Filling your home with houseplants is a great way to purify the air, add natural beauty, and create a more zen living space. But there’s nothing less zen than finding your dog with a toxic plant leaf in his mouth. If you have a curious canine companion, here are some dog-safe houseplants that will beautify your home without endangering your pup.
Spider plant
Able to thrive in a variety of conditions (low-light, high-light, or even neglected for a week or two), the spider plant is a great dog-safe plant to add a touch of natural whimsy to any space.
Orchids
Orchids flower in just about every color of the rainbow, which can make for a fun surprise or much needed jolt of color when you’re looking to pep up your interior decor. Some can survive on a few ice cubes every few days alone, and many dogs won’t take much interest in them.
African violet
Known for their beautiful purple blooms, African violets (or Saintpaulia) are great indoor plants because they thrive in average room temperatures and humidity conditions. They add a fun pop of color to any space without potentially endangering your furry friend.
Venus fly traps
This carnivorous plant will help consume flies in your home, while remaining harmless to your dog. That’s a win-win if we’ve ever seen one.
The obvious choice
If you’ve ever considered growing your own herb garden, we say go for it. A lot of common herbs that you might grow in your home or garden for cooking are totally harmless for your pet, including basil, parsley, rosemary and oregano.
Not to mention, you can even turn some of those herbs into healthy treats for your dog. Our simple frozen mint treat recipe helps keep dogs’ breath from reaching maximum stench. Toss a dash of ginger in there to help with an upset stomach.
How to Prevent Your Dog from Eating Houseplants
Regardless of whether your plants are toxic or not, it’s always a good idea to keep your houseplants out of snout’s reach. Like with people, too much of anything can cause digestive or elimination issues with your dog, so the safer course is to deter consumption altogether. We recommend spraying diluted lemon juice or vinegar on your plants, provided they won’t contaminate your soil. You can also purchase spray specifically designed to deter dogs from eating your plants so they won’t sabotage your green thumb’s best efforts.
Hanging planters are always a great idea, as well. And if there’s no great spot to drill into your ceiling, at least do your best to keep the plants off the floor. A dog may lose interest in your flavorless plants if it takes work to even get a taste.
These are all especially important points if your have any toxic plants around the house. Common greens like aloe vera, hydrangea, pencil cactus and geranium all have toxic properties that can cause upset stomachs, vomiting and potentially worse symptoms if consumed in even small batches.
We recommend keeping them out of your living space altogether, and replacing them with one of our dog-safe options listed above.
