top of page
Pets & plants.jpg

Pets and Plants

Sept. 15, 2022

We know you love your fur baby, and you love your houseplants too. But you want to make sure your cat or dog won’t get sick if they nibble on the leaves of your Boston fern, philodendron, snake plant, etc. We frequently get asked which plants are pet-safe and which are not. You have to know what you're growing. 

You will notice when you shop with us that we have info signs scattered throughout our tropical plant tables that tell you about different plant families, including their toxicity. We’re working on creating more of those signs, but in the meantime the best idea is to look up any plant before buying. We have found that the ASPCA website (https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants) has a large, searchable database with information about plant toxicity to both cats and dogs. We highly recommend you look each specific plant as some plant families have both toxic and non-toxic varieties.

Here is a list of some common houseplants that should not hurt your cat or dog if they snack on some low hanging foliage…

Boston fern

Maidenhair fern

Bird’s Nest fern

Staghorn fern

Echevaria

Haworthia

Christmas cactus

Bromelliad

Air plant

Banana plant

Ponytail palm

Cat palm

Majesty palm

Robellini palm

Areca palm

Parlour palm

African violets

Peperomia

Pilea

Calathea

Prayer plant

Stromanthe

Polka Dot plant

Baby’s Tears

Cissus

Hoya

Spider plant

Phaleonopsis Orchid

There are lots of others - like we said, just look things up from a reputable source like the ASPCA. If you are having trouble identifying a plant so you can check it, try posting a photo in our Facebook group, Rekkers and Friends. A staff member or one of the other group members may be able to help get you a name.

Your plants and furry friends can co-exist, so do your homework - and enjoy!

bottom of page