1451 Easy Pet Safe | 2026 Guide - Page 25

Mexican feather grass

Nassella tenuissima

Nassella tenuissima, also known as Mexican feather grass, is a fine-textured ornamental bunchgrass native to Mexico, Texas, and Argentina. It forms soft, silky, thread-like blades that ripple and shimmer in the slightest breeze, turning from bright green to golden-tan as the seed heads mature in summer. Prized in xeriscaping and modern garden design, it thrives in poor, well-draining soil and full sun with minimal care once established. Note that it self-seeds readily and is considered invasive in parts of California and Australia.

Goldfish Plant

Nematanthus gregarius

Nematanthus gregarius, popularly known as the Goldfish Plant, is an epiphytic plant native to the Brazilian tropical forests. Its leaves are small, oval, succulent in texture, and bright dark green. The common name comes from its tubular orange flowers that have a bulge on the lower part, closely resembling a small goldfish or 'platy'. It is a trailing plant, ideal for hanging baskets.

Mauve Nemesia

Nemesia fruticans

Nemesia fruticans is a perennial plant native to South Africa, valued as a cool-season ornamental for its abundant and showy flowers in a wide range of colors: white, yellow, orange, pink, red, purple, and blue. It belongs to the Scrophulariaceae family and grows in a compact, bushy habit, reaching between 8 and 20 inches (20-50 cm) in height. It is ideal for pots, hanging baskets, garden borders, and pollinator gardens. It blooms most vigorously in spring and fall when temperatures are cool, and may slow its flowering during the hottest summer months.

Cape Jewels

Nemesia strumosa

Nemesia strumosa, commonly known as Cape jewels, is a compact, cool-season flowering annual native to the southwestern Cape provinces of South Africa. A relative of snapdragons, it produces masses of small, pouch-shaped, often bicolored flowers in shades of white, cream, yellow, orange, pink, red, and purple from spring through fall. Its fast growth and mounding habit make it a popular choice for borders, containers, and hanging baskets, though it tends to decline once summer heat sets in.

Blushing Bromeliad

Neoregelia

Neoregelia is a large genus of tropical bromeliads native to the rainforests of Brazil, grown almost entirely for their bold, colorful rosettes rather than their flowers. Broad, strap-shaped leaves form a tight cup ("tank") at the center, and as the plant nears bloom the innermost leaves "blush" red, pink or purple, giving the genus its common name. Small tubular white or blue flowers appear low in the cup and are easy to miss. Most Neoregelia are epiphytic or semi-epiphytic in the wild but adapt readily to pots, making them popular, low-maintenance houseplants and patio accents in warm climates.

Blushing Bromeliad

Neoregelia carolinae

Neoregelia carolinae is a bromeliad native to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, prized for its glossy leaves forming a flat rosette. When it blooms, the center of the rosette turns a vibrant red, earning it the name "Blushing Bromeliad." Its small purple-blue flowers emerge from the central tank formed by the leaves. It is an epiphytic plant that naturally grows on tree trunks, absorbing water and nutrients through its central rosette.

Blushing Bromeliad

Neoregelia sp

Neoregelia sp is a genus of bromeliads native to Brazil, widely cultivated for their vibrant ornamental foliage and hardiness. The leaves form a characteristic rosette with a central cup that collects water, creating a unique miniature ecosystem. Before flowering, the center of the rosette typically turns an intense color — red, pink, or purple — making it a visually striking plant.

Common Swamp Pitcher-Plant

Nepenthes mirabilis

Nepenthes mirabilis, known as the common swamp pitcher-plant, is one of the most widespread carnivorous pitcher plants in the world, ranging from southern China through Southeast Asia to northern Australia. A vigorous climbing vine, it produces distinctive jug-shaped pitchers that trap and digest insects to supplement the poor nutrient content of its native boggy, sunny habitats. Its adaptability and relative ease of care make it a popular starter species for carnivorous plant enthusiasts.

Catnip

Nepeta cataria

Nepeta cataria, commonly known as catnip or catmint, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Lamiaceae family, native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. Famous worldwide for its euphoric effect on cats, this aromatic herb also offers valuable medicinal properties for humans, including calming, antispasmodic, and carminative effects. It produces clusters of small white to lavender flowers on long spikes from late spring through fall, attracting bees and butterflies. Vigorous and easy to grow, it thrives in garden borders, herb gardens, and containers.

