Indoor plants not only make your interiors look beautiful, but many also act as natural air purifiers.
But if you are a pet parent you know that some of these can be harmful to your animal friends who are always curious about everything.
That’s why you should choose plants that are non-toxic and pet-friendly. And, we are here to help with suggestions. Take your pick.
1. Ponytail Palm
Also known as the Elephant’s Foot or Beaucarnea recurvata, the plant is originally from the drier regions of Mexico and the southern United States. It is known for its bulbous trunk where it stores water, which means you don’t have to water it frequently. There should be sufficient light for the plant to get nourishment and reach its maximum height of around four feet.
2. African Violet
The colour of the flowers, which can bloom in low light, makes this plant a vibrant accessory for your room, kitchen or living area. The tropical plant, which belongs to the Saintpaulia section of genus Streptocarpus, is native to East Africa and parts of Canada. It is sensitive to temperature fluctuations.
3. Boston Fern
With its shaggy fronds, the plant looks like a bunch of feathers stacked together. Nephrolepis exaltata, or Boston Fern, is a hanging plant and can grow well in damp soil while receiving indirect sunlight. Since humidity is necessary for the plant, it requires misting once or twice a week.
4. Haworthia
Haworthia, of the subfamily Asphodeloideae, is a member of the larger succulent family and is endemic to South Africa. It is a genus of a small houseplant with fleshy, sometimes translucent leaves that have tiny pearly white warts on them. The plant requires bright light and weekly watering. During winters, it prefers a drier atmosphere.
5. Prayer Plant
The reason for this beautiful plant’s monkish name is its oval-shaped, white vein designed leaves that raise themselves into a prayer-like position in the evening. Also known as Maranta leuconeura, this plant can be kept in a pot or basket hanging from the ceiling. It thrives in humid temperature and indirect but bright sunlight. Warm water is required to mist it if the atmosphere is dry. Prayer plant is native to Brazilian rainforests.
6. Areca Palm
Give your house an East African tropical touch with this plant from Madagascar. Also known as the butterfly palm, or Dypsis lutescens, it requires bright indirect light and can live for around 10 years. It can grow up to two metres and its fronds are quite large and attractive. The soil of an areca palm should be allowed to dry out between two waterings.
7. Parlour Palm
One of the world’s most commonly cultivated and widely distributed palms, the Parlour palm, or Chamaedorea elegans, is native to the rainforests of southern Mexico and Guatemala. It grows up to two metres in height and requires indirect sunlight for a few hours every day. Though humidity is the preferred condition for its good health, it can also acclimatise to drier and low light conditions.
8. Phalaenopsis Orchid
The Phalaenopsis is a genus consisting of around seventy different species of orchids found across Asia and Australia. It is also known as the moth orchid due to the appearance of its flowers, which are brightly coloured and usually come in shades of purple and white. Though they are among the hardiest, these orchids need high humidity — which means you have to mist it regularly. High temperature and low light conditions are otherwise best suited for the plant.
9. Friendship Plant
Native to Mexico, Central and Southern America, this is a type of trailing plant. It can be kept in a glass container, like a terrarium specimen, which means that your pet won’t even have a chance at nibbling at the plant. Also known as Pilea involucrata, the leaves of the plant have a bright green intricate pattern on the edges and are soft to touch. Though it can survive in low light, brighter light is best suited for it along with warm and humid conditions.
10.Calathea
A relative of the prayer plant (both belong to the Marantaceae family), the Calathea is the name of a plant genus whose foliage comes in a diverse range of colours, patterns and shapes. This is why it has different varieties, for instance, the Calathea lancifolia has a hint of purple on the underside of its dark green leaves and is popularly known as the rattlesnake plant. Others include the zebra plant (Calathea zebrina) and peacock plant (Calathea makoyana). The plant should be kept in shade.
This article was first published in : Lifestyle Asia
