What Indoor Houseplants Are Pet-Safe?

Decorating with houseplants does more than spruce up your space: some plants can help purify indoor air, relieve stress and anxiety, or even boost concentration. And as fans of feng shui will tell you, a Money Tree can attract wealth, Snake Plants serve as protectors, and Philodendrons offer a calming, relaxing energy. But if you have pets, it’s important to know that nibbling on some of these indoor houseplants can make our animal companions sick—or worse. 

Part of protecting your pet’s overall health and wellbeing includes keeping his or her environment free from potential dangers. Your friends at Godspeed Animal Care want you to enjoy the beauty and health benefits of indoor plants without putting your pets at risk. We’ve assembled the following helpful tips for greening up your home while keeping it pet-safe.

Non Toxic Indoor Plants

This list of 11 popular, pet-friendly plants from the ASPCA is a great place to start if you’re wanting to dress up your décor with fresh foliage:

• Rubber Plant
• Spider Plant
• Cast Iron Plant
• Christmas Cactus
• African Violet
• Phalaenopsis Orchid
• Boston Fern
• Donkey’s Tail (Succulent)
• Gerber Daisy
• Blue Echeveria (Hens and Chicks)
• Parlor Palm

Herb Appeal

The kitchen windowsill is the perfect perch for potted herbs, and some of our favorites are also safe, tasty treats for our pets to occasionally sample, including: 

• Basil 
• Rosemary (small amounts only for dogs) 
• Thyme
• Sage 
• Cilantro
• Parsley (small amounts only for cats) 

But not all herbs are harmless to our pets. DO NOT feed your pets chives, oregano, mint, tarragon, or lemongrass.

Toxic Houseplants

This list is by no means exhaustive, but here are some definite “no-nos” from the ASPCA when it comes to choosing plants for your pet-friendly house. Some of these, if small enough, can be placed up high where your pet cannot access them. Otherwise, if you already own some of these, it might be best to pass them along to a pet-less friend or family member.

Mildly Toxic: 

• Fiddle Leaf Fig
• Devil’s Ivy
• Dumbcane
• Peace Lily
• Philodendron
• Calla Lily
• Chinese Evergreen

Moderately toxic: 

• Corn plant
• Dragon Tree
• Ribbon Plant
• Jade Plant

Severely toxic:

• Sago Palm
• Easter Lily

Symptoms of ingesting toxic plant material can range from drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea to rapid breathing, elevated heart rate, lethargy, seizures, and (in the case of Sago Palms) liver failure.

If your pet has eaten something that is potentially toxic, contact us right away or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. 

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