Misnomers
7 posts tagged Misnomers in the journal.
April 28, 20268 min read
Air Plants Are Safe — But Are They Actually Air Plants?
Tillandsia is one of the rare houseplant genera that earns a clean pet-safe rating across the board. The name, on the other hand, is a small lie — these plants don't live on air, and the misnomer is killing them in homes everywhere. Here's what air plants actually need, and how to keep them alive.
Read the postApril 28, 20266 min read
Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter Cactus — Which One Is in Your House?
The three holiday cacti are a tangle of taxonomy and bloom dates, but the pet question is easy — all three are safe for cats and dogs. The plant to actually worry about this season is the one with cherry-red berries on the gift table.
Read the postApril 28, 20265 min read
Lucky Bamboo Isn't Bamboo — and Why That Matters for Your Cat
Lucky bamboo is Dracaena sanderiana, a member of the asparagus family that contains saponins toxic to cats and dogs. Real bamboo is grass, and it's harmless. Here's how to keep the look without the vet bill.
Read the postApril 28, 20268 min read
The Peace Lily Isn't a Lily — But It's Still a Problem
Peace lily is Spathiphyllum, an aroid in the same family as philodendron and dieffenbachia. Its calcium oxalate crystals will hurt your cat. True lilies — Lilium and Hemerocallis — will kill her. Two different plants, two very different stories.
Read the postApril 28, 20267 min read
Pothos vs. Philodendron vs. Monstera — They Look Alike, They're All Toxic, Here's How to Tell Them Apart
Three of the most popular houseplants in the world are different species in different genera, but they're all aroids — all carrying the same calcium oxalate crystals that send pets to the vet. Identification matters for care; for your cat, the answer is the same.
Read the postApril 28, 20265 min read
Sago Palm Isn't Actually a Palm — and What to Plant Instead
The plant sold as "sago palm" is a cycad, a 280-million-year-old lineage that pre-dates dinosaurs and can be fatal to cats and dogs. Here are three pet-safe palms to grow instead.
Read the postApril 28, 20268 min read
Snake Plant Got Renamed — Here's Why "Sansevieria" Is Now "Dracaena"
In 2017, molecular phylogenetics merged the entire Sansevieria genus into Dracaena. Both names are still on tags at the nursery, both refer to the same plant, and both are toxic to cats and dogs. Here's what changed, what didn't, and what to plant instead.
Read the post