. The most commonly available plant in this genus is likely Haworthia fasciata, pictured to the left, is also called the Zebra plant. The same care applies to Haworthia as it does to most succulents, bright light and water when it is bone dry. As mentioned above with echeveria, the lighting is very important with succulents. If you notice the leaves beginning to thin and turn towards the light, the plant is telling you that it needs more. Watering can also be a challenge, sometimes. Bone dry does not just mean the top of the soil and only give it a little splash of water. If you struggle with over watering your succulents, wait for them to tell you that it needs a drink. The leaves will become more pliable and thin when your succulent needs water. When you water any plant, including succulents, it is best to completely saturate the soil. Make sure every nook and cranny is damp to allow your plant to take as big of a drink as it needs. Remember, overwatering is not the amount of water that you give, but the frequency!

 

8. Pings

     This is another carnivore! Pinguicula, pings, or butterworts are plants that have sticky leaves to help catch their next meal. They catch smaller insects, like gnats, fruit flies, and mosquitoes. They're a great plant to have when it comes to controlling fungus gnats! (Learn more about how to control fungus gnats here.) Like the pitcher plants mentioned earlier in this list, pings are not hard to care for, but they are a bit different. Find their detailed care sheet here. The key thing to remember with them is to give them a nice and bright area, and use distilled, rain, or reverse osmosis water.

 

9. Peperomia

     Peperomia is another genus, this one comprising over 1,000 species! All of them are pet safe, and a lot of them are so different from one another, it is hard to believe they are even related to one another! Peperomia are a great beginner houseplant with easy care requirements, which you can find here. They are often found in the succulent section of many garden centers, but they are not succulents and should not be treated like one. They do have fleshy leaves and feel similar to succulents, but they require more water than the succulents on this list. These plants do best when watered at about 50-75% dry. This is another plant that will do best in a bright area, but can tolerate low light like a champ. This is another rainforest floor dweller, so it has very similar care to other house plants that come from a similar area. Some peperomia are even native to Florida!

 

 

10. Rhapis Palm

     Most palms are going to be pet safe, but the Rhapis palm made this spotlight because of its unique foliage! It isn't like other palms that have somewhat ferny foliage, the fronds of this palm are chunky, yet elegant. Because of these thicker fronds, this palm can tolerate drier soils than others. Place this palm in an area where it gets medium to bright light and water when the soil is about 50% dry, but no sweat if it gets a little more on the dry side. Also called a lady palm, this plant is one that can adapt to a wide variety of conditions. One thing to note, while most palms are pet safe, sago palms are not true palms. They are cycads, which are toxic to pets and can cause liver failure. While blooming is rare indoors, just 1 to 2 seeds can be fatal.

     This list has a plant for any part of your home, and they are all nothing to worry about if your pet wants to turn vegetarian for the day! Now it is up to you to choose one and go for it. Even if you think you can't care for plants or can't keep them alive, I urge you to try a variety of plants with a variety of needs before you write yourself off. There really is no such thing as a black thumb! If you are worried about your plants in any way, don't hesitate to reach out! Just send a photo and a brief description of how you have been taking care of it to cedarbridgebotanicals@gmail.com and I will be happy to help.

Happy growing!

<3 Gina