Ferns — Polypodiopsida

Most ferns are pet-safe. Of the 377 ferns we cover, 276 are non-toxic on the ASPCA list and 101 carry a toxic or mildly-toxic rating. Even in a mostly-safe family, confirm the individual species before trusting it around pets.

Most ferns want medium, indirect light — 196 of the 377 in our library do best there. If yours stretches toward the window or loses its variegation it needs more light; scorched or bleached leaves mean it is getting too much.

Many ferns are beginner-friendly — they tolerate lower light and forgiving watering. Start with the most common genera above and water to how fast the pot actually dries rather than a fixed calendar.

The Polypodiopsida family — the ferns — groups 377 species across 32 genera in the Growli library, most prominently Athyrium, Dryopteris, Polystichum. Members share a broadly similar light, water and soil pattern, which is why it pays to learn the family before the individual plant.