Plants for an east window - difficulty, cat

November 14, 2023 9:32 AM

I'd like to get some plants that will do well in a room with east-facing windows and some trees outside. They should not be poisonous to cats and should probably be fairly robust.

The room in question doesn't get a ton of really direct sunlight. The windows face east, but across the alley is another house and there are several trees in the yard, meaning that the only time the sun shines right into the room is a couple of hours in the morning because it has to climb above the other house and the trees first and then it quickly passes over the roof.

I've looked at lists of super low-light plants (pothos, ZZ plant, etc) but I'm wondering what else I can get away with - I do get some light in here.

I have not kept a lot of plants before - I have a jade plant that does okay and I've grown some hardy flowers outside over the past couple of summers.

Leafier plants are preferred - tall or trailing.

I have a cat. She's not very aggressive about trying to bit plants, but we probably should avoid anything poisonous just in case.

posted by Frowner to Home & Garden (12 answers total)

if you get a philodendron you can hang it and trail it along the wall (out of reach of kitty) they do very well with low light and are very easy. just make sure you get a variety that stays small!
posted by supermedusa at 9:40 AM on November 14, 2023

Hard to go wrong with a spider plant. Hardy, attractive, tidy, shade tolerant, non-toxic to humans and pets.
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:46 AM on November 14, 2023

In terms of lighting issues, I now buy very affordable, attractive enough, timed plant lights online (I do buy them from Amazon, but I'm sure you can find them from other vendors) that solved my light issues.
posted by atomicstone at 9:53 AM on November 14, 2023

Orchids? They like bright indirect light. The phalaenopsis (moth orchid) variety you can get at the grocery store are the most fool-proof. Once the bloom fades cut the stem at the base, then lightly water every other week and they'll survive (and likely rebloom) for years.
posted by lovableiago at 10:09 AM on November 14, 2023

Boston ferns are leafy and fun and pretty hardy. The peperomia/pilea family has loads of options. The calathea/maranta family has lots of options too. Sometimes it's easier when you step back and know the family names, since common names might not help you realize that there are bigger plant groupings that are okay.

I had a bunch of plants already when we got our kitties, and one was a plant nibbler. I moved the plants out of reach as much as I could, but I also got some of this cat deterring plant spray from a small house plant shop and sprayed it on the leaves of trailing plants I was worried she would find, and it did the trick. You can probably make your own batch too, with online instructions, but it was easier for me to buy the one bottle, which was all I needed.

Sometimes kitties chew on plants because they want some greens, so it can be fun to buy or grow little sprouts for their nibbling pleasure. You can google which kinds are plant safe. The plants don't need a ton of light for this since they're just sprouting.
posted by bluedaisy at 12:49 PM on November 14, 2023

Sweet scented geranium?
posted by mumimor at 2:13 PM on November 14, 2023

+1 spider plant. I have one in an east facing window with privacy film and very low light. It’s also under the heat vent that nearly killed my asparagus fern, and it is thriving! Can take over- and under- watering, not picky about pot size, puts up with me opening the window and exposing it to hours of 40 F temps, just a real tough, non-toxic cookie.
posted by momus_window at 2:22 PM on November 14, 2023

My Swedish ivy works well in these conditions and is safe for cats. It's not a true ivy which is why it is safe for cats (I think it's actually a mint).
posted by crush at 3:21 PM on November 14, 2023

spider plants are not toxic for cats, but they are mildly hallucinogenic, so some cats (like mine) can become a little obsessed with them if they do decide to chew. i'm not the cops, i don't care if my cats get high, but i finally had to move the spider plants because the cats were partying too hard (read: eating them all night long).
posted by guybrush_threepwood at 4:00 PM on November 14, 2023

Hoyas, while they won't bloom without more light, are very tolerant with low light. They're great for hanging plants but will work on a windowsill if they're pinched back to keep them full.

Consider an inexpensive led plant light to expand your choices. I just bought a cheap one for my north-facing window that usually produces straggly foliage in winter on my high-light loving plants. It's only on about three hours in the evening when I'm on the computer, and I'm impressed how my plants look. Almost better than summer growth. It's a clip on, small, and very unobtrusive. Am thinking of getting another for the kitchen window.
posted by BlueHorse at 4:33 PM on November 14, 2023

I didn't know about the hallucinogenic quality of spider plants, but that totally explains why a friend's cats were a little aggressive about eating their daily spider plant dose. A weird eccentricity has finally been explained!
posted by citygirl at 5:41 PM on November 14, 2023

Moon Valley Pilea, aka Friendship Plant! Pet safe, likes indirect light, beautiful foliage. I’m a fairly recently-reformed plant killer and this one is happy with my limited plant care skills.
posted by la glaneuse at 11:33 PM on November 14, 2023