Pet Friendly Indoor Plants

How to choose pet friendly indoor plants

The real trade-off in this collection is foliage drama against forgiveness. Calatheas, marantas and fittonias carry the most striking patterned leaves in the houseplant world, and they ask the most in return: steady moisture, humidity and a position away from direct sun and cold draughts. Peperomias, pileas, gasterias and haworthias sit at the other end, shrugging off a missed watering and staying under 30cm to 40cm for years. If you want something with real presence, the palms and larger ferns hold the middle ground, handsome and genuinely low maintenance.

Size is the other decision. More than half the collection stays under half a metre, made for shelves, desks and windowsills. At the top end, the Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) builds slowly to about 2.5m and the Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii) to around 3m, both proper furniture-scale plants that are listed as non toxic to cats and dogs.

What the Pet Friendly flag means

We flag a plant as pet friendly when the available toxicity data lists it as non toxic to cats and dogs. It is a filter, not a guarantee. Any plant eaten in quantity can upset a stomach, and a determined puppy can still destroy the pot. If your animal has eaten something and seems unwell, ring your vet and take a piece of the plant with you. For hedges, groundcovers and trees that carry the same flag, see the pet safe outdoor plant range.

Matching the plant to the room

Light decides success indoors more than anything else. Calatheas, marantas, fittonias and the bird's nest ferns want bright, indirect light, a metre or two back from a north or east facing window. Bathrooms and laundries suit the ferns best, because the humidity does half the work for you. For dim hallways and south facing rooms, the Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior) is the standout: about 70cm tall, tolerant of deep shade and dry spells, and one of the few plants here that also copes in cool temperate climates. The Lady Palm and Bamboo Palm handle low light as well, and our low light indoor plants collection gathers more options.

Almost everything here is a tropical or subtropical understorey plant, so the advice shifts by region. In Brisbane, Sydney and further north, most of these plants will also live happily on a shaded balcony or verandah year round. In Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart, treat them as strictly indoor plants through winter: they are frost tender, and cold draughts from doors and single-glazed windows do more damage than most owners realise.

Potting and position, with numbers

Use a free draining indoor potting mix and a pot with drainage holes, sitting on a saucer you empty after watering. When a plant fills its pot, move it up one size, roughly 4cm to 5cm wider, rather than jumping to a huge container that holds soggy mix around the roots. Most of the small growers here are comfortable in a 14cm to 20cm pot for years; the palms want a 30cm to 40cm pot as they mature. Rotate the pot a quarter turn each week so growth stays even, and keep all plants at least a metre from heaters and air conditioning outlets.

Care basics for the collection

Water when the top 2cm to 3cm of mix is dry, which in most Australian homes means roughly weekly in summer and every two to three weeks in winter. Calatheas and fittonias prefer the mix to stay lightly moist, never wet. Feed with a half strength liquid fertiliser monthly from spring to early autumn, and not at all in winter. Wipe dust from broad leaves so they can photosynthesise, and trim spent foliage at the base. If leaf edges brown on your calatheas, raise the humidity with a pebble tray before reaching for anything else.

Common questions

Are these plants completely safe if my cat chews them?

No plant is completely safe to eat, but everything here is listed as non toxic to cats and dogs, so a chewed leaf is very unlikely to cause more than mild stomach upset. Ring your vet if your animal seems unwell. Our guide to the best pet friendly plants for your home covers sensible placement too.

Which of these plants handle low light best?

The Cast Iron Plant is the champion, followed by the Lady Palm and Bamboo Palm. Calatheas tolerate lower light than most patterned plants, though the markings soften. Nothing thrives in a room with no natural light at all.

Why are my calathea leaves curling or browning at the edges?

Dry air is the usual cause, followed by underwatering and cold draughts. Move the plant away from heaters, water when the surface dries and sit the pot on a tray of damp pebbles. New leaves should emerge clean within a few weeks.

Do pet friendly indoor plants work in cold climates?

Yes, indoors. Homes in Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart suit them fine provided rooms stay above about 10 degrees Celsius in winter and plants sit clear of cold windows and draughts. They are frost tender, so do not leave them outside overnight in the cool months.

How does delivery work for indoor plants?

Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Larger palms and advanced stock are freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. See the full indoor plant range if you are building an order.