17 non-toxic houseplants: the most popular types

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17 Non-Toxic Houseplants: Popular Types

Plants not only beautify your home, they also contribute to the well-being of the residents. If you include children and pets, however, you should use non-toxic houseplants. We show you the most popular ones here.

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In a nutshell

  • large selection of non-toxic houseplants
  • suitable for different locations
  • Plan the size of the plants before buying

Table of contents

  • Non-toxic houseplants from B-G
  • banana plant
  • Blue Lizzie
  • money tree
  • antler fern
  • golden fruit palm
  • K-M
  • coffee plant
  • basket marante
  • mosaic plant
  • R-S
  • rosette thickleaf
  • shamflower
  • shield fern
  • sword fern
  • stick palm
  • T-Z
  • tapir flower
  • African violets
  • indoor hibiscus
  • indoor fir

Non-toxic houseplants from B-G

banana plant

Banana plants (musa) that are offered for the room are mostly dwarf bananas. With their large leaves it has become one of the most popular non-toxic houseplants in recent years.

Banana plants (musa) in a pot
  • Location: very bright, no drafts
  • Flower: ornamental foliage plant
  • Growth: upright, spreading
  • Watering: do not let it dry out, avoid waterlogging
  • Fertilize: weekly from spring to autumn; every four weeks in winter

Blue Lizzie

The blue Lieschen (Exacum affine) is a popular balcony plant, but it can also be cultivated all year round at room temperature.

Blue Lizzie (Exacum affine)
Source: mokkie, Persian violet (Exacum affine) 1, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Location: partial sun to semi-shade; morning and/or evening sun
  • Flower: blue or white; from spring to autumn
  • Growth: upright, up to about 20 centimeters high
  • Watering: allow to dry slightly between waterings
  • Fertilize: from April to September at intervals of between four and a maximum of eight weeks

A notice: In the first year after purchase or repotting, the Blaue Lieschen does not need any fertilizer.

money tree

The money tree (Crassula ovata) has fleshy foliagein which it stores water. As a lucky charm, the penny tree promises rich blessings, but only if it has many leaves.

Money Tree (Crassula ovata)
  • Location: bright, sunny to semi-shady
  • Flower: white or pink, from the age of ten
  • Growth: upright, about 50 to 100 centimeters
  • Watering: thoroughly on hot days, more sparingly in winter, very sensitive to waterlogging
  • Fertilize: from April to September, every four weeks

antler fern

Of the roughly 18 species in the plant genus, Platycerium bifurcatum has established itself as a popular non-toxic houseplant.

Antler fern (Platycerium bifurcatum)
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, Platycerium bifurcatum kz01, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Location: bright, semi-shady, high humidity is an advantage (bathroom plant)
  • Flower: ornamental foliage plant
  • Growth: bushy, arching hanging fronds; Maximum size 1 meter, suitable as a traffic light plant
  • Watering: spray liberally or water between the old leaves
  • Fertilize: every six weeks from spring to fall

golden fruit palm

The popular golden fruit palm (Dypsis lutescens) can reach a height of 3 meters. In the first few years, however, it grows rather slowly.

Golden fruit palm (Dypsis lutescens)
  • Location: very bright, no direct sun, no draughts
  • Flower: ornamental foliage plant
  • Growth: upright, overhanging, loose
  • Watering: keep constantly moist, do not let dry out
  • Fertilize: weekly from spring to autumn; every three weeks in winter

K-M

coffee plant

The coffee plant (Coffea arabica) only found its way into living spaces a few years ago. However, it is enjoying increasing popularity.

Coffee plant (Coffea arabica)
  • Location: bright, no direct sun, 18 to 22 degrees Celsius, no temperature fluctuations
  • Flowers: white star flowers from April to May
  • Habit: Shrub, 100 to 200 centimeters high
  • Pour: water at room temperature, keep constantly moist
  • Fertilize: weekly from April to September; in winter every four to six weeks

basket marante

Calathea are distinguished by their variegated or variegated leaves. Due to its countless variants, it has been one of the most popular non-toxic houseplants for years.

Coriander (Calahea)
Calathea ornata
  • Location: bright, warm, partially shaded, no direct sun, high humidity
  • Flower: ornamental foliage plant
  • Growth: upright
  • Watering: regularly with low-lime, lukewarm water
  • Fertilize: every two weeks from March to October; every six weeks in winter

A notice: The demands of the Korbmarante on humidity should not be underestimated. If the air at the location is too dry, it also shows curled leaves during the day.

mosaic plant

Species of the genus Fittonia impress with their colorful leaf veins, to which the mosaic plants also owe their name.

Mosaic Plant (Fittonia)
The mosaic plant comes in the various colors before
  • Location: bright, morning and evening sun, high humidity ideal
  • Flower: ornamental foliage plant
  • Growth: upright to creeping
  • Watering: keep evenly moist, avoid waterlogging
  • Fertilize: from April to September, every four to eight weeks

A notice: If the mosaic plant is too dark, the colored leaves turn green.

R-S

rosette thickleaf

The rosette thickleaf (Aeonium arboreum) decorates the room not only with its green leaf rosettes, but also with its panicle blossoms in spring and summer when it is old.

