Plant care — light, water, soil and pet safety
for 10153 of the most-asked-about plants.

Dracaena trifasciata

Snake plant is a near-indestructible African succulent that stores water in upright sword-shaped leaves. It thrives on neglect, tolerates low light, and is one of the easiest houseplants to kill by overwatering. Toxic to pets, so keep out of cat-chewing reach.

Dracaena fragrans / marginata

Dracaenas are slow-growing cane-stemmed tropicals that look like miniature palm trees and tolerate a wide range of household conditions. They are notably sensitive to fluoride and chlorine in tap water, which shows up as brown leaf tips. Toxic to pets.

Peperomia obtusifolia

Peperomia is a compact semi-succulent with thick glossy leaves that store water. It is desk-friendly, slow-growing, and remarkably tolerant of average indoor conditions but quick to rot in soggy soil. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Zamioculcas zamiifolia

ZZ plant is a near-indestructible African native that stores water in potato-like underground rhizomes. It tolerates low light, drought, and neglect and is the standard recommendation for offices and dim apartments. Toxic to pets.

Crassula ovata

Jade plant is a tree-like South African succulent grown for its plump glossy leaves and easy-going temperament. It tolerates drought brilliantly, dislikes overwatering, and prefers more direct sun than most houseplants. Toxic to pets.

Aloe barbadensis

Aloe vera is a sun-loving succulent from the Arabian peninsula with thick gel-filled leaves. It thrives on bright light, sparse watering, and gritty soil. The leaf gel is traditionally used for minor skin care, but consult a clinician for any medical use. Toxic to pets.

Aspidistra elatior

Cast iron plant is a Victorian-era survivor from East Asia, named for its tolerance of gas lamps, draughts, and neglect. It grows slowly into a clumping fan of strappy leaves and is genuinely difficult to kill. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Chlorophytum comosum

Spider plant is a beginner-favourite trailer with arching grassy leaves and dangling pups that root readily. It tolerates a wide range of household conditions but is famously fussy about fluoride in tap water. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Curio rowleyanus (formerly Senecio rowleyanus)

String of pearls is a trailing African succulent grown for its dangling strands of pea-shaped leaves. It demands strong light and very sparse watering. Beautiful, brittle, and toxic to pets.

Yucca elephantipes

Spineless yucca is a tree-like Central American succulent grown for its swollen trunk and rosettes of sword-shaped leaves. It is drought-tolerant, sun-loving, and slow to outgrow its space. Toxic to pets.

Beaucarnea recurvata

Ponytail palm is a slow-growing Mexican succulent — not actually a palm — with a swollen water-storing trunk and a cascade of long curling leaves. It is nearly indestructible and tolerates extreme neglect. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Hedera helix

English ivy is a trailing or climbing evergreen vine that grows happily indoors in cool, bright conditions and is a vigorous outdoor groundcover in mild climates. Variegated cultivars are the most popular indoor forms. Toxic to pets.

Tradescantia zebrina

Tradescantia zebrina is a fast-growing trailing plant with striped purple-and-silver leaves. Modern guides use "wandering dude" or "inch plant" in place of the older common name. It is forgiving, vigorous, and easy to propagate. Toxic to pets.

Adiantum raddianum

Maidenhair fern is a delicate tropical fern with finely divided fronds on wiry black stems. It demands constant humidity, evenly moist soil, and bright indirect light, and is widely considered one of the trickier ferns to keep happy indoors. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Platycerium bifurcatum

Staghorn fern is an epiphytic fern from Australia and New Guinea that grows on tree branches and is most often mounted to a board indoors. It has shield-like basal fronds and antler-shaped fertile fronds. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Tillandsia

Air plants are epiphytic bromeliads that grow without soil, absorbing moisture and nutrients through specialised leaf scales. They are sold by the dozen for terrariums and mounted displays, and most species are easy with weekly soaking. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Cactaceae

The cactus family covers thousands of species native mostly to the Americas, all sharing water-storing stems and (usually) spines instead of leaves. Standard desert types want strong light, gritty mix, and infrequent deep watering. Most species are pet-safe, though the spines themselves are a hazard.

Echeveria

Echeveria is a genus of rosette-forming succulents from Mexico and Central America, prized for their geometric form and pastel colouring. They want sun, gritty mix, and very little water. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Sedum

Sedum is a large genus of succulents ranging from trailing burro’s tail to upright autumn-flowering border plants. Indoor types want bright light and infrequent watering. Hardy garden types like Sedum spectabile thrive outdoors in temperate climates. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Haworthiopsis attenuata

Haworthia (now mostly reclassified as Haworthiopsis) is a small rosette succulent from South Africa, well suited to windowsill culture because it tolerates lower light than most succulents. The "zebra plant" common name refers to white horizontal stripes on the leaves. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Lithops

Lithops are extreme succulents from southern Africa that look like pebbles, with two fused leaves and one annual flower. They need a very strict watering cycle tied to their growth seasons and are easy to kill by watering at the wrong time. Pet-safe.

