Indoor house plants are a great addition to any home. They brighten up any room and bring a little bit of the outdoors inside. House plants are very beneficial as well and can help detoxify the indoor air in your home. However, many plants can be toxic to pets so it is good to research any plants that you bring into your living space to make sure they are pet-friendly.
Pet-safe indoor plants that help purify the air
There are many common and easy-to-find house plants that can be purchased at your local nursery or any home improvement store that has a nursery section.
- Money Tree Plant – Did you know that the money tree is part of the bonsai family? It is also rumored to bring people good luck and fortune. It can help reduce benzene, xylene, toluene, and formaldehyde in the air of your home.
- Spider Plant – The spider plant is also known as the airplane plant, St. Bernard’s lily, ribbon plant, and spider ivy. It gets prettier the larger it grows. For each limb of the plant, it has a baby at the end that can be cut off and re-planted in a new pot. Spider plants can help remove formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene from the air.
- Boston Fern – This plant is also known as the sword fern and is a species of the fern family, which is native to tropical regions throughout the world. It can easily adapt to warmer homes and can help with purifying formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from the air in your home.
- Moth Orchids – These plants are beautiful to look at but can be very temperamental about their water intake. They come in a variety of color combinations and help remove xylene, toluene, and paint fumes from the air.
- Bamboo Palm – The bamboo palm grows beautifully in low-light conditions and is perfect for your work or home office. They can help reduce xylene and toluene in the air.
What happens if there is an unknown harmful plant in my home?
If you are unaware of a toxic plant in your home, you need to know the signs and symptoms to look for if there is poisoning in your pet. The symptoms can vary based on the type of plant that your pet ingested, but symptoms can include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Seizures
- Blood in the stool
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Bruising
- Nosebleeds
- Irregular heartbeat
- Inability to urinate
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) notes that any type of plant ingestion, even non-toxic, can lead to vomiting and gastrointestinal upset. Make sure to check the plants in your home against the complete list of Poisonous Plants on the ASPCA website.
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