Question
Hello Will!

My girlfriend has an apartment with south-facing windows (but not direct sun due to overhangs and balconies, although it might be more direct come winter). She also has 3 cats. I've been fairly successful growing plants on her balcony (inc. veggies like tomatoes and peppers) and she would like to add some hanging indoor plants. I was wondering what might be some nice house plants to hang near the windows but would also not be harmful to our cats (the ceilings are high enough that unless the plants have long hanging branches they cant jump that high) but I'm concerned about leaves that might fall down that the cats could get into their mouths. Also, if you could let me know some plants that we should stay away from under all circumstances as far as having cats around that would be appreciated as well.

Thanks for your time and help.

Frank

Answer
Hi Frank,

The list of hanging plants that do well in the light you described include Philodendron, devil's ivy, English (Hedera) ivy, and Boston fern. The only one on that list that is not included on toxic lists (see below) is the Boston fern.

Here is one list of common poisonous houseplants:

http://www.nybg.org/plants/factsheets/poison.html

However, I think that with a couple of precautions, any of these could be used safely. The precautions include hanging the plant out of the reach of the cats and keeping it trimmed so it stays out of reach. Occasional yellow leaves can be picked off before they drop to the floor. None of these are plants that shed or drop large numbers of leaves.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

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