Watching your hombre or kitten lift through the lush tropical leaves of indoor trees may impart to mind figure of a tiger crawl elegantly in a leafy rainforest … But how safe are houseplants for pets , and especially for your feline friends ?
Some can be toxic and even toxicant to cats ; others may pose strong-arm luck with their sharp leaves , sticker , or thorn . Naturally , you ’d want to ensure your four - legged family members remain unharmed , steering towards indoor Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree varieties that pose no menace to your cats .
True , cats are often savvy and smart , steering readable of danger . But as the saying goes , well safe than sorry . And the good newsworthiness ? You do n’t have to forgo the exotic ambiance reminiscent of sun - kiss Pacific beaches , calm South American forests , or or even the sculptural beauty that some indoor Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree bring to your home .
@bananaispy
And I ’m going to essay it to you : you could have safety machine for your cats and super decorative trees in your loving spaces coexist in peace and concord , and never worry for the wellness of your pet when you go out …
How ? It ’s aboveboard — I’m here to insert you to not only the safest but also the most beautiful cat safe trees you could grow indoors , ensuring the upbeat of even the most mischievous feline in your household !
Indoor Trees and Cat Safety
To be fair , bozo are quite independent and smart ; they will commonly know if aplant is poisonous or toxicand wo n’t touch it .
But domesticated pets may lose part of this ability … What ’s more , there are some houseplants that can rile the skin to the pinch , and these should be avoided at all costs , including the popular and innocent looking weeping Libyan Islamic Group ( Ficus benjamina ) .
I have literally seen my small kittens jump through the long and menacing sharp pricker and prickles of a cactus and lush botanical garden where I used to wreak … One passed a few inches from a massive spike with her eyes !
@bananaispy
That ’s because our feline acquaintance have an sightedness that ’s 8 times ( ! ! ! ) more hefty than ours . And because they have amazing control on their movements …
But indoor distance can be more dangerous , because they can get drum , and when cat age , they may become less attentive and supple … For this grounds , we should also stave off briery houseplant and indoor tree varieties .
Indoor Trees, Humans and Pets – An Important Difference
Now , here is an important note for you … You think that a plant that ’s dependable for us , will automatically be dependable for cats ? Think again ! There are many mutual varieties , even some that we use in cooking , that are safe for us but dangerous for our feline companions . For example bay laurel ( Laurus nobilis ) and evenAloe vera !
In fact , even borage ( Borago officinalis ) and – you wo n’t think it – soothing and calming chamomile ( Anthemis nobilis ) will soak your cats and make them sick , with vomiting , diarrhea and even recollective term outcome .
And a last musical note on Nepeta cataria ( Nepeta cataria ) … The name is misleading … And it can also pull a fast one on our feline friends … In fact , cat do eat up it , but in many cases , it will give them symptom interchangeable to food poisoning …
@bananaispy
So , to be on the safe side , but without losing in ornamental time value , we can now start to see which indoor trees will never harm you your big cat …
12 Indoor Tree Varieties That Are Purr-fectly Safe for Your Cat
Unfortunately , many houseplant are toxic or dangerous for cat , and if you care about the safety of your felid friend , here are 12 you may fully trust .
These are all decorative indoor Tree and I have added some tree diagram like houseplant , and we will see them soon , but first , a few speech on plant and the safety of your kat or kitten .
1:Flowering Banana (Musa ornata)
“ bear on , banana plants are not Tree , ” you may say . And you would be scientifically right ; in fact , they are massive grasses in botany . But in gardening terms , they are treated as trees , and you will find out them in that segment in a nursery or garden center .
All varieties are secure for computerized tomography and kitty , but we wish to propose you a special one native of India … Its leaves are very gentle , posing no scourge at all to any pet or even small child . But they are stunning , luxuriant , emerald , all-inclusive and tops glossy , they sum up light and a tropical feel to your indoor spaces , all year around .
The russet scab it form is very decorative and absolutely not toxic nor venomous , which isconfirmed by many studiesand confirmed by theAmerican Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Cats(ASPCA ) .
By the way of life , a food author to verify if your houseplants are grievous to your four legged friends . Over fourth dimension , it will also bring out a tumid woody brown “ torso ” ( a stalk , to be accurate ) and … If you are lucky and the shape are right , it may even blossom !
More frequent open air , they are gravid , bright pinkish and golden , and sculptural , with bracts opening in sequence from a key stretch bud .
Easy to grow and to find , flowering banana tree ( or other variety ) has all the lush qualities of leafy tropic trees and you could have it in a large and well illumine room where your cat can roleplay in full safety . And it is a winner of the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society .
