The Safest Plants to Have Around Kids & Babies

Having plants and flowers in your home is a great idea. They can help the rooms look much better, improve how your home smells, and many can purify the air and help improve your mood and mental health.

However, you need to be careful about the kinds of plants you introduce into your home if you have children. Some plants can be potentially dangerous or even toxic to children. While children shouldn’t eat or consume any plants, there are certain ones that are definitely worse. But thankfully, there are also plenty that are safe to have in your space, even with kids around.

Whether you decide to order fresh flowers online, or shop for plants locally, this guide is going to take you through some of the safest plants to have when you have children at home.

Jade

If you want a plant that is completely safe for your children, while also being quite easy to care for, jade might be for you. They prefer relatively dry conditions, so they don’t require a ton of water and attention like a lot of other plants do.

The plants are also quite resilient, and you can even cut off a portion of the plant, put it in some dirt, and a new plant will grow. These plants also look great and can be kept as large or as small as you would like.

However, while Jade is beautiful and safe for your children, the plant is toxic for pets. So if you have a feline friend in the household or a family dog, you may want to go elsewhere. Plenty of plants that are fine for children are actually harmful to animals, so be sure to check a list of plants poisonous to pets before deciding which to have in your home.

Boston Fern

Another solid choice is the Boston Fern. This fern is completely safe and non-toxic for children, and is beloved for its looks. This hardy plant is incredibly lush and has a ton of volume, and can completely change the look of a room for the better.

Boston ferns normally like an environment that is a little on the cool side, and they prefer a little bit of humidity. Also, be careful where you put these plants in your home, as they normally like to have indirect sunlight. A little bit of misting onto the leaves of this plant can help keep it looking and growing it’s best.

These plants can also help to filter the air within your home, too. However, many ferns are the perfect places for insects to call home, so keep an eye out for them.

Spider Plant

When baby-proofing your home, reaching for a popular and safe plant like the spider plant is always a good idea. They are an incredibly popular choice, for a number of reasons. First, they are very easy to care for and even if you tend to neglect your plants a little, these plants should still flourish. They are very resilient, and can take a lot of abuse from children and pets, and still keep growing well.

Also, the interesting shape and style of this plant (which resembles the legs of a spider) is a favorite among many, too. While these plants are commonly put in hanging baskets to really show off the gorgeous leaves, they can also be potted on the ground or on tables/stands, as well.

African Violet

If you want something with a little more color and vibrancy to add to your space, without putting your children at risk, consider African violet. It is a flowering plant that is incredibly easy to care for, even for new gardeners. It can come in many different colors, and can bloom all year long if treated correctly.

It is non-toxic, and as long as you know to water it from the bottom and never let it stand in water, it should grow beautifully. The leaves of the African violet are quite delicate and frail, so be sure not to get them wet or mess with them too much, either.

Baby’s Tears

Despite the name of this plant, it is actually completely safe for your child. Baby’s tears are plants that feature beautiful teardrop-shaped leaves and can look wonderful both indoors and outdoors.

They do well in a wide pot or plot of land, so they have space to spread out and grow adequately. They make wonderful ground cover, but can be potted or hung, as well. For best results, these plants should be kept away from direct sunlight, so consider keeping them away from windows. Also, the leaves and stems from this plant are very dense, and tend to grow horizontally instead of vertically, so make sure to give them space.

Air Plants

This is certainly one of the most unique plants on this list, and is a great choice for families all over the country. Because of how different they are, they are quickly becoming more and more popular. Air plants are tiny plants that require no soil to survive. Instead of being planted in pots or in the ground, these plants can be hung from the wall or ceiling, often in a small glass circle or tube. 

You can create your own, and this gives you a ton of options for how you want the plant to look, and where you want it to be. These look very unique, and are sure to be a natural conversation starter wherever you put them.

As long as these air plants get a light misting from time to time in order to water them, and receive some filtered light, they should be able to grow quite successfully. Not only are these plants safe, but with them normally hanging from the walls or ceiling, there is little chance of your child being able to reach them in the first place.

In conclusion, these are some plants that are completely safe to have in and around your home, even if you have children around.