Cat safe outdoor plants?

[val2525]

Do any of you cat owning gardeners have coleus in your garden? I'm limited to shade plants on the patio and I saw some nice potted coleus yesterday, they'd add a little color. Problem is, some sites are saying coleus is safe for cats, others say it's not.

I know Hoots won't nibble on it, as long as he has a boston or kimberly fern he's happy. So far, Trix has only nibbled on the fern and the little pet grass plant I have out there (although all current plants are pet friendly).

[kritter]

Too hot for coleus here because I don't do pot plants. Everything goes into the ground so it has to be adaptive or it won't make it.

[val2525]

Coleus grows in beds, too. I had it in Dallas and Tampa. It needs shade. I may get a pot or two and put them on a plant stand. Trixie is more prone to nibble something at her height, which the kimberly fern is. And she seems to follow Hootie's lead, he nibbles the fern and leaves everything else alone. She nibbles the grass too, but she's left the other plants alone so far.

[Shirley U Geste]

I was always told that a coleus has oil in it that made cats or dogs sick so Ive never had them around my cats.

Mine will eat any plant in the house so I only do things like the pots of cat grass and then only occasionally.

[val2525]

Well, I did a no no and bought an asparagus fern yesterday. It was only $1.25 and the size I needed for a flamingo planter (very small). It's not good around cats but I think the Trixster will leave it alone - it's not at ground level and prickly as heck. I know Hootie leaves it alone, or has in the past.

Hmnn. Maybe I'll just get another fern, now that I know where to get them (short supply around here). The kimberly queen ferns hold up really well to the heat, as long as they're in partial shade or indirect bright light (they like more sun than a boston does). The fern is less fussy than coleus, too. I'm headed out to buy a patio mat, so I'll just get a colorful one and settle for more ferns.