If you’re anything like me you not only love plants, but you also have little ones and furry friends that you need to keep safe and healthy.
Between keeping my babies, dogs and plants healthy and happy I hardly have time for myself these days. However, I would not change a thing because they all bring me so much joy!
Plants make spaces feel
inviting, lower your stress levels, help the
air quality and I love to watch them change and grow just like my other babies. It a wonderful sense of satisfaction to care for plants and see them thrive. Indoor plants have so many benefits but we do need to make sure they are safe in a busy home.
There are ways of doing this simply through knowing your plants, which ones to keep out of reach and be mindful of. Just because a plant may be somewhat toxic does not mean you cannot have it in your home. There are so many different ways to display your beloved indoor plants. Placing them up higher on a mantle, plant stand or macrame hanger out of reach can not only keep the little ones safe but also be more striking at eye level.
All plants have different characteristics and toxicity levels.
So, we’ve put together a list of most common house plants that you might not know have toxicity levels and also added in some great resources to refer to if you are looking to learn about a specific plant you want to own or keep.
We hope you will find these resources useful when adding to your urban jungle and caring for all of your human, fur and plant babies.
Pothos Epipremnum
This wonderful, robust vining plant is popular for many reasons. Mainly that they don’t require much attention, grow fast, look great and require low light conditions. However as this is a vine be sure to put is somewhere high up and cut it back when it gets a bit long, becoming in reach again as it is in fact toxic. The Pothos (Epipremnum) leaves and stems can cause irritation of the mouth, and sever burning of the throat and stomach in humans and pets if ingested. If this plant is ingested In pets it can also lead to drooling and vomiting if ingested.
While this plant is only considered mildly toxic it can be very dangerous depending on the amount that is ingested. For peace of mind you’re best to make sure that your little devil plant is out of reach safely high up looking beautiful. It’s a good thing this is a trailing plant because you really get the best of them when they are place up high letting gravity take effect on their lovely green vines. High placement of this indoor plant will have you enjoying it’s beauty more while not having to worry about anyone accidently getting to her.
Snake Plant / Mother In Laws Tongue
Did you know there are about 70 varieties of the snake plant! Snake plants have so much to offer. Their long, tall, architectural, low light tolerant, no maintenance required. However, one thing to consider the saponins in the snake plant can cause gastrointestinal problems in both humans and pets.But the plants are also
poisonous if ingested. doses can cause nausea and vomiting, and the poison found in the plant has a numbing effect that can cause the tongue and throat to swell. The plants are
more toxic to dogs and cats, which can suffer from nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Obviously this is not an easy plant for you babies to pick up and eat so as long as you have your eye out that they have not sat down to a full snake plant meal, While this plant is unlikely to pose a serious problem, it’s still good to watch out for any unwanted biting.
This beautiful flowering plant has so much to be desired, however they do need to be place safely so they aren't accidently ingested. T
he peace lily contains calcium oxalate crystals and can produce unpleasant symptoms if accidentally ingested or if liquid from the plant contacts the skin. This indoor plant is poisonous both for
humans and for
pets. Ingestion can cause skin irritation and swelling, trouble speaking, and burning. Although more vine-like than the peace lily, the
wax plant (Hoya) produces round clusters of small, white, and fragrant flowers and is safe for both humans and pets.
English Ivy
English ivy (Hedera helix) is a climbing and trailing vine. Cultivated ivy is sold with both solid green leaves and variegated leaves. The liquid from a damaged ivy plant can severely irritate the skin and cause dermatitis. After handling ivy, a person may find that their skin is itching, red, and blistered. The plant can also cause very serious internal problems, although generally many leaves must be eaten to cause these effects. A person may develop a fever and experience breathing difficulties, vomiting, delirium, hallucinations, and convulsions.
Obviously this is only a few of many toxic plants and there are too many to name so we've collated some great resources for further reading.
Looking to learn about a specific plant or the effects they make cause? No problem, we've compiled a list of excellent resources where you'll find all the info you need.
Aspca is a wonderful resource if you're looking on behalf of your fury friends to narrow down to a specific plant. Just remember cats and dogs ingest plants all the time with no problem at all and just because something is or isn't toxic to them doesn't mean it won't be harmful to humans. Best bet is to look up the plant you love and make sure everyone stays happy and healthy.
ASPCA list of toxic plants
Wikipedia list of toxic plants
sga know your poisonous plants
Poisons Information Centre
For your next pet or child friendly indoor plant purchase head to Garner Plant Delivery stocking a large range of house plants to suit everyone's needs.
Written By Meredith Grey
Founder and CEO at Garner Plant Delivery
