For houseplant lovers, it can often be tricky to create a space where plants and pets can cohabitate safely. If your cats and dogs aren’t knocking over your potted plants, they’re probably trying to chew it up, am I right?!
And while a curious lick or mischievous nibble might seem harmless, certain plants can be poisonous to pets if ingested, resulting in lethargy, vomiting, or diarrhea (at best) to seizures, kidney failure, or even death. Fortunately, you don’t have to go without greenery in your home or lock them up in a separate room (the plants, that is).
Plenty of beautiful indoor plants (including lush tropicals, low-maintenance species, and low light-friendly plants) are safe to keep around cats, dogs, and other animals. These are a few of my favorites!
Ferns
Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
A lush, happy Boston fern truly is a sight to see. Just brace yourself for the debris, as it’s not unusual for them to drop a lot of leaves!
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Intermediate |
| Water | Keep lightly moist |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Rich, well-draining, slightly acidic |
Maidenhair fern (Adiantum sp.)
I would really recommend keeping your maidenhair fern in a terrarium-type set-up. It’s much easier than trying to keep these fussy plants alive on a windowsill.
| Most popular plants | Adiantum pedatum, Adiantum raddianum, Adiantum venustum |
| Care level | Hard |
| Water | Keep moist |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Moisture-retaining |
Bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus)
I’ve found this to be one of the easier ferns to keep alive. And it looks like it came straight from the dinosaur era!
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Intermediate |
| Water | Keep lightly moist |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Rich but well-draining |
Blue star fern (Phlebodium aureum ‘Blue Star’)
This is my favorite underrated fern and I’m glad to see it getting more attention in recent years. Much more forgiving than something like a maidenhair fern, so start here if you’re a beginner.
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Intermediate |
| Water | Keep lightly moist |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Epiphyte soil |
Staghorn ferns (Platycerium sp.)
If you’re looking for something unusual, this is it! A well-mounted staghorn fern in a warm and humid environment like a bathroom can grow huge.
| Most popular plants | Platycerium bifurcatum, Platycerium superbum |
| Care level | Intermediate |
| Water | Soak regularly |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Sphagnum moss |
Flowering plants
Orchids (family Orchidaceae)
Orchids have a reputation for being fussy, but if you keep their mostly epiphytic (tree-growing) nature in mind, it’s actually not that difficult to keep them alive.
| Most popular plants | Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis sp.), bamboo orchid (Dendrobium), jewel orchid (Ludisia discolour) |
| Care level | Intermediate |
| Water | Regular soaking works well for most |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | For most, epiphyte soil works well |
African violet (Streptocarpus sect. Saintpaulia)
The entire genus Streptocarpus is safe. Aside from the classic African violets, my favorite is a cultivar called Streptocarpus ‘Pretty Turtle’ (known as false African violet).
| Most popular plants | So many! Try cultivars like ‘Aroma of Summer’, ‘Cherry Princess’, ‘Purple Diamond’, and hundreds more |
| Care level | Intermediate |
| Water | When soil is halfway dry |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | African violet soil |
Wax plants (Hoya sp.)
Hoya flowers are known for their delightful scents, with each wax plant species smelling slightly different.
| Most popular plants | Porcelain flower (Hoya carnosa), sweetheart plant (Hoya kerrii) |
| Care level | Intermediate |
| Water | When soil is almost dry |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Cactus soil (gritty and well-draining) |
Foliage plants
Prayer plants (family Marantaceae)
Prayer plants can be fussy, but their spectacular foliage makes them more than worth it for many plant enthusiasts.
| Most popular plants | Various entire genera: Calathea (like the pinstripe plant), Stromanthe (like the pink-splashed Stromanthe ‘Triostar’), Maranta (like the rabbit’s foot), Ctenanthe (like the never never plant) |
| Care level | Intermediate to hard |
| Water | Keep lightly moist |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Rich but well-draining |
Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Many sources report that spider plants can have a hallucinogenic effect on pets, particularly cats. However, I couldn’t find any scientific sources reporting anything of the sort—it might be nothing more than an urban legend. They sure do love chewing on it, though! If you’re new to houseplants, spider plants are as low maintenance as they come.
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Easy |
| Water | When soil is halfway dry |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Well-draining |
Radiator plants (Peperomia sp.)
Peperomias can be propagated using just a piece of a single leaf. Easy to share with all your friends and family!
| Most popular plants | Baby rubber plant (Peperomia obtusifolia), string of turtles (Peperomia prostrata), watermelon Peperomia (Peperomia argyreia) and more |
| Care level | Easy to intermediate |
| Water | When soil is halfway dry |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Well-draining |
Cast iron plant (Aspidistra eliator)
It’s no surprise that cast iron plants got their name from their indestructible nature. There’s a reason this one’s on my list of the ultimate low light-proof houseplants!
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Easy |
| Water | When soil is halfway dry |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Rich but well-draining |
Polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya)
Polka dot plants require regular pruning, but luckily, you can root the sections you cut to easily grow new plants.