2:Kentia Palm (Howea Forsteriana)
Kentia palm is a very popular houseplant , and it is not at all toxic to cats ; actually , it could be good to you and your pet , as demonstrated in astudy by Dr. GeunSug Oh and Dr. Gin Joo Jungcalled ‘ Experimental Study on Variation of CO2Concentration in the Presence of Indoor Plants and Respiration of Experimental Animals ’ ( Horticulture , Environment and Biotechnology , vol 52(3 ) , June 2011 ) .
A long title to tell you that it purifies the air ! Excellent with its pinnate and piano curve bass green fronds in urban environments and if you or your pet have some ventilation consequence …
What is more , this variety from Australia has soft leaf compared to other palm tree ; this will prevent any accidental scratch or cut in case your little protagonist amaze mussy when he plays … At first , it will give you a shrubby frame , but it will then develop into a small tree , prevent its tropical underwood and leafy look all the way …
Yet another well-fixed to grow , light to find and cheap ( ! ! ! ) indoor tree sort that ’s even good for your cats , kentia medal can process well in most elbow room , admit government agency and living outer space , as it will also keel small in containers .
3:Money Tree (Pachira aquatica)
A very popular houseplant , money tree is said to bring skillful luck , and maybe this is valid for your cat as well … Leaving tradition aside , this exotic species from lactating and swampy area of Central and South America shows no sign of toxicity , and it too hasreceived the safety seal for pets by the ASPCA .
It has become very popular to braid its long chestnut tree brown trunk , which also adds a very artistic and even sculptural property to this leafy indoor variety .
But , of course , it also has very showy digitate leaves , that look like fans , or bridge player , and they are very glossy and deep emerald in colour , marvelous when they pay heed from the branch from the top … Each of the 5 to 9 leaflet can reach 10 inches farseeing ( 25 centimeter ) , break your room and pets the full alien handling . Good to purify the atmosphere , and with no other sign of threat in sight ( thorns or incisive edges ) , your whole family will profit from it , including feline members .
A convinced presence in any indoor infinite , money tree can decorate courtly and intimate rooms alike , give its born ( and enhanced ) personality , and your cats can safely toy around it running no risks .
4:Dwarf Royal Palm (Veitchia Merrillii)
Dwarf royal palm is in full non toxic and safe for human beings and pets . in reality , it contains antioxidants , according to Dr. Ali Vafaeiof the University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur ( Antioxidant and Citotoxicity Activities of Veitchiamerrillii , 2013 ) !
But it is really refined ! Its long and bowed , pinnate leafage mould a decorative stem canker , bright to mid putting surface in color , and with fine and fairly stiff rising cusp that form a pentad shape , almost sculptural in character and sure very decorative …
Its flowers get along in masses of cream white , flossy look flush , though this rarely happens indoors , and they are followed by amazing clusters of carmine red stone fruit ( fruits ) but they are not edible … Under all this … Ok , here ’s the strange fact …
The low-pitched part of the body is greyish and with horizontal stripe of a papery bark , but the upper part is smooth like marble and pea plant gullible ! And where these two parts meet , it blooms …
A fully safe Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to have indoors , asconfirmed by the ASPCA , dwarf purple palm is both sculptural and refined … In a way , like cats ! Its first-rate alien look name it ideal for a well lit room ; you will postulate plenty of elbow room though , because it can grow quite fast …
5:Pony Tail Palm (Beaucarnea Recurvata)
World famous pony tush palm is toxic ! But only to rabbit , and not bozo … This has been establish by Rostami , A. , Anderstani , B.Z. , and Mohyedini S. , in ‘ Poisoning by Beaucarnearecurvata , in a New Case Report ’ ( Comparative Clinical Pathology , vol 20(4 ) , August 2011 ) .
So , unless you also have a little bunny girl , you’re able to safely enjoy it at home ! Its luggage compartment is quite a feat , because it bulges hugely and sculpturally at the base , like a pretender bulb – in fact it is also called elephant ’s foot .
And this is one of the rationality why it is a democratic houseplant , with a grayish and nutty but tough barque that can even withstand the sharp nails felines when they lodge them , which is an extra plus .
Native of Mexico , Belize and Guatemala , this success of the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society also gives you a sanguine tussock of retentive brilliant green leaves that arch and wilt beautifully from the top , forming a little forest in the sky , and this is where it take its name …
A by nature little and dumb growing tree , it can stay for year and long time in your living elbow room with your pets before it reaches full height …
Mixing the rainforest and sunny beach looking at , pony arse palm tree looks wonderful in a well lit room , and when it is pocket-size , you may even have it on a board , and not worry that your guy run any risks if they walk on it .
6:Chinese Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)
There are many reason why Chinese windmill laurel wreath is an outdoor and indoor favorite . To start with , it is an well-fixed to grow and cold sturdy variety ( from China , of course ) , and it is dependable for cats .
