Question
Hi, I'm an asthma patient and I have a cat. I can't take risk to keep anything that is toxic to her.....Is there any Asian/Indian(tropical) plant to help us both? Thank you.

Answer
Senjuti,

You can find a list of houseplants and other plants that are safe for cats at this website.

http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/plants-by-scientific-name.aspx?plan

All plants listed there will be safe for your cat and will be safe for you with asthma as long as you do not leave them set in drain trays of water which will cause root rot and mold that will cause your asthma problems to act up.

You should also not pot your plants in pots without drainage holes and you should empty the drain trays under the plant an hour after you water them. Most green plants will clean chemicals out of the air and that will help your asthma.

Plants I would recommend would be dwarf banana trees, Chamaedorea elegans which is a palm, Aspidistra elatior also known as Cast Iron plant, Episcia dianthiflora also known as Chocolate soldier, Dizygotheca elegantissima also known as false aralia.  Browse through the list at that website and if you have questions about a specific plant e-mail me again. Good luck.

Darlene