Pet-Safe Houseplants: 15 Plants That Are Non-Toxic to Cats and Dogs

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

If your cat has already chewed the tip off a leaf, you probably want to know which plants are safe to keep around. The short answer: spider plants, Boston ferns, African violets, parlor palms, calatheas and a handful of others are listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs, and we cover 15 of them below.

Our main source is the ASPCA list of pet-friendly plants, plus the ASPCA’s own plant pages for the ones that article does not cover. “Non-toxic” does not mean “harmless to eat.” The ASPCA notes that eating any plant material can cause vomiting and an upset stomach in dogs and cats, so a pet that chews a lot of any plant is still worth a call to your vet.

What “non-toxic” means on the ASPCA list

The ASPCA keeps a searchable database of plants that are toxic and non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. A plant marked non-toxic is not expected to cause a life-threatening reaction. Some entries still list mild vomiting or diarrhea as a possible sign, which is why we treat the list as a starting point, not a free pass.

Plants also go by several common names, and the same name sometimes covers more than one plant. Before you buy, match the scientific name on the plant tag to the ASPCA entry. A University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener article in The Stanislaus Sprout makes the same point: learn the full botanical name, because toxic plants are often not labeled as toxic.

15 houseplants listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs

The first 11 come straight from the ASPCA pet-friendly list. Numbers 12 and 13 come from the ASPCA plant database pages for calathea and polka dot plant. Numbers 14 and 15 appear on the non-toxic list in that Master Gardener article, which cites the ASPCA list.

1. Spider plant

A classic for hanging baskets and shelves. It tolerates a range of light and sends out baby plantlets you can pot up for friends.

2. Boston fern

Likes steady moisture and humidity, so a bathroom or kitchen window can suit it. Brown, crispy fronds usually mean the soil dried out.

3. African violet

A small, flowering plant for a bright windowsill. Water the soil, not the leaves, and let the pot drain.

4. Cast iron plant

Named for being tough. It handles lower light than many houseplants, which makes it useful for a dim corner.

5. Parlor palm

A slow-growing palm that fits a tabletop or floor pot. It is a good choice if you want height without a big tree.

6. Christmas cactus

Also sold as holiday cactus. It blooms around the holidays, which makes it a pet-friendly alternative to some seasonal plants.

7. Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis)

The common grocery-store orchid. The ASPCA lists it as pet-friendly, so a flower spike on the coffee table is less of a worry.

8. American rubber plant (baby rubber plant)

Not the same as the large rubber tree. It has thick, glossy leaves and stays compact.

9. Donkey’s tail

A trailing succulent with fat, bead-like leaves. Hang it high anyway, since the leaves fall off easily and a rolling leaf is tempting to a cat.

10. Blue echeveria

A rosette succulent for your sunniest window. Water only after the soil has dried out completely.

11. Gerbera daisy

Bright, daisy-like flowers on a short stem. It wants plenty of light.

12. Calathea

Known for patterned leaves that fold up at night. The ASPCA page lists calathea as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

13. Polka dot plant

Pink-splashed leaves for a bright spot. The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic, though it also notes mild vomiting and diarrhea as possible signs, and the toxic principles are unknown.

14. Ponytail palm

A swollen trunk base and a spray of long, thin leaves. It stores water, so err on the dry side.

15. Emerald ripple peperomia

Puckered green leaves on a compact plant. It is a good small-pot option for a shelf or desk.

Which common houseplants are not on the safe list?

The Master Gardener article lists several popular plants as toxic to pets, including pothos, snake plant, ZZ plant, monstera, jade, aloe, philodendron, English ivy, lilies and amaryllis. If you already own one of those, you do not have to throw it out. You can move it to a room your pet cannot enter or to a spot they cannot reach, and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if you think your pet ate some.

For a gift idea that works around this, our beginner plant gift guide is a good place to start, but check each plant against the ASPCA database first if the person you are buying for has a cat or dog.

What people are asking this season: is poinsettia dangerous?

Holiday plants bring this question up every November. A November 4, 2026 Yahoo Life article, “6 ‘Safer’ Poinsettia Alternatives That Are Actually More Dangerous to Your Pets,” reports that poinsettia is low-risk and that a 1971 Ohio State study found no deaths or toxicity symptoms in rats given very high doses. The same article warns that several plants often swapped in for poinsettias, including amaryllis, cyclamen, kalanchoe, hellebore and mistletoe, are the riskier choices. It names Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter cacti and moth orchids as non-toxic options.

We have not verified those claims independently, so check the ASPCA database before you bring a holiday plant home.

How to keep pets and plants apart anyway

Even with a non-toxic plant, a cat that treats your pot like a salad bar can end up with a sore stomach or a tipped-over pot. A few habits help:

• Put hanging plants and trailing plants up high, out of jumping range.
• Keep a small pot of pet-safe grass or catnip nearby so there is something else to chew.
• Take a photo of the plant tag and keep it, so you can name the plant if you need to call a vet.

Watering matters too. Soggy soil attracts gnats and can rot roots, and our posts on how often to water houseplants in winter and why houseplant leaves turn yellow in winter cover the basics. If you are still choosing plants, choosing the right indoor plants for beginners is a good companion read.

Where to buy pet-safe plants

A local nursery or garden center is a good first stop, because you can read the tag and ask for the scientific name. Online, Amazon sells many of these plants and pots. We have not added product links to this post yet, so look for the plant by its scientific name and compare it against the ASPCA entry before you order.

FAQ

Is a non-toxic plant safe for my pet to eat?

Not entirely. The ASPCA notes that eating any plant material may cause vomiting and an upset stomach in dogs and cats. Non-toxic means a life-threatening reaction is not expected, not that the plant makes a good snack.

What should I do if my pet eats a plant on the toxic list?

Call your vet right away. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center number is (888) 426-4435. The Master Gardener article advises bringing a piece of the plant and noting how much was eaten and when.

Do the same plants work for cats and dogs?

For the plants above, the ASPCA pages we checked list them as non-toxic to both. Check each plant’s own entry before you buy, since the database lists toxicity by animal.

If you want a quick reference for common plant problems, we put together a free Houseplant Rescue Cheat Sheet. Get it here.

Ginger Durett has more than 10 years of experience as a professional grower, including general growing and medicinal cannabis growing. Blair Sutherland is a co-founder of Happy Healthy Living.