How to find non toxic houseplants
We get it. You want all the glorious-ness you can get from having a variety of fabulous houseplants shacking up in your home. That being said, you also want to make sure your indoor jungle is as kid and pet safe as possible.
Sound like a big feat? Fret not my friend - we’ve put together this handy little guide for how to find and identify non-toxic, child and pet safe houseplants along with some of our personal favorites at the moment.
How to find out if a plant is toxic
First things first: you’ll want to find out if the plant you’re looking to buy or the ones you already have are toxic or poisonous, and who they might specifically pose a threat to.
Some plants are toxic to cats and dogs, some are only toxic to cats (check out our recommended cat safe plants). Some are toxic to pets but not kids. You get the picture.
Find out what parts of the plant are toxic or dangerous, and what their effects are. All or just parts of the plant could be poisonous, so it’s important to know what parts of your plant could be harmful.
Also find out exactly what dangers your plant could pose; effects of the plant could range from skin irritation to illness to fatal poisoning. Yikes!
Resources for identifying toxic and non toxic plants
Below we’ve put together a few of our favorite recommendations for non toxic indoor plants that are totally safe for kids and pets, but to help you identify other toxic plants, here are a few websites you might want to bookmark for future reference.
For pet specific lists of toxic and non toxic plants, check out the ASPCA website.
For a super comprehensive list of non toxic, mildly toxic, and poisonous plants for children and pets, the Minnesota Department of Health put together a very informative document you can find here. You might want to print it out for easy reference!
What to do if someone ingests a toxic plant
Of course the ideal situation is to keep toxic plants out of reach or out of the house entirely, but what do you do if a child or person does ingest some of the plant?
Call poison control immediately if someone eats even a small part of a toxic plant. If your pet ingests a poisonous or harmful plant, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: (888) 426-4435.
Our top recommendations right now for non toxic indoor plants
To make it as easy, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite non toxic houseplants safe for kids and pets. Pick one (or a few!) of these lovelies up and rest easy knowing your plants, little humans, and furry friends are safe to live together in harmony.