Plants

Plant Toxicity

A large number of houseplants are at least mildly toxic–it may be why so few houseplants are found in salads. Some are known to be toxic only to dogs or cats, some are toxic only if ingested in excessive quantities. Many will show up on interest searches for both “toxic” and “nontoxic” houseplants. Most houseplant toxicity (e.g. philodendrons, snake plants) seems to center around different concentration of calcium oxalates designed to protect the plant from would-be predators. Many plants produce latex, which can be a skin irritant as well as an allergen. Whatever house plants you decide to bring home, you should investigate their toxicity and be aware of potential risks to curious children.

If it’s not in your yard, don’t pick anything without permission!

Houseplants

Indoor plants will usually thrive in a window with southern exposure, where sunlight tends to be steady through the majority of the day. Eastern windows will let in morning sunlight. Western windows will let in bright afternoon sunlight that may burn sensitive leaves. A south-facing window will receive very little light.

Birds Nest Fern – My current favorite houseplant, this water-loving fern has sturdy leaves that won’t shed little leaflets. The one in my home is in a plastic planter inside a ceramic pot, but there’s a “plant elevator” ring in the bottom of the pot and a string hanging down from the drainage hole that allows the thirsty plant to drink as much water as it needs without drowning its roots. Once or twice a week I lift the planter to see if the pot is dry and then fill the bottom up to just below the elevator ring. If I forget for a while, the fern will begin to droop and the leaves will loose some rigidity that signal that the plant is thirsty. If you want an easy way for an eager child to tell if the plant really is thirsty, I recommend setting up a self-watering wick system. They prefer indirect light and will scorch in front of a western or southern facing window.

Snake Plants – On the other end of the watering spectrum, we have the hardy snake plant. You’ll want to keep your child from actually biting off a big chunk of the rigid and waxy leaves of this mildly toxic plant, but they aren’t going to shed pieces onto the floor for infants to find, either. It’s no cactus, but this drought-tolerant plant will thank you for minimal watering. The larger issue with snake plants seems to be their propensity to outgrow their pots as they send up new leaves from the root ball. Some solve this issue by breaking up the root ball into several new plants. A large and twisting snake plant can fill a space with green life with pretty minimal maintenance.

Pothos – Whether you consider pothos a variety of philodendron or something separate, this is a hardy and popular vining plant. This water-loving plant can easily grow a wide network of roots suspended in a vase of water or the back of an aquarium with little other care but steady light, but doesn’t transfer well between wet and dry environments. Planted in soil, a pothos will begin to wilt when it needs water. This is important because the fastest way to kill one is by overwatering it so consistently that it develops root rot. Like most plants, they can bounce back from a dry spell within hours or minutes. Many people who aren’t me can easily propagate new pothos plants from cuttings. They’re at least mildly toxic, so don’t eat them and don’t let them trail down to the floor in reach of infants.

Monstera deliciosa – I remember thinking that a Monstera would be a monstrously difficult and delicate plant to try to keep, but this charismatic philodendron will more likely test your ability to find space for it as it grows. Like pothos, they will wilt when they need water and they can handle a dry spell quite well. If you want beautiful fenestrated leaves in a smaller space, try M. adansonii, but if you want one plant to fill a sunny space with green life, M. deliciosa will do it with vigor. A happy Monstera will put out waxy new leaves. When the plant is young, the leaves are likely to lack the characteristic fenestrations, but as the plant matures the new leaves will start to have more and more holes. Like other philodendrons, the Monstera is mildly toxic, so don’t eat it.

Spider plant – This epiphyte, or air plant, is considered to be hardy, though I’ve often struggled to keep mine happy. They like frequent water but not to sit in soggy soil. A well-cared for spider plant will grow out long stems supporting little spider plantlets which will throw out little root nodes, at which point the supporting stem can be clipped and the plantlet potted in soil.

Hoya – A beautiful and apparently non-toxic group of plants with thick waxy leaves, Hoya come in quite a few forms. As epiphytic air plants, they like frequent water without soggy roots, so they prefer well-draining soil.

Vegetable Garden

Green Beans
Quickly-growing legumes that sprout quickly. Place a wet paper towel inside a clear zipper bag and tape in a sunny window for a quick lesson in plant growth and anatomy.

Grapes
Broad-leaved vines that readily climb trees, fences, or trellises and can provide shade and privacy as well as fruit. The University of Minnesota provides a guide to growing grapes in Minnesota.

Zucchini
Hardy, water-loving, summer squashes that grow readily in the ground or in a raised bed. (UofM guide here.)

Pumpkins & Butternut Squash
Hardy, water-loving winter squash that grow readily in the ground or in a raised bed. (UofM guide here.)

All four of these vining plants can be planted at the base of a tipi frame or lean-to grow a leafy food-producing structure.

Herb Garden

Basil – A sweet smelling herb with large leaves. Pinching off leaves once it’s about six inches tall encourages new growth, so you can harvest in moderation from one plant continuously. Take care that letting the plant bloom and go to seed will change the flavor of the leaves.

Mint – A hardy plant that can quickly overtake gardens and ground cover when not contained.

Chives – Chives are a small member of the onion family that are popular in landscaping and herb boxes alike and can be used in place of onions for milder flavoring.

Lavender – a bushy and aromatic shrub from the mint family with long and narrow leaves. Commonly grown in ornamental landscaping rather than in an herb box.

Oregano – A hardy and thick-growing herb that can quickly overtake a garden when not contained.

Wildflowers

Violets

Siberian Squill – invasive

Thistles

Nettles

Blazing Stars & Alliums

Coneflowers & Black-Eyed Susans

Milkweeds

Wild Bergamot

Dandelions – invasive

Queen Anne’s Lace – invasive

Joe Pye Weed

Clover vs. Wood Sorrel

Goldenrod

Wild Parsnip – invasive

Trees & Shrubs

Pines

Spruces, Firs, & Hemlock

Cypress Trees

Tamarack/American Larch

Maples

Birches

Oaks

Elms

Ashes

Mulberry & Hackberry

Willows

Poplars

Walnut & Hickory

Buckthorn – invasive

Dogwood

Crabapple, Plum, & Cherry

Sumac

Vines, Water Plants, & Other Leafy Plants

Ferns

Skunk Cabbage

Broadleaf Arrowhead

Water Smartweed

Water Lilies & Water Lotuses

Cattails & Bulrushes

Purple Loosestrife – invasive

Raspberries & Blackberries

Wild Cucumber

Riverbank Grape

Virginia Creeper vs. Poison Ivy

Jewelweed

Little Bluestem & Foxtails

Burdock – invasive

Wild Ginger