Plant toxicity to cats

About half of the plants included in this article are harmful to cats. This list includes: rubber trees, dracaena, English ivy, Ficus ‘Alii’, and pothos—do NOT have these in the house with a cat.

Some plants that are safe for a house with a cat include Areca palm, lady palm, bamboo palm, and Boston ferns.

Here are a couple of online resources to find cat-friendly plants: http://www.cfa.org/articles/plants.html or http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/

About Franklin Park Conservatory
Franklin Park Conservatory offers unique botanical collections, gardens, waterfalls, and educational programs designed to foster lifelong learning and appreciation of plants. The Conservatory features an original Victorian glass house built in 1895 and 73,000 square feet of greenhouses and classrooms situated in a 90-acre urban park just minutes from downtown Columbus. As part of its unique focus on combining fine arts with horticulture, the Conservatory is the only botanical garden in the world to own a signature collection from the internationally acclaimed glass artist, Dale Chihuly.

Franklin Park Conservatory is located at 1777 E. Broad St. and is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, and $5 for children age 3 to 17. Members and children under 2 are free. All exhibitions are included in the general admission price. For more information, visit the Conservatory’s Web site at www.fpconservatory.org

growing fresh air

By Barbara Arnold

Now that the weather has turned cold and homes are closed off for the winter, where can we find a breath of fresh air? Should we be concerned about indoor pollutants? Are they affecting our health?

What are the sources of air pollutants? In our homes they are everywhere—modern building materials, furniture and carpet all are often composed of synthetic materials that emit volatile organic chemicals. Our homes and offices are better sealed than in the past, preventing drafts from walls and windows, but resulting in the minimal exchange of stale indoor air for outdoor air. Studies done by NASA and others about this “Sick Building Syndrome” have determined the effectiveness of houseplants for mitigating this problem, and researchers have compiled lists of the best houseplants for removal of these nasty gases.

All plants, including houseplants, accomplish this feat in a variety of ways. Plants culture microbes on and around their roots that can degrade complex organic structures. The leaves of plants can absorb gaseous organic substances and digest or move them to their roots where they provide food for the surrounding microbes. As water moves toward the leaves and evaporates and air moves toward the roots during transpiration, plants are also helping to remove these compounds from the air.

The following are some top air cleaner plants for the home.

Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)
Arecas are one of the best houseplants for removing all air toxins. This palm is very tolerant of the dry air and low light of the indoor environment. Arecas are big houseplants, in the 6-foot and taller range. Caring for arecas is easy, but keep the soil moist and mist regularly to clean the leaves.

Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa)
The Lady Palm has dark green leaves that can be 8 to 12 inches wide and is very resistant to insect problems—plus, it’s one of the best houseplants for filtering indoor air. Keep the soil moist, watering liberally in the active growing seasons of spring and summer.

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
The Bamboo Palm is a very popular palm for the home, with its slender and graceful canes that resemble bamboo and medium green fan leaves. To care for this palm, keep the rootball moist during the winter but well watered when it is actively growing. Mist the plant regularly to keep spider mites and scale away as they can become a problem when the air is too dry.

Rubber Plant (Ficus robusta)
The rubber plant is a tough, easy to care for houseplant that survives indoor conditions of low light and humidity. Let the soil dry out between watering; it will not survive over-watering. This plant does bleed latex, which can be an irritant to some people.

Dracaena (Dracaena deremensis ‘Janet Craig’ or Dracaena fragrans ‘Corn Plant’)
“Janet Craig” has dark green leaves while the leaves of the “Corn Plant” have dark green margins with light green centers. “Janet Craig Compacta” is a slower growing variety; the leaves are shorter but just as green. Both types tolerate neglect and low light areas. Keep the soil evenly moist, preventing the rootball from drying out. Mist or wipe the leaves with a damp cloth to keep them shiny. 

English Ivy (Hedera helix)
This common houseplant is great in hanging baskets or grown on a topiary frame and can be found with interesting variegation in the leaves. It requires plenty of light and regular misting of both the top and undersides of leaves. Keep the soil evenly moist.

Ficus Alii (Ficus maclellandii ‘Alii’)
A ficus, with its long thick leaves, is a nice houseplant addition; however, ficus do also have latex sap, so don’t get it on your skin or eat it. A south window is a great place for this plant to enjoy the sun. Water it well and then let the soil dry out before watering again.

Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Bostoniensis’)
Ferns in the house need extra attention and thrive on high humidity, so frequent misting is important. Never let the soil dry out; keep it evenly moist throughout the winter.

Pothos (Epipremnum)
This vine has great shaped leaves. For added interest, look for varieties with splashes of gold and cream. This easy-to-grow houseplant can be trained to climb or trail in a hanging basket. Let the soil dry out between watering. The tips can be pinched to keep the plant more compact.

Certain houseplants more effectively remove specific gases. To get more fresh air from your plants it is best to use a wide selection. A greenhouse full of plants is a fitting example of the effect an abundance of plants has—the air feels good and smells, and almost tastes, clean.

To comment on this article, e-mail info@ourohio.org

Barbara Arnold is horticultural designer at Franklin Park Conservatory.