House Plants That Are Pet Friendly
Your Guide to Pet-Friendly House Plants
The only thing we all love more than our plants is our PETS! That is why pet-friendly house plants are a MUST when it comes to your online plant shopping checklist. Lucky for you, here at PLANTZ, we pride ourselves in having a large selection of pet-friendly house plants for sale, so you do not have to sacrifice your love for indoor plants for your precious pets, and your PLANTZ shopping cart can remain full of all your favorites. That being said, we would love to share some of our favorite PLANTZ picks for you and your furry buddies to enjoy!
Low Light Pet-Friendly House Plants
Pet owners are busy people… We do not want your plants to become another pet you care for, or that can feel like more of a job or a nuisance. Even though they are living breathing things, they should be an addition to your life, not a drag. So, we want to provide you some options for low-light pet-friendly house plants that will still steal the show in your home.
The Parlor Palm is a classic low light plant! Did you know the Parlor Palm, also known as Neanthebella, was also the original plant grown specifically to be used as décor in interior design? This trendsetting original is perfect for your pets and your home. A tiny indoor tree that is low maintenance and requires little light to thrive. Place this plant in a place where there is indirect light. You can move it freely between bright and low light as well, and it should not do much harm. What really makes a difference, though, is this plant is known for its air-purifying capacity, so you are not only providing a new plant for your home that is nontoxic to your cats and dogs, but you are also improving their breathing air.
Another plant to consider that can tolerate lower lights is a Rhapis Palm. The Rhapis is an excellent option for pets and usually grows to be on the taller side, so it truly is a showstopper. Not only is it safe if your pet does get to it, but it is also more out of reach than some other indoor plants be that remain lower to the ground.
Easy Pet-Friendly House Plants
Now let’s talk about other house plants that are still pet friendly but are not considered “low light” plants. First up, we have the Ponytail Palm. This indoor plant resembles a larger version of a spider plant and is so unique. The Ponytail is actually a succulent; WHO KNEW!? It is just a palm in disguise. This plant is low maintenance and does not need many waterings due to its thick trunk, which can store water for an extensive amount of time. This makes the Ponytail Palm an easy pet friendly house plant that leaves you with more time to focus on your furry friends while not having to sacrifice your love for plants. Be cautious, though; this plant does require bright light to truly thrive and grow bigger.
Want something larger than life, will stand out in a crowd but still won’t rub your pets the wrong way? Try the Areca Palm! The Areca is one of our larger plants, but it never disappoints. Along with being absolutely breathtaking, the Areca also improves indoor air quality (a plus for your plants and children) and circulates the air. This plant does need bright or indirect light, though, and usually needs to have more than one watering a week… this one’s a thirsty guy! Otherwise, we think this is an easy choice as far as pet friendly sizeable indoor house plants go.
The Chamaedorea elegans or, as we call it… the Bamboo Palm, is one of our favorites! This one actually ranks on the list of best plants to have in your home by NASA due to its ability to really clean out the toxins in your air. Just like its palms counterparts, it is essential that this plant receives a lot of bright light or even more indirect light to thrive. Besides that, this plant is relatively easy to care for as a whole. Not only do they liven up the room, but Bamboo Palm always adds in a unique vibe since it is not one of the more common house plant choices such as a Fiddle Leaf Fig or Monstera. You will surely stand out in your plant friend community with this plant in your home.
The last one we want to talk about is the Kentia Palm! Palms on palms over here, we just can’t help ourselves; we love them. The Kentia Palm also like the Bamboo, and Areca might need a little more attention than a Parlor Palm, but we promise it is well worth the extra effort. Your furry animals will love seeing this plant in your home, and we genuinely believe they will be fast friends!
Some Plants to Avoid
Although, as we said before, none of our plants are toxic for your animals, here are some we commonly advise pet owners to steer clear of if they have had a problem in the past with their pet eating or disturbing their new plant friend.
Maybe a Monstera is NOT your best fit. This plant is not lethal, but if your pet eats a considerable amount of the Monstera plant, it can potentially cause some digestive troubles for your pet.
Another one with similar downfalls is the ZZ Plant or the Zamioculcas zamiifolia. When pets get a hold of this shiny new green thing in your home, any leaves that eat almost always come back up. Avoid a yucky mess at the worst time or worst place by avoiding these plants since they might cause some stomach agitation for your pets if eaten.
Tips and Tricks
Just want to keep your pets away from the new plants altogether? Try a cleaning mixture consisting of dish soap, rubbing alcohol, and vegetable oil with water to clean the plants. This not only keeps the insects away, but it also deters pets from fiddling with your plant since they do not like the taste. A wet rag with some dish soap (drop or two) lathered up a bit to wipe down the foliage, or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper (red pepper flakes) works too. We can only smell the pepper for a few minutes, but animals can smell it for much longer, deterring them from coming close to your new plant friend.
Some other things to consider to keep your animals from messing with your new investment, pick one of our taller plants; the higher the leaves, the more of a challenge for your animal, and most will not bother.
Want the shorter plant but do not want them close enough to the ground for your pet to reach? Try one of our plant stands! You can still have the plant of your dreams; let’s just elevate it!
If you are unsure of if a plant is safe for your pets, do not ever hesitate to reach out to us at orders@plantz.com for more insight on the best plant fit for you or find us on our social media @4plantz
