Did you know that not all air purifying plants are safe for pets? It’s natural to assume that a plant would be safe for pets if it had air purifying qualities. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Actually, most air purifying plants aren’t safe for pets.
It’s easy to fall for a plant because of its beauty and design appeal. But when you have pets, additional consideration needs to be given to safety and plant toxicity.
Thankfully, some air-purifying houseplants are safe for cats (and dogs too). These air purifying plants also feature on the NASA list of air-purifying plants that will improve the air quality in your home.
Here are 7 air purifying plants that are non toxic to cats.
These houseplants won’t pose any risk to your cats if consumed. However, please note that these plants are not food and should not be treated as such.
While these plants are safe when consumed in certain amounts, great care should be taken in preventing pets and children from parts of your plants that could present any form of danger.
A warning about palms.
Although palms are safe for cats in terms of toxicity, some palms tend to have sharp parts that can easily penetrate the skin and cause harm. So, additional care should be taken to minimize physical contact, especially with any pets or children in the household.
Always check the Animal Poison Control (APC) website for the latest information on plant toxicity to animals before purchasing your indoor plant.
If you’re not sure which plant to get, the safest option is to get a hanging plant that you can keep out of reach of pets and children.
Here are 7 Air Purifying House Plants That Are Safe For Cats
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum)
Removes Formaldehyde, Xylene and Toluene.
This spiky plant, with its distinctive green leaves, can survive in almost any weather condition. This is a beginner-friendly plant to own and is very cost-effective.
You can easily propagate your spider plant from its baby spiderettes to have even more spider plants fill up your home with its purification properties.
Areca Palm (Dypsis Lutescens)
Removes Formaldehyde, Xylene and Toluene.
Areca Palms are gorgeous and bring a tropical feel to your indoor space. Having one of these is like having your own special slice of paradise. They are very powerful in cleaning the air and eliminating toxins due to their large size.
As well as purifying the air of toxins, these palms add a touch of brightness and style to your home interior.
Parlour Palm (Chamaedorea Elegans)
Removes Ammonia, Benzene, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene, Xylene and Toluene.
This decorative plant is incredibly stunning to look at. It accents any room with a tropical look and offers a calming presence and beauty to your indoor space. It’s one of the most popular indoor palms because of its decorative appeal.
Parlour Palms can also remove more toxins than most palms so an all round positive for purifying house plant to have.
Boston Fern (Nephrolepis Exalta)
Removes Formaldehyde, Xylene and Toluene.
This beautiful and prevalent fern plant looks absolutely stunning. They require a lot of humidity and are happiest in places like the bathroom. As long as you keep the soil in your Boston fern moist, it doesn’t really require any other maintenance or care.
This plant will make your bathroom look fabulous and add elegance and beauty that only spas can boast of.
Dwarf Date Palm (Phoenix Roebelenii)
Removes Formaldehyde, Xylene and Toluene.
You may already know this beautiful palm as the Pygmy Date Palm. It’s a smaller palm that can easily fit indoors. It can grow up to 6 feet (1.83 m) tall, a rather sweet spot for an indoor palm.
The Dwarf Date Palm is top-rated as an indoor potted plant mostly because of its durability and evergreen nature. Not to mention how gorgeous palm trees generally look indoors.
Broadleaf Lady Palm (Rhapis Excelsa)
Removes Ammonia, Benzene, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene, Xylene and Toluene.
This gorgeous palm is just so aesthetically pleasing in any space it occupies, mostly in the bathroom due to its love for humidity. The Broadleaf Lady Palm is one of the best options as far as indoor air cleaning plants go.
It’s one of only 5 plants on the NASA clean air study that can remove ammonia, a toxic chemical present in a wide range of cleaning products.
Barberton Daisy (Gerbera Jamesonii)
Removes Benzene, Formaldehyde and Trichloroethylene.
The Barberton Daisy is a very cheerful plant that instantly adds a burst of color to any room. It can be grown indoors and outdoors, depending on the weather. Many people tend to grow their Barberton Daisy outdoors, and they bring them indoors in the winter.
You can totally have yours indoors all year round. Just place them in a room with plenty of natural light and keep the soil moist.
Other posts you may be interested in
10 Pet Friendly House Plants You Want In Your Home
Indoor Plant Care Tips For New Plant Parents
Jill Davis, author for Life So Ever
Jill Davis grew up on army bases in the USA and Germany and has spent her adult life on the East Coast. She resides in Virginia where she gets to enjoy lots of hiking trails, kayaking, and other outdoor adventures. No recipe intimidates her and she is always up to try most foods. Her second language is sarcasm and she always looks for the good in life.
