Indoor bonsai, healthy & pet safe

[Nj6964]

So as I continue down the bonsai wannabe road, my wife asked if we could find a nice indoor tree. “You want another tree???...of course!!”

The punch list of requirements is:
- a tree that has some potential health benefits: air purifying, healthy aroma, etc.
- can be styled as a bonsai tree
- is pet safe, not toxic if our dog munches on it (doubtful she would but you never know)

Also if it preferred to be raised outdoors during summer that works too.

Any suggestions?

 

[SizeXtraMedium]

Get a ficus. I grow mine indoors under artificial lighting all year. Very tough trees so long as they don't get too cold or dry

 

[Nj6964]

That was my first choice, but I saw that they’re toxic to animal if consumed. Not sure of the degree of danger, may require more research

 

[SizeXtraMedium]

That was my first choice, but I saw that they’re toxic to animal if consumed. Not sure of the degree of danger, may require more research

I know lots of indoor plants can be toxic to dogs, I myself have too many to even consider a pet lol. What about a high shelf? I keep mine 6 feet off the ground to keep the kids away ?

 

[The Ficus Guy]

Give a schefflera a try. They're a good, common houseplant.

 

[Shinjuku]

You might consider a Fukien Tea Tree (Carmona retusa). On the one hand, they can sometimes be a little fussy, and it would need a very bright window or grow lights. You can also keep it outdoors in the spring/summer if you keep it in some shade and gradually transition it outside.

At the same time, the this tree is used as an herbal remedy in some parts of Southeast Asia. I think they brew the leaves into a tea or something. So, that’s a strong indicator that it’s non toxic to dogs.

As a bonus, it sprouts little white flowers throughout the year.

 

[SizeXtraMedium]

Just wanted to add on a side note, if you're interested in growing indoor trees, consider investing in a humidifier. They aren't expensive and all indoor plants will benefit greatly. I have also been growing boxwood and portulacaria afra with great success indoors for some years now.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

That was my first choice, but I saw that they’re toxic to animal if consumed. Not sure of the degree of danger, may require more research

Toxic? Really? I would be very skeptical of the veracity of the source of this information. Sounds a bit like hysterical exaggeration. The fruit of all members of the Ficus genus are edible, varying from not very tasty, used mostly as famine food to very tasty used as commercial food crop (Ficus carica). The latex of a few species can be used to make rubber, but the latex is not toxic. It might not be ''good to eat'', but there is a huge difference between causing a dog or a person to vomit and causing death. The claim of any Ficus being toxic is just exaggeration.

 

[karen82]

Ficus really are not toxic. They sometimes end up on some poisonous plant lists because the sap can be a mild skin irritant.
Dwarf umbrella trees aren't nearly as well suited to bonsai (just due to leaf shape) but they are still sometimes grown for bonsai, and they are safe.
I used to have one, just a houseplant, and my parakeet loved to fly over and snip a leaf off it. He would fly back to his perch with the leaf and carry it around proudly like a dog with a toy, until inevitably, he'd drop it and would have to fly back and pick another. The tree did quite well with this natural pruning of sorts, sort of took on a compact bonsai-ish form. I eventually lost it due to a scale outbreak, though.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Indoors I have citrus and eucalyptus.
If a dog gets the munchies, it would fix that nasty dog breath.

 

[discusmike]

Serissa,tree of a thousand stars will bloom year round,tiny leaves n flowers,gnarly bark with age.

 

[W3rk]

So as I continue down the bonsai wannabe road, my wife asked if we could find a nice indoor tree. “You want another tree???...of course!!”

The punch list of requirements is:
- a tree that has some potential health benefits: air purifying, healthy aroma, etc.
- can be styled as a bonsai tree
- is pet safe, not toxic if our dog munches on it (doubtful she would but you never know)

Also if it preferred to be raised outdoors during summer that works too.

Any suggestions?

Here's another vote for Ficus.

But I'll also add in Portulacaria Afra/Jade.

it would help if we knew what kind of light and inside conditions you can provide.

 

[Nj6964]

Thanks for more suggestions. Indoor conditions would be the sill of a south facing bay window. We use a humidifier but the air is still quite dry in winter. I would gladly put a humidity tray below the tree, not a problem.

Right in front of the bay window is where the dog likes to lay on top of the couch cushion. Hence my concern that she might get bored and inspect the new landscaping.

 

[Cypress187]

Maybe a succulent, I don't know if they are toxic.

 

[Petebak]

My Corgi helps me with wiring at times!

 

[Nj6964]

The Portulacaria afra looks pretty cool and looks to be non toxic to dogs according to the state of California.

Any suggestions on where to buy? Does this need to be one pre-trained for bonsai or will a Lowe’s plant work well enough?

 

[Anthony]

Sageretia theesans.
Twiggy, tree like and light requirements are average.
South might be a bit hot.
A shade shrub on my side, grown under tree shade.
Also check up why it is called - Poor Man's Tea.

Only problem - wounds larger than this [ ] will not heal.

Easy shrub to grow. Zone 7 in the ground in China.
I am in the Tropics by the way.
Growing the Sparrow's plum since 1980.

Good Day
Anthony

 

[Vinnie Charity]

Fukien Tea or Chinese Sweet Plum would be a good choice and are two of my personal favorites...

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Give a schefflera a try. They're a good, common houseplant.

I don't think ficus to poisonous to dogs... but I know schefflera is!

https://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/10-houseplants-poisonous-to-dogs-cats-or-children/

 

[LanceMac10]

Get a Brazilian Raintree. Afra's are fun, but meh, boring. Ficus up north are 1 step forward, 3 back every year.....Fukien, Schefflera and Sageretia? Bugs, boredom and bad growth rate/bitchy-ness sound fun?



WILL trunk up in a container, WILL handle 7 months indoors, WILL keep pets away with righteous thorns, not toxins, WILL have great trunk features/exfoliating bark, WILL (can) flower, WILL respond aggressively to pruning, WILL be easy to take cuttings, should I continue...…….


OK, "reflex-ive" leaf habits are a fairly consequential draw-back, but hey, are WE perfect?

Have or had all other plants mentioned here, can even see some in the photo. Just my two-bits.....make it easy on yourself.