Say Goodbye to Your Worries: Rooted’s Plants Are Safe For Pets

My whole life, I was not interested in plant parenthood for the same reason many aren’t interested in pet parenthood. They’re expensive, need tons of water, and, no matter how hard you try, will eventually get bugs. Then, when I got my dog, I became even more entrenched in my anti-plant stance. I knew that plants could be poisonous to dogs and, seeing how my girlfriend’s plants shed leaves all over her floor, it seemed like it would be only a matter of time before my pup chomped on a few if we had them in my apartment.

Then my girlfriend moved in with me. As did all her plants. Suddenly leaves, fronds, and ferns decorated (and littered) my apartment. Overnight, I became the Lorax against my will —  if the Lorax spent most of their time picking up leaves in their hallway.

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Still, I had to admit I enjoyed some of the benefits of plant ownership. Of course, I always found plants beautiful, and I quickly became fascinated by the ways they grew and changed, sometimes seemingly overnight. Even the air of my apartment felt lighter and crisper — which I always thought was a myth perpetuated by the Loraxian execs over at Big Plant.

But my anxiety around keeping my pup safe didn’t change. Most plants range in toxicity for dogs, and the ones we had seemed to fit squarely in the middle of that range. In talking with my girlfriend, we decided it would be best to start anew and swap out the plants for ones that were more pet — and therefore — anxiety-friendly.

Enter Rooted, an e-commerce plant boutique based in New York City. When I looked up pet-friendly options, Rooted stood out among the rest when it came to both quality and quantity. To start, they offer tons of pet-friendly options that you can pick out, à la carte, most of which are available to purchase in small, medium, and large sizes. They also have a section for accessories that include seriously adorable planters and stands, as well as pest control and nutrient sprays (many of which are pet friendly, but always double-check ingredients!)

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Our favorite option at Rooted is actually their pet-friendly assorted plant box, currently on sale from $88 to $65 (and free shipping, woo woo!), which delivers four non-toxic plants in 4-inch grower pots.

I’m so obsessed, I find it hard to believe that only a month and a half ago I was attempting an anti-photosynthesis hex on my girlfriend’s DIY jungle. It helps that my anxiety has completely waned knowing any spare leaves or clippings won’t end up in a trip to the emergency vet.

In some ways it has been like becoming a pet parent all over again, between fussing over their water intake, clogging up my friends’ Insta stories with gobs of plant pics, and, yes, bugs. But, like with any kind of parenthood, whether plant or pup (and I guess human child?) I’ve found it’s a pretty straightforward balance: equal parts managing anxiety and non-toxic pesticides.

Rooted Furry Friends Box

$88

$65

$65 at Rooted