In fact , theASPCA commit it in the listof plant that are not toxic to pets , but we ask to lecture about its decorative time value … The main plus it offers to your home or authority is the rooter like leave-taking it grows … They are really artistic and , in the wild , they can become massive too , up to 3 feet across ( 90 cm ) , so have a bun in the oven big leafage indoors as well .
The blade like leaflet arequite stiff and bright unripe , but not firmly enough to put any threat to your pets , also because they will come at the top of a tall and straight automobile trunk .
@sand.nls
peach about it , it will cover with a fibrous coat , and your feline ally may find it a good place to file their nails … Like many other exotictrees , it will not bloom in shut environments , which is sad , because the massive clusters of butter icteric flowers it produces are jaw dropping indeed !
Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society , Taiwanese windmill palm is one of themost alien trees you may have indoorsif you care for your cat ’s safety , and it will turn your living room into a sandy and sunny beach on an tropical island .
7:Pigmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii)
Loved for gardens and as a houseplant , pigmy date palm is so sweetthat it will never harm your cat ! I intend literally , because the drupes it produces are actually eatable … Too rich in lucre for pets , they also rarely appear indoors , as do the monolithic clusters of greenish prime that appear …
The same applies to the dense dangling panicle that produce from the top of the trunk , impenetrable and packed with pick colored blossoms , sometimes with pinkish chromaticity as well … The erect editorial it form is very cosmetic as well , with a diamond work shape woody produced depart over by fallen foliage .
Above the whole you will find a prominent tip of bright to mid dark-green and glossy leaves , that curve and descend at the sides , while they become more and more upright as you move to the core .
@ahigardens
The foliage can make an almost double-dyed sphere in older specimens , and a actual asset to any indoor space . The brochure are long and pointed and they curve on the sides , like tropic depend fronds .
These will keep well above your pet ’s head , though it is quite a small species , that will keep under your ceiling . And no part of this tropic lulu has any toxic or poisonous substance .
A very popular salmagundi , pigmy engagement palm will give you that figure perfect tropical beach vibration , so you’re able to give your guy an approximation of what life would be like if you go to an atoll in the Pacific Ocean .
8:Figleaf Palm (Fatsia japonica)
Figleaf laurel wreath is not actually a palm , and not even a tree diagram … However , this bush from Japan is usually rise as a small tree indoors , while out of doors , gardener like to allow it spread and become shaggy-coated … Fully safe for cats andon the ASPCA list of innocuous variety for domesticated felines , you may see why this appendage of theAraliaceaefamily lends itself to both functions … Its leaves are huge , even more than 14 inches across ( 35 centimeter ) !
They attend mild , and indeed they are to the jot , which makes it pleasant and hazard spare for jumping and running kittens . Palmate and with 7 to 9 prospicient , finger like lobe , they make a very dense canopy , like you would find in a tropic rain forest .
Leathery and very shining indeed , the foliage is hold almost horizontal by solid but flexible petioles , yet another guarantee that no stroke can occur . you may buy it already trained to originate into a tree shape , or just select one stem to turn into an upright luggage compartment . It seldom flowers in closed place , but it if does , it will produce fluffy white blossoms followed by dark , almost black and shiny berries .
Loved for its lush and showy foliation , figleaf palm could even be a honorable choice to develop over your Caterpillar ’s layer , because it will give it an enclosed and sheltered place where she or he can dream of exploring leafy and alien forests .
9:Areca Palm (Dypsis Lutescens)
Also called golden butterfly medallion and bamboo palm , Areca decoration is native of Madagascar and another speciesthat the ASPCA guarantees is safe , non toxic and non poisonous for any favorite ( or humans ) .
And it is also a very popular small indoor tree … In fact , it is a classic , also when it derive to its looks . The pinnate leaves lift and curve in a ornamental and finely cut tuft , with longsighted , blade like but jolly easygoing leaflets .
These too will cause no risk for playing cats and kittens , but they will give you their recondite and rich green color , which almost glint on the smooth surface they expose . While it will offer you a tropic forest look and style , with a confidential information at sunny beach too , it will not blossom indoors .
And it ’s a pity , because when they become large in gardens , they make lots of drooping clusters of golden dark-green flower that hang from under the the fronds , which create fruits that mature to orange and change many colors on the way . These too incorporate no grave chemicals , in showcase yours decides to alter habit …
Yet another easy to grow indoor pet , Areca palm can process as a blue and elegant associate or even as backdrop in any well lit room where your cats can go in all safety .
10:Bottlebrush (Callistemon spp.)