Araucaria heterophylla

Norfolk Island pine is a tender conifer-relative from Norfolk Island in the South Pacific, sold widely as a small "indoor Christmas tree". It is not winter-hardy and needs bright light and even humidity to stay full and symmetrical. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Dracaena sanderiana

Lucky bamboo is not a bamboo at all but a Dracaena from Central Africa, sold as upright canes in water or in shallow soil. It tolerates low light and is one of the easiest plants to keep alive for years. Toxic to cats and dogs.

Begonia rex

Rex begonia is grown for spectacular silver, purple, pink, and green foliage rather than flowers. It needs even moisture, high humidity, and bright indirect light and is more demanding than easier types like wax begonias. Toxic to pets if eaten.

Fittonia albivenis

Fittonia is a low-growing tropical from Peruvian rainforests, grown for its leaves veined in white, pink, or red. It is famously dramatic — it wilts flat the moment the soil dries — but recovers quickly when watered. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Pilea peperomioides

Chinese money plant is a tidy upright perennial from Yunnan, China, with round coin-shaped leaves on slender stalks. It is famous for sharing — the parent plant produces baby pups around the base for easy propagation. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Ficus benjamina

Weeping fig is a popular indoor tree from south and southeast Asia with small glossy leaves on arching branches. It is famously sensitive to change — moves, drafts, and inconsistent watering all trigger dramatic leaf drop. Toxic to pets, and the milky sap can cause skin irritation.

Hypoestes phyllostachya

Polka dot plant is a small Madagascan tender perennial with pink, red, or white spots flecking its dark green leaves. Grown as a colourful houseplant or summer annual bedder, it stays compact with regular pinching. Pet-safe and forgiving but needs steady moisture and bright light to keep its colour.

Dracaena marginata

Dracaena marginata is a slow-growing tree-form dracaena from Madagascar with narrow arching leaves edged red. It tolerates low light and irregular watering, making it a reliable office and home plant. Toxic to pets — cats are particularly sensitive to dracaena saponins.

Dracaena fragrans

Dracaena fragrans is a tropical African shrub grown indoors as a tree-form with thick canes and broad strap leaves often striped yellow. Tolerant of low light, dry air, and neglect, it is a staple office plant. Toxic to pets through saponins.

Monstera deliciosa

Monstera is a climbing tropical aroid from Central American rainforests. Indoors it wants bright indirect light, chunky aroid mix, and a moss pole to develop its famous fenestrated leaves. Water when the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry. It is toxic to cats and dogs because of insoluble calcium oxalates.

Epipremnum aureum

Pothos is a trailing aroid from the Solomon Islands and the most forgiving vine in the houseplant world. It tolerates low light, irregular watering, and a wide humidity range, making it the standard recommendation for first-time plant keepers. Toxic if chewed.

Ficus lyrata

Fiddle leaf fig is a statement tree from West African rainforests, instantly recognisable from its violin-shaped leaves. It rewards consistent care with three metres of indoor growth but sulks dramatically the moment it is moved, draughted, or overwatered. Toxic to pets.

Philodendron hederaceum

Philodendron is a large genus of vining and self-heading aroids from Central and South American rainforests. The heartleaf species (P. hederaceum) is nearly as forgiving as pothos and tolerates low light well. Toxic to pets.

Maranta leuconeura

Prayer plant is a rainforest-floor maranta whose leaves fold upward at night as if in prayer. It is famously fussy about humidity, tap water, and direct light, but rewards consistent care with striking patterned foliage. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Calathea (Goeppertia) spp.

Calathea is the drama queen of the Marantaceae family — exquisite patterned leaves paired with strict demands for high humidity, filtered water, and stable warmth. Now reclassified as Goeppertia by most taxonomists. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Aglaonema commutatum

Chinese evergreen is a patterned-leaf aroid from Southeast Asia that handles low light better than almost any other variegated houseplant. Modern hybrids come in pink, red, and silver, all sharing the same easy-going temperament. Toxic to pets.

Chamaedorea elegans

Parlor palm is a compact understorey palm from Mexican rainforests that has been a houseplant since Victorian times. It tolerates lower light than most palms but browns quickly in dry air. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Ficus elastica

Rubber plant is a glossy-leaved tropical tree from Southeast Asia, easier than its fiddle-leaf cousin but still dramatic about being moved. It can grow into a 2 m living-room specimen with bright indirect light and consistent watering. Toxic to pets.

Schefflera arboricola

Schefflera is an umbrella-leaved tropical tree from Taiwan, fast-growing and light-hungry. The dwarf species (S. arboricola) is the common houseplant form; the giant S. actinophylla is rarely grown indoors. Toxic to pets.

