Cat Friendly Plants

Written By Dana Massey

Creating a garden or indoor plant collection when you live with cats doesn’t mean giving up lush greenery or colorful blooms. It just means being a bit more intentional about plant choices. Many common ornamentals are safe for curious cats, allowing you to enjoy a thriving space without constant worry about toxicity. A plant labeled as cat-friendly or non-toxic is one that is not known to cause serious poisoning if a cat nibbles on it. That said, even safe plants can sometimes cause mild stomach upset if eaten in large amounts. 

Along with choosing safe plants, you can also create ‘cat zones’ with lots of cat grass to redirect nibbling, use mulch alternatives like river stone to help discourage digging, and avoiding toxic lookalikes (especially lilies, azaleas, foxglove, and sago palm) !

Below is a list of plants that we typically carry and are generally considered safe for cats:

Perennials

  • Echinacea purpurea 

  • Coreopsis verticillata 

  • Phlox paniculata 

  • Heuchera 

  • Aster 

  • Stachys byzantina 

Annuals 

  • Impatiens walleriana

  • Petunia × hybrida

  • Zinnia elegans 

  • Calendula officinalis 

  • Antirrhinum majus 

  • Helianthus annuus (dwarf types)

Houseplants

  • Chlorophytum comosum

  • Calathea 

  • Nephrolepis exaltata 

  • Chamaedorea elegans 

  • Peperomia obtusifolia

  • Dypsis lutescens 

Shrubs

  • Weigela florida

  • Spiraea japonica 

  • Vaccinium corymbosum 

  • Hibiscus syriacus

Dana Massey
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