Persian Catmint

Nepeta racemosa

Nepeta racemosa, commonly known as Persian Catmint, is a low-growing aromatic perennial herb native to the Caucasus and southwestern Asia. It produces cascading mounds of gray-green foliage adorned with abundant lavender-blue flowers from late spring through fall, making it a beloved choice for garden borders, rock gardens, and pollinator gardens. Unlike true catnip (Nepeta cataria), it is valued primarily as an ornamental and is highly attractive to bees and butterflies.

Catmint

Nepeta sp

Catmint (Nepeta sp) is a hardy, aromatic perennial herb from the Lamiaceae family, native to Europe and Asia. Known for its lavender-purple flower spikes and silvery-gray foliage, it is beloved in gardens for its long blooming season, drought tolerance, and irresistible attraction to cats. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soils, making it ideal for borders, rock gardens, and pollinator gardens.

Giant Sword Fern

Nephrolepis biserrata

Nephrolepis biserrata, commonly known as Giant Sword Fern or Macho Fern, is a large tropical fern native to pantropical regions across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Its lush, arching fronds can exceed 2 meters in length, making it one of the most striking ferns in cultivation. It thrives in warm, humid environments and is widely used in tropical gardens, hanging baskets, and as an air-purifying houseplant.

Asian Sword Fern

Nephrolepis brownii

Nephrolepis brownii, commonly known as the Asian Sword Fern, is a perennial fern native to most of Southeast Asia, extending north to China and Japan, west to Sri Lanka and India, east to the Pacific Islands, and south to Australia. Its lush, arching fronds make it a popular ornamental plant for both indoor and outdoor settings.

Narrow Sword Fern

Nephrolepis cordifolia

Nephrolepis cordifolia, commonly known as the Narrow Sword Fern or Tuberous Sword Fern, is a robust pantropical fern distinguished by its upright, narrow fronds and distinctive underground tubers. Native to tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, it has naturalized across many continents due to its exceptional adaptability. The plant forms lush arching clumps of bright green pinnate fronds, making it an elegant choice for both indoor and outdoor settings.

Kimberley Queen Fern

Nephrolepis obliterata

Nephrolepis obliterata, commonly known as the Kimberley Queen Fern or Australian Sword Fern, is a robust fern native to northern Australia and the Pacific Islands. Unlike most ferns, it produces stiff, upright fronds that form a compact, elegant clump. It is notably more tolerant of low humidity than the Boston Fern, making it an excellent choice for indoor environments.

Bird's-nest Bromeliad

Nidularium innocentii

Nidularium innocentii, commonly known as the Bird's-nest Bromeliad, is a compact rosette bromeliad native to Brazil's Atlantic Forest. It forms a dense, layered nest of dark green leaves from which vibrant red bracts and small white flowers emerge. Suited both as a terrestrial and epiphytic plant, it thrives in shaded, humid environments.

Montauk Daisy

Nipponanthemum nipponicum

Montauk daisy is a shrubby, clump-forming perennial native to coastal Japan, where its Japanese name, hamagiku, literally means "beach chrysanthemum." It bears thick, glossy, dark green, coarsely toothed leaves on woody stems, giving the plant a slightly succulent, evergreen-shrub appearance even though it is technically deciduous in colder climates. From late summer into fall it produces large, daisy-like flowers with bright white rays around a yellow-green center disk, providing valuable color after most other perennials have finished blooming. It is the sole species in its genus, having been split out from Chrysanthemum due to its distinct woody, salt-tolerant habit.

Ponytail Palm

Nolina recurvata

Nolina recurvata (a widely used synonym of Beaucarnea recurvata), commonly known as the ponytail palm or elephant's foot, is a succulent native to eastern Mexico prized for its swollen, bulb-like trunk that stores water, making it extremely drought tolerant. Long, thin, curling leaves cascade from the top of a woody caudex that resembles an elephant's foot.

Yellow Floating Heart

Nymphoides peltata

The Yellow Floating Heart (Nymphoides peltata) is a perennial aquatic plant in the Menyanthaceae family, native to Europe and temperate Asia. Its round, heart-shaped leaves, resembling a miniature water lily, float on the water's surface and can reach 6 inches in diameter, often featuring a purple-tinted underside. From June to September, it produces a succession of bright yellow, five-petaled flowers with fringed edges. Although each bloom lasts only a single day, they are continuously renewed throughout the summer. Vigorous and hardy down to -4°F (-20°C), it quickly forms a floating carpet and helps purify pond water by absorbing excess nitrogen and phosphorus.

Basil (genus)

Ocimum

Ocimum is a genus of aromatic herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The best-known species include Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil) and Ocimum tenuiflorum (holy basil or tulsi). They are widely grown for their fragrant leaves valued for culinary, medicinal, and ornamental purposes.

