Plants

October 11, 2016 7:32 AM

I have a large west-facing window and I'd like to set up some large leafy plants/trees set up in front of it. What would you recommend, based on the parameters below?

- It can't be toxic to cats.
- It should be difficult to kill.
- I live in Toronto, so something available here and which can deal with temperature variations and not much light in the winter would be ideal.
- I would like the plant(s) to be large and leafy/bushy enough to provide a bit of privacy.

I have a few south-facing windows as well but they're smaller and face onto brick walls -- curious about what would flourish there as well.

Any ideas?

Thanks all!

posted by sea change to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

Best answer: You mean *inside* the house, right?

Based on easy care and privacy, I'd put in some dwarf papyrus. They can fill up a lot of space and are easy to care for, just keep them wet. I sometimes keep mine in water-tight containers. Also you can make papyrus/paper out them.

Other standard options for hard-to-kill houseplants include Epipremnum(formerly known as and still often labeled "pothos" or "philodendron"), ficus, Sansevieria, spider plants, etc.

Most of those are available and any decent garden center, and also propagate easily from cuttings (except the Sansevieria, which can be easily divided).
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:13 AM on October 11, 2016

Best answer: Parlor palms! Also I recommend just going to the plant store and googling "(plant name) ASPCA" when you see something you like. That will let you know if it's toxic to cats.
posted by thirdletter at 9:17 AM on October 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Yes, indoor plants, thanks for the suggestions so far!
posted by sea change at 9:27 AM on October 11, 2016

Best answer: Calathea are beautiful, bushy, medium sized and are easy to manage, especially if you enjoy varigated / purple foliage as a contrast to other indoor plants. Yes, non-toxic to cats. Just water them when the leaves start to contract and they'll be lush and gorgeous the next morning.
posted by doornoise at 10:15 AM on October 11, 2016

Best answer: This kind of wandering jew (safe for dogs and cats) in my experience is so unkillable it will pretty much grow in a sidewalk crack, and with some sun will pour out of a hanging planter--and it has flowers!
posted by pangolin party at 12:16 PM on October 11, 2016

Best answer: Sansevieria, mentioned above, are toxic to cats. ASPCA lists Ficus (including fiddleleaf fig and rubber plants) as toxic to cats as well; I think this is somewhat exaggerated, but they do trigger allergic reactions in some people, and presumably also some pets.

(In general, I think it's a bad idea to lean too hard on the ASPCA lists because although they're nice to animals, they're shit at identifying plants. E.g., the pages for Beaucarnea recurvata and Araucaria heterophylla show photos of plants which are not the plant being discussed.)

Lowish light / non-toxic / easy / big-n-fluffy / variable-temperature is a tough combination of conditions. Here's what I came up with that could potentially hit all five:

Araucaria heterophylla (Norfolk Island pine)[1]
Chamaedorea elegans (parlor palm)[2]
Chlorophytum comosum (spider plant, airplane plant, mala madre)
Cissus rhombifolia (grape ivy, oakleaf ivy)[2]
Cyperus alternifolius (umbrella papyrus)[3]
Cyrtomium falcatum (holly fern)
Fatsia japonica (Japanese aralia)[4]
Pandanus veitchii (screw pine)[5]
Plectranthus verticillatus (Swedish ivy)
Rhapis excelsa (lady palm)
Saxifraga stolonifera (strawberry begonia)
Schlumbergera cvv. (holiday cactus, Thanksgiving cactus, Christmas cactus)
Tradescantia pallida (purple queen)[6]
Tradescantia zebrina (wandering Jew)[6]

-

[1] ASPCA lists as toxic, but the photo appears to be an actual pine, Pinus spp., to which Araucaria is not related; I wouldn't be surprised if they thought it was an actual pine.
[2] I don't personally find them easy, but some people do.
[3] though it would probably prefer more light; mine grow a lot faster when they get some direct sun
[4] though my personal experience with Fatsia is minimal; I won't promise "hard to kill"
[5] Large specimens get spines on leaf margins and midribs, which can sometimes be large enough to really hurt.
[6] Color would be better with brighter light, but it'll stay alive. Tradescantias also cause skin irritation in some people and pets.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 10:01 PM on October 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

Thanks Spathe Cadet, I forgot Sansevieria was toxic. It's pretty damn inedible/unappetizing though, so I never worried having it around any of my pets. Same goes for ficus: that stuff is super bitter. I'm sure *some* cat or dog would eat either, but in my experience the vast majority will not.
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:22 PM on October 12, 2016

I only brought it up because a friend of mine lost a cat because of it eating a Sansevieria. (My understanding is that the cat was already pretty old and not in great shape, so it's possible that they're not necessarily that dangerous for cats, but why risk it?)
posted by Spathe Cadet at 2:34 PM on October 12, 2016 [1 favorite]