Dog-Safe Plants That Say I Love You — and Your Pup
by
Sundays
Not to mention these plants will last way longer than a bouquet.
Looking for a different kind of gift you can give your special person? Instead of the usual cut flower bouquet, try giving them a plant that will (hopefully) last a lot longer. We’ve asked the experts over at The Sill for their recommendations on plants— including a love fern!— that will be perfect for your special person but also safe for your pup.
Worried that your dog will destroy it or that your SO is terrible at keeping plants alive? We’ve got that covered, too!
The Sill’s resident plant expert, Paris Lalicata, has insider info on the best plants for tail-thrashing, plant-curious pups as well as newbie plant owners, greenthumbs, and everyone in between. We’ve also got plant recs in every price range depending on your budget.
Dog-Friendly House Plants
Faux Plants
Plant Parent Level: Known Plant Killer
Dog Durability Level: Survives tail-thrashing and some chewing
$38+
Faux Plants for Dogs
Yes, we know faux plants are not actual plants, but they are the most perfect option if every plant that goes home with your SO ends up as compost within a week. Even if they’re great with plants, your dog may not be, so faux plants are definitely the way to go if your pup literally destroys anything with leaves.
If you take a look at The Sill’s many options, you’ll see that they’re not your parents’ faux plants. These are high-quality replicas that look just like the real thing. You’re guaranteed to find something you like with choices from olive trees and cacti to Queen Anne’s lace and moss wall boxes.
Care requirements:
Use a feather duster or cloth every other month or as needed to remove dust–that’s it!
Dog Durability Level: Occasional plant-droppers welcome
$78 - Petite with planter
$98 - Small with planter
The “Beginner” Orchid
Always wanted an orchid, but heard how hard they are to take care of? Us too. But that was before we knew about the Phalaenopsis orchid, which is “affectionately called the beginner orchid,” according to Paris.
These come in purple, white, pink, and some amazing orange/pink/yellow hues called Sunrise and Sunset, with planters included.
If you’re wondering how it stands up to dogs, Paris says this “durable plant that won’t fuss if it gets knocked down by a dog when it’s not in bloom.” And to answer your next question, the Phalaenopsis orchid blooms once a year for up to three months. It needs the other nine months to re-energize so it can bloom again next year!
Care requirements:
Thrives best in bright indirect light, but can tolerate medium indirect light.
Water every 1-2 weeks, allowing potting medium to dry out between waterings.
The baby rubber plant’s formal name is Peperomia obtusifolia. This one is great for people who love a traditional plant who don’t need anything fancy and probably love minimalist decor.
It’s got thick leaves, almost like a succulent, and if you treat it really well all year, we’ve heard it might even produce some cool white flowers that look like spikes!
It’s said to be pretty easygoing–until we’re talking about cold weather. The Sill site notes that it “will not ship until countrywide temperatures reach 40 degrees.” You may want to consider another option if you, your person, or your pup tend to knock things over, as Paris says that “the fleshy stems can easily break.”
Care requirements:
Thrives in medium to bright indirect light but can tolerate low indirect light.
Water every 1-2 weeks, allowing soil to dry out between waterings.
Dog Durability Level: Fairly sturdy; can withstand a few tail-storms
$48 without planter
$78-$102 with planter
Bird’s Nest Fern
This is the plant incarnation of Medusa, or a bird’s nest, depending on how you look at it. It has long, crinkly leaves with a waxy coating to keep moisture in. If you’ve got a fun-loving, quirky significant other, this unique plant is the perfect fit.
As a bonus, it can tolerate a lot of humidity, so you can put it in the bathroom to help create a romantic outdoor-shower ambiance.
Care requirements:
Thrives best in medium-bright indirect light but can tolerate low-light conditions.
Water every week or two, but around the center, not directly on it.
Everyone can appreciate a good money tree. And it seems like a lot of people do–Paris says it’s The Sill’s best-selling pet-friendly plant. This is no surprise, since it’s said to bring good luck and fortune to your household.
It’s a strong, silent type of plant with a braided trunk at its core that gives it resilience.
And as far as curious or clumsy pups, it “won’t fuss if it gets knocked down by a dog due to its strong trunk, but leaf stems may be a bit fragile, especially new growth,” says Paris.
Any SO who has a “lucky” pair of socks or a “lucky” tie will feel super lucky to get one of these. Better order one soon, though, as they tend to sell out!
Care requirements:
Not suited for areas of low light. Medium-bright, indirect light is best.
Water every 1-2 weeks, allowing soil to dry out between waterings.
This plant is a master of disguises. It’s low-key trying to impersonate a palm tree, but despite its name, it is actually a succulent. It looks like a little tree on an island in its pot, and you may even mistake it for a person in the dark with the whole ponytail hair thing it’s got going on.
There’s just one thing you can probably do to ruin this plant: overwater. So just don’t do it. It may be the perfect plant for an SO that travels a lot but still wants a cool plant that can kind of take care of itself. But you will need to find it a nice, sunny spot in the house, since it loves bright light.
Care requirements:
Thrives in bright sunlight, whether it’s direct or indirect.
Water every 1-2 weeks, allowing the soil to dry out in between.
Yes, this plant is needier than the others, and it may be like guilting your SO into caring for a living thing on top of the dog, but it makes up for that in coolness.
This plant literally spreads out its leaves in the sun like it’s sunbathing, and then tucks itself in and lowers its leaves at night. Plus, the leaves look like a rattlesnake’s skin!
Your SO will need a dog that never knocks things over and a greenish thumb to make sure this fragile plant can thrive.
Care requirements:
Thrives in medium to bright indirect light but can tolerate low indirect light.
Water every 1-2 weeks, allowing soil to dry out halfway between waterings.
This plant will require/benefit from extra humidity if the air in the home tends to be dry.
