I'm incredibly plant-challenged so I need some help

We want to buy a large plant/tree as a decorative piece for the living room - we do not intend for it to be used by the critters, either feathered or furry, but we of course want to make certain that we don't get anything that may be toxic if they do take a liking to it.

I have found this sticky:

Harmful Plants

But that leaves me with the question of - what are some names of large plants/trees that are definitely safe? I know NOTHING about plants and if you guys have any suggestions, please help me.

I have a Hibiscus tree that I absolutely love. The flowers are gorgeous in the spring and summer and the birds can even eat them.

Thank you - I'll look that one up!

Thank you Camille. I am forever worrying that the birds will get to my fake trees when I'm not looking. I was just thinking about adding some real trees here also. This sounds perfect.

I don't even know the name of our tree, but it has taken a lot of abuse from the birds, and they have never become sick from it. Here is the picture...anyone know what this is called? It's the one on the right. Birds love to hide in the leaves.

Jerry votes for Eucalyptus, maybe a bit bigger than you thinking of Sarah.

Karen your birds won't like Eucalyptus, the south american birdies seem to find it distasteful.

Oooh, I'll look into that!! We wouldn't mind something pretty big.

Thats a corn plant. I bought one half dead at an Acme Market 17 years. Now its 9ft tall. They sprout flowers ya now! I want to get some palm plants myself.

Thought that was a corn plant! Just saw on at the plant store, I almost brought home.

I vote for the Hibiscus, as you can get it to grow into a tree if it isn't already trimmed to look like one. They come in many colours & even double flower varieties.

Rio & laker love the Hibiscus tree. Before I got Rio - Laker was afraid of it. Now they both hang out in it & nibble the leaves & race around inside.

I am allergic to the darn thing myself - get really nasty welts when i touch it at all & I do touch it a lot when I trim it every other month [ i wash up immediately afterwards & wash the cutters as well]. Trim it every month! -yes as mine is over 20 years old - has been re-potted a handful of times as well & the root ball has been reduced as many times [kind of a bonsai treatment, you might say]

They grow quickly & can get quite bushy - so i also get rid of a lot of leaves so the birds have more play area. The Hibiscus loves to be misted every morning & love the west light - then they'll flower for you almost constantly. Mine hasn't flower much in the past 15 years as it lacks the proper light & I often forget it. If the leaves droop then it really needs water & if under stress like that they will not flower & if there are buds on it they will fall off.


Just don't over water it. The soil should never be wet for long - just damp. Make sure it is in a container that breaths - I have a pot that is glazed on the outside.

Another plant that is Idiot proof is the Mother-in-Law or Snake plant. If given a lot of light they will get almost 4' tall. They come in a variety of patterns but cuttings always seem to revert to the green/black stripe one. Rio loves this plant - he chews it a lot [the horrors of black stained beaks!] - once again it grows all the time so when a leaf.branch [they are only leaves like a giant grass] looks like lace - I cut it off. They grow like an Iris - they have running tubers & live in a bunch - the tighter the better. I water mine once a week or every other week - they are extremely tolerant. They can live in almost no light - but they get thin & short.
It's only short coming is that if you have it on the floor & you're vacuuming you can poke yourself with the top ends if you are daydreaming - honestly its happened to me! Cuttings root in water in about 4 days so you can have a forest in no time.