Are Boston ferns safe for cats and dogs?
Nephrolepis exaltata · Ferns
Non-toxic to cats and dogs
The ASPCA lists this plant as non-toxic to both cats and dogs, so it is one you can keep without a warning attached.
Source: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants.
Yes. Nephrolepis exaltata, the Boston fern, appears on the ASPCA's non-toxic list for cats and dogs, and so do most of the ferns commonly sold as houseplants. The important exception is the asparagus fern, which is not a fern at all and is on the toxic list.
Worth knowing anyway
Safe to keep around animals. Boston ferns are thirsty and want humidity, which is why they end up in bathrooms, and why they shed brown fronds in dry centrally heated rooms. Shedding is a care issue, not a hazard.
Living with one
A hanging Boston fern is one of the few genuinely worry-free choices for a cat that likes to bat at things. The fronds are tough and it forgives being chewed, though it does not forgive being forgotten for a week. In the catalogue it is the thirstiest plant of the lot, scheduled around every three days.
How to care for boston fern
The starting schedule and conditions Kounts Care sets up for this species. Watering adapts from there based on the daylight where you live.
- Water
- About every 3 days
- Light
- Medium light
- Humidity
- 60% to 80%
- Temperature
- 16C to 24C
- Soil pH
- 5 to 5.5
- Family
- Ferns
Let the app remember this for you
Kounts Care holds your plants and your pets in one household, so it checks every new plant against the cats and dogs you actually own, names them in the warning, and runs the check again over your existing plants the day a new animal arrives. Toxicity warnings are free at every tier.
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Questions people actually ask
Which ferns are safe for cats?
Boston fern, bird's nest fern, staghorn fern, rabbit's foot fern, button fern and the Kimberly Queen all appear as non-toxic on the ASPCA list. Asparagus fern is toxic and is a Asparagus, not a fern. Maidenhair and crocodile ferns are not covered by the list, so they are recorded as unlisted rather than safe.
Why is asparagus fern toxic when the others are not?
Because it is not related to them. It is in the asparagus family, its berries are the more problematic part, and it appears on the ASPCA toxic list with mild effects. The common name is the entire source of the confusion.
My cat chews the fronds. Is that a problem?
It is not a poisoning risk. A cat eating a lot of any plant material can be sick from the volume, so persistent vomiting is worth a vet call, but a nibbled frond is not a reason to worry.
How much watering does a Boston fern really need?
More than almost anything else indoors. The catalogue schedules it around every three days and does not stretch it much in winter, because the driver is humidity rather than daylight. This is a plant that benefits from a reminder rather than good intentions.