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Intermediate to hard |
| Water | Keep lightly moist |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Rich but well-draining |
Nerve plant (Fittonia albivenis)
Also known as mosaic plants, I’ve found Fittonias do best in terrarium-type environments. You can plant some moss around yours to keep the humidity up.
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Intermediate to hard |
| Water | Keep lightly moist |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Rich but well-draining |
Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides)
Although the Chinese money plant, with its coin-like leaves, is by far the most popular of this genus, all of them are safe. I also like the friendship plant (Pilea involucrata).
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Easy |
| Water | When soil is halfway dry |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Well-draining |
Air plants (Tillandsia sp.)
All Bromeliads (family Bromeliaceae, not just air plants that grow without soil) are 100 percent pet-safe, so you’ve got lots to choose from. Try Guzmanias, which are known for their gorgeous blooms, or even the pineapple plant (Ananas comosus).
| Most popular plants | Xero (Tillandsia xerographica), Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), sky plant (Tillandsia ionantha), and many more |
| Care level | Intermediate |
| Water | Soak regularly |
| Light | Bright indirect to full sun (depends on species) |
| Soil | None |
String of hearts plant (Ceropegia woodii)
Use the small, tuber-like growths on your string of hearts plant to propagate it. They have the capacity to grow an entirely new plant!
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Easy to intermediate |
| Water | When soil is almost dry |
| Light | Bright, indirect (light sun is great) |
| Soil | Well-draining |
Indoor trees
Money tree (Pachira aquatica)
There are many, many houseplants out there that answer to the name “money tree” or “money plant.” Make sure you’re getting the right species: Pachira aquatica, which often has a braided stem.
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Easy |
| Water | When the soil is halfway dry |
| Light | Bright, indirect (light sun is great) |
| Soil | Rich but well-draining |
Banana plants (Musa sp.)
In my experience, banana trees can be grown as houseplants, but they don’t really love indoor life. I recommend growing yours outdoors in summer, or year-round if your climate allows it.
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Intermediate |
| Water | Keep lightly moist |
| Light | Full sun (lots!) |
| Soil | Rich, well-draining, somewhat acidic |
Areca palm (Dypsis lutescens)
I’ve found that some people (me) struggle with Areca palms, while others find them to be a breeze to grow. There’s only one way to figure out which of the two you are, I guess!
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Intermediate |
| Water | Keep lightly moist |
| Light | Bright, indirect (light sun is great) |
| Soil | Well-draining |
Succulents
Haworthia (Haworthia sp.)
I like Haworthias because they don’t like quite as much sun as other succulents, so they’re easier to grow indoors. And the varieties with translucent leaves are so unique!
| Most popular plants | Zebra plant (Haworthiopsis fasciata*), cathedral window plant (Haworthia cymbiformis), Haworthia cooperi |
| Care level | Easy |
| Water | When soil is fully dry |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Gritty succulent soil |
* This one was moved to a different genus not too long ago, but it’s close enough!
Ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
This is one of my favorite easy-care houseplants and one I always recommend to first-time plant parents. I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t always been super attentive to mine, but they still thrive!
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Easy |
| Water | When soil is fully dry |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Gritty succulent soil |
Burro’s tail (Sedum morganianum)
I particularly like Sedum ‘Burrito’, which has more rounded leaves than the original pointy-leaved variety (which is sometimes also called tail of the donkey).
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Easy to intermediate |
| Water | When soil is fully dry |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil | Gritty succulent soil |
Orchid cacti (Epiphyllum sp.)
I wasn’t sure whether to place this one with the blooming plants or the succulents, but just so you know: if you like flowers, orchid cacti is where it’s at!
| Most popular plants | Queen of the night (Epiphyllum oxypetalum), zig-zag cactus (Epiphyllum anguliger) |
| Care level | Easy to intermediate |
| Water | When halfway dry |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Well-draining, but not cactus soil |
Christmas cactus ( Schlumbergera × buckleyi)
All the Schlumbergeras (holiday cacti) are fine for pets, although this one is by far the most popular. Try Thanksgiving (Schlumbergera truncata), Christmas, and Easter cacti for months of back-to-back flowers!
| Most popular plants | N/A |
| Care level | Easy to intermediate |
| Water | When halfway dry |
| Light | Bright indirect |
| Soil | Well-draining, but not cactus soil |
Oddball plants
Carnivorous plants (Dionea, Nepenthes, Pinguicula, Drosera, Sarracenia, etc.)
It can be a challenge to learn how to care for carnivorous plants. I’ve found the ones that don’t need a winter dormancy period, like Nepenthes and Pinguicula, to be the easiest to get the hang of.
| Most popular plants | Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes), butterwort (Pinguicula), sundew (Drosera), trumpet pitcher (Sarracenia) |
| Care level | Intermediate to hard |
| Water | Keep lightly moist with distilled water |
| Light | Full sun to indirect light, depending on species |
| Soil | Without organic material (usually bark and sphagnum) |
