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Which houseplants are safe for pets?

Toxicity status verified against the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center's Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant database on 24 August 2026, updated 2 September 2026 to add philodendron and fiddle leaf fig, 5 September 2026 to add aloe vera, 6 September 2026 to link the existing calathea listing to its own guide, 7 September 2026 to add African violet, 11 September 2026 to link the existing parlor palm listing to its own guide, 12 September 2026 to link the existing areca palm listing to its own guide, and 13 September 2026 to link the existing ponytail palm listing to its own guide (each verified against the same ASPCA database on their own guide). Sources linked below.

Spider plant, Boston fern, parlor palm, areca palm, calathea, haworthia, peperomia, ponytail palm and African violet are all listed non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA, making them safe choices for homes with pets. Three of the most common houseplants sold, monstera, pothos and snake plant, are toxic and need to stay out of reach.

Which common houseplants are safe for cats and dogs?

The nine plants in the table above all carry an ASPCA non-toxic rating for both cats and dogs, each checked on the ASPCA's own per-plant page rather than a secondary list. Spider plant and Boston fern are two of the most forgiving houseplants available and tolerate low light, which is why they show up so often in pet-owner recommendations. Parlor palm and areca palm give a genuinely pet-safe way to bring a palm indoors, since most other popular houseplant palms are untested or restricted to specific species. Calathea, haworthia and peperomia cover three very different care styles, humidity-loving, near-succulent, and easy trailing, so a pet-safe choice exists in most light and care situations. Ponytail palm and African violet both stand out as non-toxic to horses as well as cats and dogs, useful if the household includes larger animals.

What does "non-toxic" actually mean?

Non-toxic means the ASPCA's toxicology team has found no toxic principle in the plant that causes poisoning; it does not mean the plant is edible or entirely risk free. A pet that eats a large amount of any plant material, safe or not, can still vomit or get an upset stomach from bulk or fibre alone. Boston fern's own ASPCA profile makes this point directly: the plant contains no toxic compounds, but a cat that strips and swallows a large amount of frond can still bring it back up once, because that is the gut responding to bulk, not poison. Non-toxic is the correct thing to look for when choosing a plant, it just is not a licence to let a pet graze on it.

Which popular houseplants are NOT safe for pets?

Monstera, pothos and snake plant, three of the most common houseplants sold today, are all toxic to cats and dogs. Philodendron, peace lily, fiddle leaf fig and aloe vera join them on the ASPCA's toxic list and are just as widely sold. Five of the seven contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals (snake plant's saponins, aloe vera's saponins and anthraquinones, and fiddle leaf fig's sap enzymes are the exceptions), which cause oral irritation, drooling and vomiting if a pet chews the leaves or sap.

True lilies (Lilium species, not peace lily) deserve a separate, stronger warning for cat owners specifically: the ASPCA rates them among the most dangerous houseplants for cats, capable of causing kidney failure from a small amount of pollen or leaf. Peace lily and philodendron are milder, causing the same oral irritation as pothos rather than organ damage, and fiddle leaf fig's sap can also irritate skin on contact, but "lily" in a plant's common name is not a reliable safety signal either way, which is exactly why checking the scientific name matters (see below).

A pet-safe collection and a toxic collection can look equally lush; the difference is never visible, only the species.

How do you check if a plant is safe before buying it?

Search the plant's scientific name, not just its common name, in the ASPCA's toxic and non-toxic plant search tool before buying. Common names overlap in ways that hide real risk: "lily" covers both true lilies (severely toxic to cats) and peace lily (milder), and plenty of nursery tags list only a common or trade name. A nursery or plant-shop label often shows the scientific name in small print next to the common one; if it does not, ask, since the ASPCA database is searchable by either but is only reliable when you have the right one.

What should you do if a pet eats a toxic houseplant?

FAQ

Which houseplants are safe for cats and dogs?

Spider plant, Boston fern, parlor palm, areca palm, calathea, haworthia, peperomia, ponytail palm and African violet are all ASPCA-listed non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Is monstera safe for cats and dogs?

No. The ASPCA lists monstera as toxic, along with pothos and snake plant, three of the most common houseplants sold.

What does non-toxic mean for a houseplant?

No known poisoning risk per the ASPCA's testing, not that the plant is edible. Eating a large amount of any plant can still cause vomiting from bulk or fibre alone.

What should you do if your pet eats a toxic houseplant?

Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 straight away, and identify the plant by photo or sample.

Related guides

Sources

• ASPCA, Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Spider Plant
• ASPCA, Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Boston Fern
• ASPCA, Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Parlor Palm
• ASPCA, Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Areca Palm
• ASPCA, Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Calathea
• ASPCA, Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Haworthia
• ASPCA, Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Blunt Leaf Peperomia
• ASPCA, Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Pony Tail (Ponytail Palm)
• ASPCA, Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Heartleaf Philodendron
• ASPCA, Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Fig
• ASPCA, Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Aloe
• ASPCA, Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: African Violet
• ASPCA, Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant Search