Rosette thickleaf (Aeonium arboreum)
  • Location: sunny
  • Flowers: golden yellow, panicles 25 to 30 centimeters high
  • Habit: upright, branched trunks (up to 1 meter), green leaf rosettes at the ends of the shoots
  • Watering: Allow substrate surface to dry between waterings
  • Fertilize: every two weeks from spring to autumn

shamflower

The shamflower (Aeschynanthus) is a rainforest plant that loves high humidity. Therefore, the popular non-toxic houseplant is also suitable for the bright bathroom.

shamflower (Aeschynanthus)
  • Location: bright, warm (20 to 25 degrees Celsius), high humidity, no direct sun
  • flower: red, orange-red or yellow; tubular clusters of flowers, from June to September
  • Habit: hanging, shoots up to 60 centimeters long, traffic light plant
  • Watering: lukewarm water, do not let it dry out, avoid waterlogging
  • Fertilize: from March to August every two to three weeks, lightly dosed

shield fern

The shield fern (Polystichum tsus-simense) grows compactly. Its leaf fronds are dark green.

Shield Fern (Polystichum tsus-simense)
  • Location: partially shaded to shaded; no direct sun
  • Flower: ornamental foliage plant
  • Growth: upright, arching, 20 to 40 centimeters high
  • Watering: keep constantly moist, avoid waterlogging
  • Fertilize: every four weeks from April to September

sword fern

Sword ferns (Nephrolepis exaltata) are often recommended for the bathroom, but also develop very well in other rooms if the location suits their needs.

Sword ferns (Nephrolepis exaltata)
  • Location: shady, morning and evening sun is tolerated
  • Growth: upright with overhanging fronds
  • Watering: keep constantly moist, avoid waterlogging
  • Fertilize: once a week from spring to autumn; every four weeks in winter

A notice: Sword ferns can be very old and very large - over 2 meters in diameter. However, these specimens do not like being repotted.

stick palm

With a Growth height of up to 2 meters the easy-care stick palm (Rhapis excelsa) is a real eye-catcher among indoor palms.

Stick palm (Rhapis excelsa)
  • Location: partially shaded to shaded, no direct sun
  • Flowers: white to ivory, very rare in indoor plants
  • Growth: upright, dense, bushy
  • Watering: medium water requirement, don't let it dry out
  • Fertilize: every two weeks from May to September

T-Z

tapir flower

The evergreen tapir flower (Crossandra infundibuliformis) subshrub. Its bright flowers contrast beautifully with the dark green foliage.

Tapir flower (Crossandra infundibuliformi)
  • Location: bright, shady, ideal room temperature
  • Flowering: orange, pink or salmon-colored, from May to September
  • Growth: upright, bushy, 40 to 50 centimeters high
  • Watering: regularly with room-warm water
  • Fertilize: once a week during flowering

African violets

African violets (Saintpaulina ionantha) are perennial bloomers. Their evergreen leaf rosettes reach a diameter of up to 20 centimetres.

African violet (Saintpaulina ionantha)
  • Location: bright, without direct sun, room temperature, pay attention to high humidity
  • Flower: white, pink, violet; single or double, bright yellow center
  • Growth: upright, up to 15 centimeters high
  • Watering: keep evenly moist, avoid waterlogging
  • Fertilize: every three weeks, all year round

Tip: The velvety soft leaves of the African violets are extremely sensitive to moisture. Therefore you are allowed to use the plantdo not spray or wet when wateringn.

indoor hibiscus

The indoor hibiscus is the Chinese rose mallow (Hibicus rosa-sinensis). With good care, the shrub can grow up to 3 meters high.

Indoor hibiscus - Chinese rose mallow (Hibicus rosa-sinensis)
  • Location: bright, morning or evening sun; avoid blazing midday sun
  • Flower: different colors, funnel-shaped flowers, up to 10 centimeters in diameter; from February to October
  • Growth: shrub
  • Watering: plentiful, avoid waterlogging
  • Fertilize: weekly from February to September

indoor fir

The Room fir (Auracaria heterophylla) comes into its own as a solitaire. The room temperature should not exceed 20 degrees Celsius.

Room fir (Auracaria heterophylla)
  • Location: bright but not too sunny
  • Growth: conical coniferous tree, 1 to 2 meters high
  • Watering: keep moderately moist, lime-poor water
  • Fertilize: every two weeks in spring and summer
Are bromeliads also non-toxic indoor plants?

Bromeliads are non-toxic to humans and pets. However, since there are small barbs on the edge of the leaves, you should avoid indoor plants if there are small children in the household.

What do I do if my cat nibbles on a non-toxic houseplant?

In that case, you should Place the plant out of the cat's reach. You can also her Cat grass as an alternative offer.

How is poisoning manifested and what do you need to do?

Small children and pets have an innate urge to explore, so despite all caution, it can happen that one does poisonous houseplant comes into their hands. The most common symptoms of poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, gastrointestinal problems and irritation of the mucous membranes. More severe poisoning is shown by cramps, shortness of breath, dizziness and tremors up to fainting and cardiac arrest. For this reason, if you suspect something and the first signs of it appear, you should seek medical help immediately. Important: take the plant or vomit with you to the specialist.

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