Pet-safe houseplants that also handle low light

19 of 100 species in this database qualify

19 of our 100 species qualify. Cast iron plant ranks first on non-toxic to both animals and tolerant of low light. Typical prices run $6 to $250.

What this list actually means

The hardest combination to satisfy honestly, because most of the famously shade-tolerant houseplants are aroids and most aroids are toxic. Everything here clears both tests: non-toxic to cats and dogs per the ASPCA, and tolerant of a low-light floor.

Ranked by toxic to cats, light min, difficulty — non-toxic to both animals and tolerant of low light, least demanding first. Ordering is derived from database fields and we do not accept payment for placement. Our pre-publish check rejects commission, payout, EPC and CPC as sort fields, so that promise is enforced rather than merely stated.

#	Plant	Light floor	Water	Pet safe	Difficulty	Typical price
1	Cast iron plant Aspidistra elatior	Low	10–14d	Yes	Easy	$25–60
2	Kentia palm Howea forsteriana	Low	8–14d	Yes	Easy	$60–250
3	Lady palm Rhapis excelsa	Low	8–14d	Yes	Easy	$50–200
4	Ripple peperomia Peperomia caperata	Low	7–14d	Yes	Easy	$8–25
5	Parlor palm Chamaedorea elegans	Low	7–10d	Yes	Easy	$20–50
6	Bird’s nest fern Asplenium nidus	Low	4–9d	Yes	Easy	$15–45
7	Bamboo palm Chamaedorea seifrizii	Low	7–12d	Yes	Easy	$30–100
8	Blue star fern Phlebodium aureum	Low	5–10d	Yes	Easy	$18–50
9	Strawberry begonia Saxifraga stolonifera	Low	5–10d	Yes	Easy	$8–22
10	Prayer plant Maranta leuconeura	Low	4–8d	Yes	Moderate	$12–35
11	Nerve plant Fittonia albivenis	Low	3–6d	Yes	Moderate	$6–18
12	Rattlesnake plant Goeppertia lancifolia	Low	4–8d	Yes	Moderate	$15–45
13	Rabbit’s foot fern Davallia fejeensis	Low	4–9d	Yes	Moderate	$20–55
14	Table fern Pteris cretica	Low	3–7d	Yes	Moderate	$12–35
15	Baby’s tears Soleirolia soleirolii	Low	2–6d	Yes	Moderate	$6–18
16	Boston fern Nephrolepis exaltata	Low	3–6d	Yes	Demanding	$15–40
17	Calathea orbifolia Goeppertia orbifolia	Low	4–8d	Yes	Demanding	$20–60
18	Triostar stromanthe Stromanthe sanguinea	Low	4–8d	Yes	Demanding	$20–55
19	Maidenhair fern Adiantum raddianum	Low	2–5d	Yes	Difficult	$12–30

Prices are hand-verified ranges, not live figures, and move with pot size more than anything else. No affiliate links appear on this page because we have no merchant relationships yet; when that changes, disclosure appears before the first one.

Why cast iron plant tops the list

Tolerates deep shade, cold, and neglect, and is non-toxic. The trade-off is that it grows very slowly. It takes low light as a floor and water every 10–14 days, and it is reasonably easy to find at $25–60.

Full entry for cast iron plant — care fields with sources, toxicity with every authority we consulted, and propagation.

Commonly recommended for this, and shouldn't be

Every one of these is sold everywhere and appears on other lists for this purpose. Each fails on a field in our own database, stated below.

Snake plant Dracaena trifasciata

handles low light well and is toxic to cats and dogs — the usual reason a "low light" list is not a pet-safe list.
Pothos Epipremnum aureum

handles low light well and is toxic to cats and dogs — the usual reason a "low light" list is not a pet-safe list.
Heartleaf philodendron Philodendron hederaceum

handles low light well and is toxic to cats and dogs — the usual reason a "low light" list is not a pet-safe list.
Arrowhead vine Syngonium podophyllum

handles low light well and is toxic to cats and dogs — the usual reason a "low light" list is not a pet-safe list.

None of these are bad plants. They are bad plants for this, and the difference is the whole point of the list. Buying one for the wrong spot is the commonest way people conclude they cannot keep houseplants.

Other lists

Every list →

Sources

This database's own care records for the 19 species listed — light floor, watering interval, humidity, difficulty and mature size are the fields the ranking uses. Each species entry cites its own authorities.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control — toxicity classification, cited per species on each entry
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — poison severity where published
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — accepted names and families
Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — cultivation and pest records

Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-12
Ranking is derived from database fields. We do not accept payment for placement, and the pre-publish check rejects payout as a sort field. How this is sourced.