Pet & Child Friendly Plants
Happiness is a home full of things we love. And sometimes this includes pets AND plants!
We know that for many people a home full of pets and plants is the ultimate delight. But with this can come the worry of how well your beloved pets and adored plant babies can live in harmony together.
For plant parents who are already parents to cats, dogs, or young kids, you need to be considerate of the fact that there are numerous plants (both indoors and outdoors) that have the presence of Calcium oxalate crystals which have toxic properties.
These plants, when ingested or handled directly, can be extremely harmful, cause irritation or even severe illness due to poisoning. Cats, dogs and young children have the tendency to unknowingly chew, eat or handle plants that have toxic properties. We thus recommend understanding which plants may be toxic to pets and children before purchasing them for your home.
We obviously do not recommend encouraging your pets or children to nibble on any of your plants, even if you have kept to a safe collection - as ingestion of any plant material in excess (even pet friendly plants) may cause illness. Always keep an eye out for any allergic reactions or unusual digestive issues!
And always be aware of this fact and do your research before choosing which plants to bring into your home.
Including House Plants In A Home With Pets:
But before becoming completely discouraged and fearful, we furthermore implore you, as an aspiring plant parent or plant lover seeking out new and exciting plants, to consider the normal behaviour of your pet and use this to determine how to include houseplants in your home.
If your pet doesn’t take any interest in plants or has never been seen to eat any plants before, then you will most probably be able to include more plants (even those with toxic properties) into your space.
Likewise, if you have areas where you can keep plants out of reach of your pets or young children, then you can consider including more plants into these spaces. Use your own discretion in determining if you will have a problem safely keeping plants in your home.
With this being said, there is luckily, a range of glorious indoor plants that are widely considered pet friendly and can be easily and confidently included in a home that also houses pets and young children.
Here are some of our recommendations for non-toxic houseplants:
- The Cast Iron Plant
- Prayer Plants, like the Fishbone Prayer Plant, the Triostar, the Calathea Freddy and the Calathea Grey Star
- Most ferns, like The Sword Fern, Blue Star Fern and Kimberly Queen Fern
- The Heart Leaf Fern
- The Spider Plant
Shop our collection of Pet and Child Friendly Plants.
We encourage you to keep these plants out of reach of pets and children:
- Alocasias, like the Dwarf Elephant Ear
- The Delicious Monster
- Rubber Plants
- The Fiddle Leaf Fig
- The Snake Plant / Mother-in-Laws Tongue
- Chinese Evergreens
Here are some wonderful resources that you can consult when making your decision to purchase indoor plants:
We hope that this information helps you to create the happiest space full of all the things that you love!
