Pet-Friendly Plants That Can Follow You From House to Patio

With warmer weather on the horizon, my cats (Leo and Lily) and I are looking forward to spending long hours on our cozy patio. I discovered that houseplants enjoy the jump from house to outdoors, too – and then there’s no need to spend extra dollars on extra potted annuals to decorate my outdoor room. These pet-friendly plants thrive both indoors and out and can join you and your pets on the porch or in your garden this spring.

I already had a few of these plants around the house – one was a little spider plant I rescued from the clearance rack at a garden center, barely hanging on but full of potential. With a little love and regular watering, it’s now thriving.

Photo by Susan Wilkinson on Unsplash

The baby-making Spider Plant loves bright but indirect light. Hang this plant high so its glorious runners full of baby spider plants have room to grow and curve. Propagate the little “spiderettes” by waiting until they’ve grown small knobby roots and then just pop them into damp soil. I’ve gifted a few of these sweet plant babies to friends who needed a cheerful, low-maintenance green buddy in their space. (Chlorophytum comosum, winter hardiness Zone 9-11)

Photo by Li Xiaohan on Unsplash

The Boston Fern makes a grand green tropical statement on a plant hanger or pillar, both indoors and out on your sun-sheltered patio. Give it a good soak before it gets entirely dry. I once let one crisp up completely during a particularly busy season—but I learned to check the soil often and now use a humidity tray underneath to keep it happy. You can also put the fern’s entire pot in a larger vessel of damp peat moss to raise the humidity indoors or out, especially if you notice leaves drying out. (Nephrolepis exaltata, winter hardiness Zones 10-12)

Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton on Unsplash

Don’t ditch your gift Orchid. I received one as a birthday gift a few years ago—its blooms were breathtaking and lasted nearly three months! Its flowers lasted for months, but now it’s a pile of glossy green leaves. Give your orchid a new life by placing it in a sheltered, humid area of your outdoor garden, under a tree in filtered light, or nestled with larger plants. I’ve found that misting mine in the mornings and keeping it in a terracotta pot helps with airflow and prevents root rot. Fertilize monthly (or weekly at ¼ strength) and you’ll likely be delighted by a spike of new buds by season’s end! (Orchidaceae, winter hardiness generally Zones 6-9)

Photo by Michael Campagnaro on Unsplash

Add a bit of rainforest with a Bromeliad. Another common gift plant, these strappy-leafed plants crowned with orange, red, yellow, and purple will be quite happy tucked into a shady or partially sunny, humid area of your garden, or on your porch with regular misting. (Bromeliaceae, winter hardiness Zone 10-11)

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Perennial Herbs will tickle both your nose and taste buds and can keep supplying your soup pot even after finding a new home in your garden. I love snipping fresh thyme or parsley to toss into a pasta sauce or to garnish a weekend omelet. If your rosemary, parsley, thyme, lavender or cilantro plants are looking a bit scraggly, repot them with fresh soil and tote them outdoors to enjoy the summer sun. While many herbs are non-toxic to pets, woody, oily aromatic herbs like rosemary and lavender can cause stomach upset in pets if eaten in large quantities.

Photo by feey on Unsplash

Your Prayer Plant will bask in your porch sanctuary. This plant’s beautiful maroon and green leaves fold up at night like hands in prayer. During the day it will add unusual color to your plant collection. It blossoms in spring or summer with delicate white or purple flowers. (Maranta leuconeura, winter hardiness Zone 11–12)

Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash

The statuesque Staghorn Fern gets its name from wide, antler-like fronds with a velvety appearance. It is an epiphyte that normally clings to trees, getting nutrients and moisture from the air and rain. Your shade-loving Staghorn is probably attached to a plank or wooden crate-like container. It will make a statement hanging on the trunk of a tree in a shady section of your garden or tucked up in the corner of your porch or shaded patio. (Platycerium bifurcatum, winter hardiness Zone 9-12)

My cats are curious about the plants but luckily not diggers — though I’ve had to move a few pots out of tail-wagging range after a few soil-spilling incidents. Keeping trailing plants on hangers and taller ones in sturdy planters helps avoid accidents.

Not certain which houseplants you can leave within reach of your dog on the porch, or add to your cat’s catio? Check the ASPCA webpage of toxic and non-toxic plants. It’s mobile-friendly! Find it here: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants.

Bring the whole living household outdoors this summer!