8 best pet-friendly plants to liven up your home

Otherwise known as the “cast iron plant”, aspidistras are almost impossible to kill, making them ideal for any home or level of plant parent. A breeze to look after, this plant will thrive in most environments – while it doesn’t love strong, direct sunshine, it will do well in most light conditions and it’s also very tolerant of irregular watering. So, if you have a busy lifestyle and forget it exists or happen to go on holiday for a week or two, you should return to find it merrily making do on its own.

Characterised by large, paddle-shaped green leaves that group together in small tufts, it makes a real statement in any room and has received many compliments since taking up residence in our home. It gets bonus points for being air-purifying, too, and we loved that it was one of the few plants that our mischievous cat didn’t try and nibble.

Famed for its carnivorous appetite, the Venus flytrap is a truly unique plant that features clamshell-like leaves that lure small insects to their demise. The clever plant attracts bugs with its bright leaves and sweet nectar, and, when an insect touches the tiny, sensitive hairs on the surface of the leaves, they snap shut and start digesting the prey. It might not sound like the most pet- or child-friendly plant but, fear not, as the Venus flytrap won’t cause them (or you) any harm if they’re unable to resist the temptation to poke its snap-happy leaves.

When it comes to care, the plant is happiest in a very bright spot, such as a windowsill. It also gets pretty thirsty – ideally, you should water a Venus flytrap every few days, or you can sit it in a tray of water. Make sure you use rainwater or distilled water, as the hard minerals found in normal tap water can be poisonous to carnivorous plants.

A plant with real bite, this small but mighty flytrap has been a real conversation starter in our home, and we think it makes a great, unusual choice.

Looking for a plant that will improve the air quality in your home? This is the one to buy. The snake plant (otherwise known as Sansevieria zeylanica or mother-in-law’s tongue) has been recognised by scientists at NASA as one of the best plants for improving air quality and removing toxins such as formaldehyde, ammonia and carbon monoxide from the air.

Native to tropical West Africa, the snake plant is used to keeping all its pores completely closed during the day, so that it doesn’t lose any water to evaporation in hot temperatures. Then, when the temperature cools at night, its pores open, releasing all the oxygen it’s been holding in. Genius. It also looks the part, with distinctive long upright leaves that have yellow edges.

Plus, it’s a breeze to care for – in fact, it’s one of the few plants we’ve managed to keep alive for months, surviving everything from heatwaves to a house move. While it prefers bright, indirect light, it can handle a little shade, making it a great choice to brighten up dark corners, and it only needs watering around every two weeks.

If you’re looking for a plant to brighten up your bookshelves, look no further than the string of hearts, which, as its name suggests, grows pretty, heart-shaped leaves on long vines. Ready to take pride of place in your home office or bedroom, this plant arrives with fairly lengthy vines already (ours measured around 25cm) but, if it’s given conditions it loves, it can grow even longer – up to 2m, in fact. Overall, it’s a fairly low-maintenance plant – just make sure to water sparingly, as it doesn’t like a soggy bottom, and place it somewhere with bright, indirect light. That being said, it will do well in moderate shade, too.

Yeehaw! Bring a Western touch to your home with this quirky cowboy cactus, which, despite its name, is actually a succulent plant. With the iconic cactus shape, we all know and love, it’s a real statement plant with flat fronds and a bumpy texture that promises to steal the show in any room of your home.

While this one measures between 50-60cm, the spineless cactus can grow up to 20ft tall in the wild, where it grows into a more tree-like structure. Like most succulents, the cowboy cactus is incredibly easy to care for – it enjoys bright sunlight and can even handle a little direct sun if you fancy letting it sunbathe on your windowsill every now and then. It’s important to make sure you don’t overwater it, too, so check the soil is completely dried out before giving it a drink.

Otherwise known as an Aeschynanthus radicans ‘Rasta’, the lipstick plant gets its name from the tubular scarlet flowers that sprout from the ends of its leaves. The leaves are equally fascinating – bright green, fleshy, shiny and twisted, they create fronds of compact curls that trail elegantly. Quirky and unusual, it’s a fantastic hanging plant that’s sure to catch people’s attention but you could also display its trailing stems on a shelf. The plant originates from rainforests, so, while it’s relatively easy to care for with bright, indirect light and weekly watering, it does like a humid and warm atmosphere. For this reason, it’s ideal in steamy bathrooms or kitchens, or you can give it a regular misting.

A striking houseplant, the jungle orchid is actually made up of two different plants – a colourful orchid and a chamaedorea (otherwise known as a parlour palm) – that come housed in one sleek concrete grey pot. The combination of the two makes for an extra lush plant that’s brightly coloured and, with the right care, will bloom favourably in your home for many months.

While it arrived with just a few flowers open, there are plenty more buds waiting to blossom and we loved how the additional greenery of the palm added to the plant’s exotic feel.

Orchids can get a pretty bad rap for being high-maintenance divas but, while they do have specific needs, they’re actually not that difficult. For a happy orchid, all you need to do is ensure it receives plenty of bright, indirect light, spritz its leaves every few days and avoid overwatering – this is one of the most common ways to kill one so, to avoid accidental drenching, aim to water yours lightly every 10 to 14 days.

Scientifically known as a calathea, this one is part of a family also known as prayer plants, of which there are more than 30 varieties, all with differing patterns on their leaves. They get their unusual name because their leaves tend to fold up at night, like praying hands, and then unfurl again in the morning to catch the day’s sun. We’ve owned a few different types of calathea before but this one is perhaps the most striking, with its thick glossy leaves that are decorated with pinstripe veins and a deep red underside that makes it a real showstopper in terms of looks.

It’s a fairly easy plant to look after but it does have some specific requirements. In the wild, it would grow in the shade of the tree canopy, so be sure to give it a spot somewhere out of direct sunlight and it will be happy. Similarly, give it lots of humidity or misting and regular watering every seven to 10 days.

A word of warning, though – this was the plant our mischievous cat loved to nibble on most, causing us to have to trim a fair few damaged leaves.