Safe Plants for Cats

As I'm sure you are aware, there are hundreds of plants toxic to cats. But what if you love having houseplants or want to have a flower garden? Fortunately, there are also hundreds of safe, non-toxic plants to cats you can keep in your home or garden.

African Violet: African violets are beautiful flowers, which are most commonly kept as houseplants, but they can also be grown outdoors. African violets require good light and especially thrive in warm, but not hot, temperatures (up to 85 degrees Fahrenheit). In winter, African violets should be kept in the sunniest, warmest windows in the house. You can read more about how to take care of African violets on the University of Rhode Island Landscape Horticulture Program website.

Baby's Tears: Baby's Tears can be grown inside as a houseplant or outside in an ornamental garden. Baby's Tears is a creeping herb that contains yellow or bright green leaves and lots of small white flowers. This plant needs soil that is constantly damp and it thrives in humid climates.

Bachelor's Buttons: Bachelor's Buttons, also known as Cornflower, is another good flower to use in an ornamental garden. Bachelor's buttons are most commonly bright blue, but they also come in pink, purple, and other shades of blue. The plant requires full sunlight and an average amount of water.

Blood leaf: Blood leaf is an annual shrub, which is often seen in ornamental gardens. According to How Stuff Works, blood leaf desires full sunlight, but they can grow in partial sunlight or in the shade as well. This shrub does not tolerate frost at all, so plant it after this danger has passed. Blood leaf also needs moist soil in order to thrive. You can learn more about how to plant and grow blood leaf by visiting How Stuff Works.

Candy Corn Plant: Candy corn plant is a unique plant with lush green leaves and tubular orange flowers with yellow tips. This plant grows vigorously and according to the website, Guide to Houseplants, if not pruned, the plant can grow to be six feet in length. The website suggests putting candy corn plant on a trellis or in a hanging basket. You can keep this plant indoors or outdoors during spring and summer months. However, this safe plants for cats does not tolerate the cold or frost well at all, so be sure to bring it back inside in the fall when temperatures start to decline again.

Celosia Spicata: Celosia spicata is another flower that would look great in a flower garden. It contains medium to dark green foliage and violet or pink flowers, which may have a silvery tint to them. These flowers need full sunlight and require well-drained, constantly damp soil. This non-toxic annual plant can tolerate frost, which makes it unique.

Fireweed: Fireweed is a plant containing beautiful purple flowers. It is safe for cats and can reach two to five feet in height. According to the website Illinois Wildflowers, fireweed desires full to partial sunlight and cool to warm temperatures.

Polka Dot Plant: Polka dot plants contain green leaves with rose or pink spots. While this plant is pretty hardy in a range of temperatures, it does not tolerate temperatures below 55 degrees. Thus, you need to bring it in during fall and winter months if you do not keep it as a houseplant year-round. This plant thrives in high humidity. If you do not live in a humid environment, it is a good idea to mist the polka dot plant daily, particularly early in the day, according to All About Indoor Houseplants. Medium light is best for this plant in nearly every season. However, high light is suggested for this plant in wintertime.

Marigolds: Another non-toxic plant to cats is the marigold. Marigolds are quite hardy and can tolerate drought environments. They desire well-drained average soil and full sunlight. They come in several colors: red, yellow, orange, cream, gold, or are bicolored. This flower is a good one for flower gardens.

Goldfish Plant: Goldfish plant is unique in that its flowers resemble goldfish. Goldfish plant is a perennial and will bloom for several years if you care of it properly. This plant can grow to be three feet in length if you do not pinch off the growing ends regularly. This plant prefers full, indirect sunlight, and would do well in a hanging basket.

Marigolds: Marigolds are good for flower gardens and come in a variety of colors: red, yellow, cream, orange, gold, or can be bi-colored. Marigolds are drought tolerant, so they do not require a lot of water to thrive. They do prefer full sunlight, though.

If you love flowers and have a cat, I hope you will check out these safe, non-toxic flowers and plants to cats for your home or garden.