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Why Pet Plants Should Be Your New Best Friends

Why Pet Plants Should Be Your New Best Friends

The sweet smell of crisp green leaves is always a reason to smile. New growth and flowers give us plenty to look forward to each season. Pet plants are excellent companions that require little care, but they provide so much in return.

The difference between a pet plant and a regular plant is their identity. Every pet plant has a name, and at least one person who knows they’re not just another bundle of branches, but a unique individual with lots of love to give.

What IS A Pet Plant?

Keeping houseplants alive can be tricky. Your windows may not let in a lot of sunlight through the day, especially during winter months. Pet plants that live in a terrarium survive more easily because the glass acts as a greenhouse, drawing in and collecting sunlight and providing a moist environment to help your plants thrive.

Miniature terrariums are a new, popular type of pet plant. They live in tiny plastic or glass containers that keep their moisture and substrate contained, so they only need to be watered once each month. Many people use tiny terrariums as keychains or jewelry. These tiny plants usually outgrow their container in 3-12 months and can be replanted for a long, healthy life.

You can even make your own terrarium, choosing either succulents and cacti or ferns and tropical plants to live in an adorable glass garden.

Why You Should Get Some Pet Plants

There are so many reasons to fall in love with a leafy companion. Here’s just a few:

Pet Plants Are Great Listeners

Some people believe that talking to plants makes them grow, especially if you sit close enough for them to take in the carbon dioxide you produce as you exhale. However, you’d have to talk to your plant for at least several hours a day to significantly influence their growth. Even so, they’re sure to enjoy listening to you as you reflect upon your day.

Pet Plants Get Along With Your Other Pets

Whether you have a cat or dog already, or your plants would be your first pets, you’ll never have to worry about breaking up fights. You might have to research whether your plant species could be poisonous to your animals, though. If your cat or dog likes to nibble on houseplants, you may need to keep your plant in a hanging basket or tall platform to keep it safe.

Pet Plants Are Low Maintenance

The least diva-like of any pet, plants do not need a litterbox, fenced yard, or daily exercise. Most need to be watered every few days and appreciate fertilizer once a month during periods of growing or flowering.

You’ll Never Get Depressed Again

Having green, lively plants inside your home during the winter fights Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and “the winter blues.” Indoor plants remind you that spring is just around the corner, and there’s always good things in life to celebrate.

What’s more, caring for your plant can make you feel happy and accomplished. As you transfer plants and check the soil for moisture, you’ll come in contact with the plant’s dirt. Soil contains Mycobacterium vaccae, a naturally occurring microbe that has the same effect on the brain as antidepressant drug Prozac. So, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty; it does wonders for the mind.

The Best Plants To Keep As Pets

Any species of plant can be made into a pet.

Spices and herbs are some of the most popular. It’s delightful to have a basil, parsley or oregano plant in your kitchen to talk about your recipes with, and it’s a joy to use their leaves to contribute to your meal.

Succulents are plants that store water in their thick, fleshy leaves – perfect for people who have trouble keeping plants alive.

Cacti are considered succulents, and not all have painful spines. If you choose a cactus with spines, be careful about where you place it. Your animal pets could get poked in the eye if it’s kept near them, or you or a guest might walk into it.

Look closely at a cactus in the store or nursery before you buy it. Some stores glue fake flowers and other decorations to them. The glue sometimes causes permanent damage. A cactus rarely blooms, especially indoors, and can take years to ever flower.

Aloe vera is a popular, useful succulent to keep in your home. If you suffer a burn or digestive problems, you can detach a leaf and squeeze out the medicinal gel inside. Aloe vera gel can be rubbed into your skin or eaten raw.

Things To Do With Pet Plants

Pet plants are happy to stay home and photosynthesize while you go to work and run errands. However, you can wear tiny plants as jewelry, or even take your large plant out in a stroller for a walk in the park.

Many plants can reproduce. Imagine your pride and joy as you discover baby succulents after months of loving care. Spider plants, aloe vera and cactuses all produce babies.

Spider plants produce offshoots at the ends of their leaves. You’ll quickly end up with more babies than you know what to do with!

Aloe vera and cactuses will sprout “pups” in their soil, which can be removed and replanted. You’ll just need to be careful when digging up the pup and removing it from the mother, keeping the new, separate root system intact.

Have you ever had a pet plant? What kind was it? Share in the comments!

4 thoughts on “Why Pet Plants Should Be Your New Best Friends

  1. […] This plant is known as a lucky bamboo and is also known as a jade flower. Some lucky bamboo are also referred to as house plants that are toxic to humans and animals, while others are not. Although toxicity is usually mild to moderate in general, it can cause comas and death in extremely rare cases. Some cats enjoy eating lucky bamboo. This category does not include the most fortunate bamboo species. Furthermore, the bamboo plant contains toxic compounds, and it contains up to 22 percent protein, so cats may consume only a portion of its protein in order to avoid toxic compounds. Because it’s a popular indoor plant, people frequently keep Lucky bamboo as their pet plant. […]

  2. […] they will cause irritation to your lips and tongue, as well as make you vomit. It is best to keep a pet plant away from children, cats, and […]

  3. I have a pet succulent plant named Cinnamon and she is my best friend right now ??

  4. I used to have a cactus that would make little babies. I’d like another, but I might get a spider plant this time because I have dogs who would probably get poked if I had another cactus!

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