Cat friendly bottlebrush is very original indeed , and mostly kept outdoors in raging mood , but you may grow it indoors too , and there are even dwarf variety like ‘ picayune John ’ ( Callistemon viminalis ‘ Little John ’ ) if you have small space .
It will share it safely with your feline protagonist , because it is non toxic , and its ovate leaf that grow on the branches pose no threat at all . These usually follow in green or even blue , depending on the variety , but it is famous for another cause … It blossoms all year round , with fluffy bottle brush like inflorescences in clean , pink , rise or ruddy red !
These too will never harm your four legged friend , but you may encounter that they will want to play with them … And do n’t concern if your playful Lashkar-e-Tayyiba jumps on it to catch them … The barque has no thorn or spikelet , nor do the branches .
@flowerchildfloristok
Bottlebrush is not just not toxic , it even has anti - oxidant effects , as shown on rat experimentsin ‘ rating of Toxicology , Anti Lipase , and Antioxidant Effects of Callistemon citrinus in skunk Fed with a High - Fructose Diet ’ , ( Ortega - Perez et al . Pharmaceutical biology , vol 60(1),December 2022 ) . Ok , you wo n’t require it to put your qat in a slimming dieting , but it will still give your indoor spaces a splash of color all twelvemonth round !
11:Red Fruited Palm Lily (Cordyline rubra)
Members of theCordylinegenus , like shekels tree diagram ( Cordyline australis ) are unremarkably toxic to big cat , dog and horse cavalry , but one , red fruited palm lily is not – andthe ASPCA guarantee us of it .
Again , technically it is not a tree , but it will take the shape of a small one , specially indoors and it is mainly treated as such as a houseplant . And its beauty is severe to resist !
The fore grows upright , like a petty straight trunk , but it remains soft , never turning into hardwood , but its main asset are the lustrous and large lanceolate foliage .
It will take shape an energetic and alien tuft at the top , displaying a jaw dropping range of people of colour … In fact , the super showy leaves will give your indoor spaces subtlety of rose , empurpled , ruby , even maroon in some cases , and , sometimes , green and even yellow … The under pages tend to be copper , but carry surprises there too .
Thefragrant flowersappear in the center of this kaleidoscopic show , and they wander from ashen to magenta , in longsighted compound bunch . None of this will pose any hazard to your dearie , so you may get a wondrous and colorful houseplant without pass any risk .
blood-red fruited palm lily is your dear pick if you like the tropic tree like shape ofCordylineand you have cats ; a focal period in any elbow room , it is also one if not “ the ” most decorative variety you could produce .
12:Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea Elegans)
aboriginal to tropicalrainforests of Mexico and Guatemala , parlor decoration is an idealistic houseplant if you have positron emission tomography at home , including cats and little kittens . To take off with , it impersonate no chemical threats to your little playful friends , as it is totally non toxic , and , again , its leafage wo n’t harm them at all .
In fact , the parting come on long and sturdy , arching leafstalk , and , as the name suggests , they are across-the-board , with softly dent edge , and quite attractive too . Actually , they are pinnated and dissever into leaflet , that are long and flaccid , and without sharp edges .
copious green and very glossy , it forms a very alien and really ornamental mound . This small clustering Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree never grow too tall outside , and the same indoors , but it may blossom in the opened air , with amazing spider like clusters of ointment to pale yellow flowers , but this is rare in enclosed distance , yet not impossible .
Parlor palm is another indoor treecertified as qat secure by the ASPCA , and it mix the originality of its frond like foliage pattern with a very exotic look , perfect to see your cat ’s face appearing from beneath the leave like a small wild tiger .
Indoor Trees and Cats: A Match Made in Heaven
As long as you choose a non toxic and preferred well-disposed sort , you’re able to easy turn your indoor spaces into leafy , colorful and even tropic looking nirvana … But you need to be safe , and only beak indoor trees ( and other houseplants ) that will pose no scourge to them .
Here are 12 you may grow without concern all the time , and 12 of the mist ornamental . As you could see , there are many palms , and no succulents … There is a reason for it … Many succulents are toxic , evenAloe veraand chamomile , which are great for humans , as we have seen .
So , if you are in doubt , before corrupt a plant , alwayscheck with the ASPCA . And with this final summit , I wish you and your cat or kitten the best of luck in a safe but green dwelling house !
Written By
Amber Noyes was pay and elevate in a suburban California town , San Mateo . She holds a master ’s degree in gardening from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco . With experience working on an constituent farm , water preservation research , farmer ’ market , and flora glasshouse , she understands what makes plants thrive and how we can well understand the connection between microclimate and plant wellness . When she ’s not on the land , Amber loves inform people of new ideas / thing related to horticulture , especially organic gardening , houseplants , and uprise plants in a pocket-size space .
