Are you both an avid plant-lover and concerned pet parent? While this is not a comprehensive list, with some simple knowledge on what’s safe and not safe for your animal friends, you can ensure that your enthusiasm for greenery doesn’t have to be sacrificed for safety.

Some Plants NOT to Mix With Pets

Tulips

While just about every human loves receiving a bouquet of flowers, the ASPCA warns that tulips can not only be dangerous for your cat or dog’s gastrointestinal and cardiac systems, but they can be potentially fatal should your pet ingest any. According to Pet Keen, tulips can even cause allergic reactions for some humans, although our larger size and predisposition not to chow down on flower petals makes them much safer for us than our four-legged friends.

Lavender

While Healthy Paws explains that “mild exposure to lavender is not generally harmful”– in fact, the scent of lavender can even be soothing– the plant still contains multiple toxic compounds to pets, particularly cats. Diffusing lavender essential oil in your home isn’t usually prone to causing issues with dogs, although some sources advise wariness whenever diffusing oils with cats around. Above all else, ditch the lavender plants. The flowers themselves can bring about some serious sickness due to their toxicity.

Aloe

Aloe vera has a wide range of medicinal and soothing properties for humans, but it’s crucial that you keep your aloe plants away from dogs and cats. The plant’s pulp and juice can be especially dangerous to pets, particularly if ingested.

Some Pet-Friendly Pets

Spider Plant

The spider plant is already a great houseplant option thanks to its adaptability and easy care. Add in pet-safe to its list of good qualities, and you just might be sold on having one of these loveable members of the asparagus family in your living space.

Succulents

While it’s always important to do your research on different subspecies of succulents, most of these plants are harmless to cats and dogs alike. There are a few exceptions, including the aforementioned aloe plant as well as jade plants.

Parlor Palms

Parlor palms are amongst the easiest palms to care for, according to The Spruce. They’re also nontoxic for your kitty and puppy companions.

Keeping Your Pets Away From Your Plants

Even if every plant in your space is totally non-toxic to animals, nobody wants to find their cat or dog digging around in their potted ferns at all hours of the night. Luckily, there are a few precautions you can take to keep your pets from getting a little too curious around your plants. Spraying your plants with diluted citrus juices, such as orange or lemon, will deter animals due to their aversion to citrus smells. Omysa recommends coffee grounds as another method of smell-related deterrence. Of course, simply keeping your plants in harder-to-reach places or making sure pets don’t have access to them while you’re out of the house can eliminate the issue.