If you want to purify your home’s air quality and want some indoor plants that NASA lists as air purifiers, but you’re worried that these indoor plants might harm your pet cat or dog, because you need to improve your home’s air quality, but you also need to take care of your pets. So, in this blog post today, I’m going to tell you about some plants that will be great for both your home’s air quality and your pets.
Top 10 pet-safe, air-friendly indoor plants
Note: All the air purifier plants listed below are pet safe but you are requested to keep them away from the reach of your children.
Spider Plant: Scientifically known as Chlorophytum comosum, it’s a wonderful hanging plant. It’s pet-safe. You can plant it in a hanging pot on your balcony and it requires very little water. Its leaves resemble spiders, making it a beautiful plant. Keep it in a shaded area.
Areca Palm: Areca Palm is considered one of the best indoor plants for air purification safe for pets. According to ASPCA it is non-toxic to both cats and dogs, so pet owners can keep it at home without any tension. This plant helps in improving indoor air quality, especially in balancing CO₂ levels and increasing humidity. It is perfect for living rooms and bedrooms as it grows well in bright indirect light and is low in maintenance. If you are looking for a pet-friendly, air-cleaning and stylish indoor plant, Areca Palm is a safe choice.
Parlor Palm: Parlor Palm is a best choice on the list of best indoor plants for air purification safe for pets. It is non-toxic according to the ASPCA, making it completely safe for homes with cats or dogs. This plant grows well even in low light and helps keep indoor air feeling fresh. The difference between Areca Palm and Parlor Palm is that Areca Palm grows larger while Parlor Palm stays smaller. However, both plants are quite beautiful.
Bamboo Palm: Bamboo Palm is a strong choice among the best indoor plants for air purification, safe for pets. It is considered non-toxic to cats and dogs and helps keep indoor spaces feeling fresh and breathable. Its dense leaves balance the humidity of the room, which is useful for closed homes. If you believe in Vaastu, then according to some Vaastu Shastra, this plant should not be brought into the house at all. Overall, this plant will improve the air quality of your house if you bring it home.
Boston Fern: If you don’t like the plants I mentioned above, don’t worry. Number 5 on our list is the Boston Fern plant, a trusted option among the best indoor plants for air purification and safe for pets. It’s considered non-toxic to cats and dogs and improves humidity while giving indoor air a fresh feel, which is useful in homes with AC.
African Violet: If I were to gift someone, it would be the one and only African Violet. It is popular among best indoor plants for air purification and safe for pets because it flowers regularly and is non-toxic to cats and dogs. Given the right indirect light and basic care, it blooms colorful flowers several times a year, making the home fresh and lively.
Peperomia: Peperomia is a smart and safe choice among the best indoor plants for air purification safe for pets. With over 1000 varieties worldwide, and known by different names everywhere, Peperomia is considered non-toxic to cats and dogs, so pet owners can keep it at home without worry. This small plant requires little care and gives indoor spaces a clean, calm and fresh feel.
Christmas Cactus: Christmas Cactus is a popular choice among the best indoor plants for air purification safe for pets. But if you follow Vaastu then this plant is probably not for you as many Vaastu experts advise against bringing this plant inside the house. However, if you do bring this plant inside the house then it is generally considered non-toxic for cats and dogs and the best part – it blooms beautiful flowers. It gives a fresh, colorful and positive feel to the indoor space, without much maintenance.
Calathea: If you care for your pets and want a positive vibe in your home, then you should definitely bring home a Calathea. This plant looks very beautiful, especially its leaves. This plant doesn’t require much sunlight and performs well even in AC rooms.
Orchid: So this is the last plant on our list. If you want a pet-friendly + flowering indoor plant that gives a clean, elegant and positive vibe to your home, then Orchid is a safe and classy choice. This plant is perfect for those who want beauty + safety + low effort all together.
Little Care Hacks (Keeping Pet Safe)
The top 10 plants that we have mentioned above are safe for your pets like cats and dogs, but still you can keep your pets even safer by adopting these small habits.
- Place the plant higher up (hanging or on a shelf) – cats won’t get a chance to chew on the leaves.
- Use non-toxic soil and fertilizer
- Despite all your precautions, if your pet tastes the plant? If vomiting, low energy, or strange behavior is observed, then immediately take your pet to the doctor.
FAQ
Q1: Do plants alone clean the air enough?
No — plants have been shown to reduce VOCs in controlled lab studies, but they alone cannot improve air quality. For this to happen, your home must have good ventilation. And if the AQI in your area is higher than normal, you should get a good air purifier. Wear a mask when you go out.
Q2: Why is the ASPCA-list important?
We should check all indoor plants in the ASPCA database to see if they are pet-friendly. This list is compiled after the ASPCA’s pet toxicology experts have checked all plants.
Q3: What is the best first plant to get in a home with kids/pets?
If you want to improve the air quality of your home and also have children/pets in your house then you should definitely get spider plants as your first plant in your house.