Pet-Friendly Houseplants that are Low-Maintenance
Houseplants are a gorgeous accent to any home. However, many of them can be toxic to our furry family members. If you’re just getting into plant game, here are some excellent options that are both safe for your canine and easy to manage for beginners.
Christmas Cactus
Christmas Cactus get their names due to their blooming occurring around December. However, with proper care and the right amount of sunlight, you’ll get a few more blooms around the year. The foliage of this flower spills over like a fountain, producing flowers in the shades of pink and red. This plant shouldn’t grow higher than 12 inches, but with proper care can grow outwards of up to 2 feet. Due to their fountain-like growth, many pet parents choose the Christmas Cactus as a decorative hanging plant.
Parlor Palm
Parlor Palms are like miniature palm trees that can bring a bit of tropical atmosphere and comfort to your home. In addition to being stunning plants, you can cut off their fronds and add them to bouquets – where they can last up to a whopping 40 days! While these plants can start out itty bitty, don’t be fooled, Parlor Palms can reach up to 4 feet in height, and in large enough containers there have even been instances of them reaching up to 8 feet!
Spider Plant
Spider Plants are incredibly popular with their thin blades that spill outward. Plus, as this plant begins to mature it will produce sprouts called “pups” that you can easily pluck off to grow other spider plants! This super low-maintenance plant is also widely known as being one of the best air purifying plants, filtering out toxins and carcinogens and releasing pure oxygen in return.
Boston Fern
With the big shaggy foliage, the Boston Fern produces, you might confuse it for another pet in your home. With the ability to grow up to 3 feet wide, you can hang these ferns in front of your window if you want a bit more privacy. Just be sure you don’t place them directly in a sunny south-facing window, otherwise, they could get a bit scorched. Boston Ferns appreciate a wholesome amount of water, but you must have well-drained soil so that the water doesn’t gather at the bottom – otherwise, the soil at the bottom will begin to rot.
African Violet
African Violets bloom in beautiful shades of pink, white, and purple that truly pop against the velvet dark green foliage. A fun fact about this beautiful plant is that it’s also easy to propagate. So, if a leaf breaks off (or gets torn off by your canine rascal) all you have to do is fill a small glass with water, place the torn stem in the water, and make sure the leaf is proper on the side of the container and not submerged in the water. Put the makeshift pot on a windowsill, changing out the water every couple of days. Soon enough you’ll start to notice tiny roots beginning to sprout out of the stem! Once you notice several white strands that have reached about an inch and a half long, you can transfer your new propagated plant over to a small cup of soil.
Houseplants are a perfect way to add a little bit of life to your home. And even if you’re someone considered to have a “black thumb” these plants will make your life a breeze.