Alocasia macrorrhiza

Alocasia is a tropical aroid from Southeast Asia grown for its dramatic arrow-shaped leaves. It is a demanding houseplant that needs warmth, humidity, and steady care — and goes dormant in winter, dropping leaves alarmingly until spring. Toxic to pets.

Codiaeum variegatum

Croton is a tropical shrub from Southeast Asia and the Pacific grown for its riot of red, orange, yellow and green leaves. It needs bright light and steady warmth and famously sulks at any change in conditions. Toxic to pets.

Dieffenbachia seguine

Dieffenbachia is a tropical aroid from the Caribbean and South America grown for its big variegated leaves. The common name "dumb cane" reflects its highly irritating sap, which can numb the mouth if chewed. Toxic to pets.

Dypsis lutescens

Areca palm is a clustering Madagascan palm with arching feather-shaped fronds. It is one of the largest pet-safe houseplants and a long-time favourite for filling a bright corner. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Colocasia esculenta

Elephant ear is a dramatic tropical from Asia and the Pacific grown for its huge heart-shaped leaves. Colocasia and Alocasia are often confused; both are called elephant ear. Colocasia leaves point down, Alocasia leaves point up. Toxic to pets.

Nephrolepis exaltata

Boston fern is a classic trailing fern that has been a houseplant since Victorian times. Indoors it demands high humidity and steady moisture; in dry centrally heated rooms it sheds fronds quickly. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Pachira aquatica

Money tree is a Central and South American wetland tree, usually sold as braided-trunk specimens for offices and homes. It tolerates a wide range of conditions and is forgiving of occasional neglect. Pet-safe by ASPCA standards.

Guzmania lingulata

Guzmania is a tropical bromeliad grown for the long-lasting bright bract that rises from the centre of its leaf rosette. The rosette flowers once then slowly dies, producing offsets called pups around the base. Pet-safe and undemanding given warmth and a watered central cup.

Syngonium podophyllum

Arrowhead plant is a fast-growing tropical aroid with arrow-shaped leaves that change shape as the plant matures and climbs. Available in green, pink, and variegated cultivars, it tolerates low light but produces the boldest colour in bright indirect light. Toxic to pets like its philodendron relatives.

Cordyline fruticosa

Cordyline fruticosa is a tropical evergreen with sword-shaped leaves in green, pink, red, or burgundy. Grown indoors as a colourful upright accent and outdoors as a hedging plant in frost-free climates. Toxic to pets through saponins.

Epipremnum aureum 'Golden'

Golden pothos is the classic green-and-yellow variegated cultivar of devil's ivy. Vigorous, low-maintenance, and tolerant of low light, it remains one of the most popular trailing houseplants. Toxic to cats and dogs due to insoluble calcium oxalates.

Epipremnum aureum 'Marble Queen'

Marble queen pothos is a heavily white-variegated cultivar of devil's ivy. Slower-growing than golden pothos because the white sections lack chlorophyll, but tolerant of typical home conditions. Toxic to cats and dogs.

Epipremnum aureum 'Neon'

Neon pothos is a cultivar of devil's ivy with vivid chartreuse-yellow leaves and no variegation. The colour glows in low to medium light, making it a popular shelf trailer. Toxic to cats and dogs.

Scindapsus pictus

Silver pothos is not a true pothos but a Scindapsus from southeast Asia, with matte green leaves splashed with silver. Slow-growing and slightly fussier than Epipremnum, but tolerant of average rooms. Toxic to cats and dogs through insoluble calcium oxalates.

Monstera adansonii

Monstera adansonii is a smaller climbing aroid relative of M. deliciosa, with oval leaves perforated by oblong holes. Faster-growing and easier to keep compact than M. deliciosa. Toxic to pets due to insoluble calcium oxalates.

Philodendron hederaceum 'Brasil'

Philodendron Brasil is a fast-growing trailing cultivar of heartleaf philodendron with green leaves splashed lime and yellow. Tolerant, low-maintenance, and a popular pothos alternative. Toxic to pets due to insoluble calcium oxalates.

Philodendron hederaceum

Heartleaf philodendron is the classic trailing green philodendron, near-indestructible and tolerant of low light. Pothos-like in habit but with thinner heart-shaped leaves. Toxic to pets.

Philodendron hederaceum var. hederaceum

Philodendron micans is a velvet-leaved trailing philodendron with iridescent bronze-green foliage that shifts purple in bright light. Forgiving and easy to propagate. Toxic to pets.

Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum

Tree philodendron (formerly Philodendron selloum) is a large clumping aroid from South America with deeply lobed glossy leaves. It develops a thick trunk over time. Toxic to pets due to insoluble calcium oxalates and best suited to larger rooms.

Caladium bicolor

Caladium is a tuberous tropical from Brazil with paper-thin heart-shaped leaves in pink, white, red, and green patterns. Grown indoors for a season or outdoors in summer beds; tubers go fully dormant in winter. Toxic to pets due to insoluble calcium oxalates.