41 Pet-safe houseplants 🐾
Sharing a home with a leaf-curious cat or a puppy that chews first and thinks later narrows your plant choices - but not as much as you might fear. Every plant here is one whose own care notes explicitly describe it as non-toxic or pet-safe, and we leave out anything with a warning, an irritant sap or a 'mildly toxic' footnote.
Non-toxic does not mean edible. Any plant can upset a stomach if a determined pet eats enough of it, and 'safe' lists differ between sources - if your animal is a dedicated plant-eater, place even these out of reach and check with your vet.
Aeonium
The Aeonium is a succulent that breaks all the usual succulent rules, and that is exactly what m…
African Violet (Saintpaulia / Streptocarpus)
The African Violet is the small, cheerful classic that can flower almost continuously, all year…
Aphelandra squarrosa (Zebra Plant)
The Aphelandra squarrosa - the Zebra Plant - is one of the most striking foliage plants you can…
Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)
The Areca Palm - also called the Butterfly Palm or Golden Cane Palm - is the soft, feathery, gol…
Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus)
The Bird's Nest Fern - Asplenium nidus - is one of the most welcoming ferns you can bring indoor…
Blue Star Fern (Phlebodium aureum)
The Blue Star Fern - Phlebodium aureum - is an epiphytic fern grown for one striking, unusual qu…
Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
The Boston Fern is the lush, cascading classic of the fern world - a soft fountain of arching gr…
Burro's Tail (Sedum morganianum)
The Burro's Tail - Sedum morganianum, also known as the donkey's tail - is a trailing succulent…
Calathea / Prayer Plant (Calathea & Maranta)
Calatheas and their close relatives, the Marantas, are the showpieces of houseplant foliage.
Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)
The Cast Iron Plant earned its name honestly: it is famous as the toughest, most indestructible…
Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides)
The Chinese Money Plant is the friendly, quirky houseplant that became an internet sensation.
Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera)
The Christmas Cactus is a beloved heirloom houseplant - the one that bursts into vivid, exotic b…
Dendrobium Orchid
The Dendrobium is one of the largest and most diverse genera of orchids in the world, with well…
Epiphyllum (Orchid Cactus)
The Epiphyllum - commonly called the Orchid Cactus - is a jungle cactus that breaks all the rule…
Gasteria (Ox Tongue)
Gasteria is a small, tough, slow-growing succulent from South Africa, best known for its thick,…
Goldfish Plant (Nematanthus / Columnea)
The Goldfish Plant earns its name the moment it flowers.
Gynura (Purple Passion Plant)
The Purple Passion Plant (Gynura aurantiaca) is one of those houseplants that people fall for th…
Haworthia (Zebra Plant & Window Plants)
Haworthia is the small, tough, charming succulent that fits almost anywhere - a desk, a windowsi…
Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana)
The Kentia Palm is the elegant, upright indoor palm of grand hotels, conservatories, and stylish…
Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus radicans)
The Lipstick Plant - Aeschynanthus radicans - is a trailing tropical epiphyte grown for two thin…
Ludisia discolor (Jewel Orchid)
The Ludisia discolor - the Jewel Orchid - is an orchid grown for the one thing most orchids are…
Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum)
The Maidenhair Fern is, by common agreement, one of the most beautiful houseplants there is - de…
Majesty Palm (Ravenea rivularis)
The Majesty Palm is one of the most widely sold indoor palms in the world - you have almost cert…
Money Tree (Pachira aquatica)
The Money Tree is the houseplant of good fortune - instantly recognizable by its distinctive bra…
Nerve Plant (Fittonia)
The Nerve Plant is a small, vivid, dramatic little houseplant - its olive-green leaves are laced…
Oncidium Orchid (Dancing Lady Orchid)
The Oncidium, affectionately known as the "Dancing Lady" orchid, is one of the most joyful plant…
Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
The Parlor Palm is the easy, elegant, pet-safe palm that has been gracing indoor rooms since Vic…
Peperomia
Peperomia is not one plant but a huge, wonderfully varied family of compact, easy, pet-safe hous…
Phalaenopsis Orchid (Moth Orchid)
The Phalaenopsis, or Moth Orchid, is the orchid for everyone.
Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya)
The Polka Dot Plant is pure cheerful color - a small, bushy houseplant whose green leaves are fr…
Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
The Ponytail Palm is one of the most charming and characterful houseplants there is - a swollen,…
Portulacaria Afra (Dwarf Jade / Elephant Bush)
Portulacaria afra - known as Dwarf Jade or Elephant Bush - is a fast-growing, bushy succulent sh…
Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura)
The Prayer Plant - Maranta leuconeura - is one of the most captivating houseplants you can own,…
Rabbit's Foot Fern (Davallia fejeensis)
The Rabbit's Foot Fern - Davallia fejeensis - is a delicate, lacy fern grown for two things: its…
Rhipsalis (Mistletoe Cactus)
Rhipsalis - the "Mistletoe Cactus" - is a cactus that breaks all the rules you think you know ab…
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
The Spider Plant is the cheerful, generous, almost foolproof classic of the houseplant world.
String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii)
The String of Hearts is one of the most delicate and romantic of all trailing houseplants - long…
String of Turtles (Peperomia prostrata)
The String of Turtles - Peperomia prostrata - is a delicate, slow-growing trailing plant grown a…
Swedish Ivy (Plectranthus verticillatus)
Swedish Ivy - Plectranthus verticillatus - is one of the easiest and fastest trailing houseplant…
Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
The Venus Flytrap is the most famous plant in the world - the plant that eats.
Watermelon Peperomia (Peperomia argyreia)
The Watermelon Peperomia - Peperomia argyreia - is a small, compact South American houseplant gr…
Prefer to filter yourself? Try the Plant Finder to narrow all houseplants by light and watering.
Choosing a plant for a home with pets? We keep toxicity off Plantvale on purpose - see Pawholt's pet-safe plant list.