When you're a gardening enthusiast, you might as well feel like adding every plant you ever lay eyes on to your collection. But when your house has kids and pets, you have to kid-proof your whole garden too. Why? Because some plants can be pretty toxic if ingested and some can even be troublesome to the touch.
So, when you have to buy kid-safe plants, does this limit your options? You may think so, but we're here to tell you that it doesn't have to! There are numerous garden plant options that you can explore when it comes to creating a garden that sits well with your kids and even your pet.
• Here are 8 Kid-Safe Plants to Grow This Year
1. Christmas Cactus
The Christmas Cactus, also called Schlumbergera, is a popular holiday flowering plant known for its vibrant, tubular flowers that bloom in winter months. This makes for a perfectly kid-safe addition to your garden plants despite it being a cactus.
Native to Brazil, it's an epiphytic cactus that thrives in well-draining soil and indirect light. Its flattened and slightly pointed stems give it a very unique appearance. With proper care, it can be a festive and long-lasting addition to holiday decorations.
2. Peperomia Plants
Peperomia is a diverse genus of easy-to-care-for, small houseplants with thick, succulent-like leaves. The leaves often have a very glossy look which make for very attractive additions to your garden plants.
They are categorized as kid-safe plants due to their non-toxic nature, and so the Peperomia plants are pet-friendly too. Their compact size, appealing textures, and low maintenance make them ideal for homes with children and pets, adding a touch of greenery without posing any harm if accidentally ingested.
3. Spider Plants
Spider plants, also called Chlorophytum comosum, are popular, resilient houseplants known for their arching, spikey leaves and spiderettes (small plant growths that can be used for propagation).
As kid-safe plants, these are non-toxic and pet-friendly, making them a great choice for households with children and animals. These low-maintenance plants thrive in indirect light and well-draining soil, promoting a safe and vibrant indoor environment for families with curious children.
4. Prayer Plant
Often called Prayer Plant because of the shape and movement of its leaves, the Calathea Prayer Plant makes for a wonderful addition to your garden plants. Also called Maranta leuconeura, they are charming indoor plants that have distinctively patterned leaves that fold up at night, resembling hands in prayer.
These are kid-safe plants with their non-toxic and pet-friendly nature, making them an excellent choice when you are child-proofing your gardens. As low-maintenance plants, Prayer plants thrive in indirect light and humid conditions.
5. Boston Compacta Fern
The Boston Compacta Fern is a delightful, compact houseplant with feathery, arching leaves. As a kid-safe plant, it's non-toxic and another great choice for households with children and pets.
The plant care for this is relatively easy and this fern thrives in indirect light and consistently moist soil. Its lush foliage adds a touch of greenery to indoor spaces, enhancing safety and aesthetics.
6. Fittonia Plants
Fittonia, or Nerve Plants, are captivating houseplants with colorful, veined leaves. These are also kid-safe plants as they are neither toxic nor harmful in any other way.
These low-maintenance plants thrive in indirect light and consistently moist soil. With their vibrant patterns and compact size, Fittonias add a touch of nature to indoor spaces while ensuring a safe environment for children and pets.
7. Hoya Succulents
Hoya succulents, known for their waxy, star-shaped flowers, are charming and kid-safe plants. Non-toxic and pet-friendly, Hoya plants are also low-maintenance.
They thrive in bright, indirect light and well-draining soil. Their resilient nature and captivating appearance make them a safe and visually pleasing addition to indoor spaces for families.
As indoor plants growing behind walls, these succulents have adapted pretty well to seasonal changes like droughts, too.
8. Haworthia Coarctata
The Haworthia Coarctata is an excellent indoor, kid-safe plant. With its slender, pointy leaves that grow upward and have zebra-like stripes, this plant doesn't grow too big which also makes it a great gifting choice or even just a stunning addition to your garden plants.
Resilient and low-maintenance, it's non-toxic and suitable for homes with kids and pets. It thrives in bright, indirect light and well-draining soil.