Lemon Basil

Ocimum × citriodorum

Lemon basil (Ocimum × citriodorum) is a fragrant annual herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae), prized for its bright lemon scent derived from the compound citral. A natural hybrid between sweet basil and African basil, it grows 20–60 cm tall with narrow, slightly serrated leaves and small white flower spikes. Widely used in Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean cuisines, it is also valued for its aromatic and mild medicinal properties.

Hoary Basil

Ocimum americanum

Hoary basil (Ocimum americanum) is an annual aromatic herb native to tropical Africa and South Asia, now naturalized across the tropics, including Brazil. Its small, slightly hairy leaves release a citrusy, lime-like aroma. It is more disease-resistant than sweet basil, especially against downy mildew.

Sweet Basil

Ocimum basilicum

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a popular annual aromatic herb native to India and Southeast Asia. Widely cultivated worldwide for culinary, medicinal, and aromatic uses, it features bright green oval leaves and small white to pink flowers that bloom in summer.

Greek Basil

Ocimum basilicum var. minimum

Greek basil (Ocimum basilicum var. minimum) is a compact, bushy variety of common basil in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Also known as bush basil or dwarf basil, it forms a dense, rounded mound up to 30 cm tall, covered in small, intensely aromatic oval leaves. It is a tender annual herb (or short-lived perennial in warm climates) prized both in Mediterranean cooking and as an ornamental container plant for patios and windowsills. Small white to pale lavender flowers appear in summer, attracting bees and other pollinators. Thanks to its compact habit and fast growth, it is one of the most popular culinary herbs for small-space and indoor gardening.

African Basil

Ocimum gratissimum

African Basil (Ocimum gratissimum) is a woody, shrubby basil species native to Tropical Africa and Asia, widely cultivated in Brazil and West Africa. Unlike common basil, it grows into a large shrub up to 3 meters tall with strongly aromatic leaves rich in eugenol and thymol — giving it a clove-like scent. It is highly valued both as a culinary herb across West Africa and as a medicinal plant used to treat infections, fever, diabetes, and inflammation.

Holy Basil

Ocimum tenuiflorum

Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), also known as Tulsi, is a sacred aromatic herb native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Revered in Hinduism as a manifestation of the goddess Lakshmi, it has been used for over 3,000 years in Ayurvedic medicine. This upright, bushy subshrub grows 30–60 cm tall with fragrant green or purple leaves and small purple-pink flower spikes that bloom in summer.

Evening Primrose

Oenothera

Evening Primrose (Oenothera) is a genus of roughly 145 herbaceous wildflowers in the Onagraceae family, native to the Americas. Depending on the species, plants may be annuals, biennials, or perennials, typically forming rosettes of lance-shaped leaves topped by four-petaled cup-shaped flowers in yellow, pink, or white. Many species open their blooms in the evening or at dusk and close by midday, a trait that gives the genus its common name and its symbolic ties to twilight and hidden beauty.

Evening Primrose

Oenothera biennis

Oenothera biennis, known as Evening Primrose, is a biennial plant native to North America. It is famous for its vibrant yellow flowers that open rapidly at dusk and emit a mild fragrance to attract nocturnal pollinators. In its first year, the plant forms a rosette of low-growing leaves, and in its second year, it develops a tall, flowering stalk. It is widely recognized in the herbal medicine industry for the oil extracted from its seeds, which is rich in gamma-linolenic acid.

Biennial Gaura

Oenothera gaura

Kisses

Oenothera suffulta

Oenothera suffulta, commonly known as Kisses or Roadside Gaura, is a small annual to short-lived perennial native to south-central Texas, Oklahoma, and northern Mexico. Its delicate pink, white, and red flowers open at dusk. Formerly classified as Gaura suffulta, it belongs to the family Onagraceae and thrives in poor sandy soils, being highly drought tolerant.

Olive tree

Olea europaea

The Olive tree (Olea europaea) is a medium-sized evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean region, Asia, and Africa. It is widely cultivated for its fruit, olives, and the oil extracted from them, olive oil. It features distinct silvery-green leaves and a gnarled, gray bark that becomes rougher with age. It is a universal symbol of peace, longevity, and prosperity.

Arbequina Olive

Olea europaea 'Arbequina'

The Arbequina Olive (Olea europaea 'Arbequina') is a Spanish olive cultivar originating from the Arbeca region in Catalonia. It is recognized for its compact size, self-fertility, and early fruiting, characteristics that have made it one of the most popular varieties for cultivation in pots, small gardens, and hedges. Its leaves are evergreen, featuring a silvery underside, and the plant produces small creamy white flowers in spring, followed by green olives that ripen to a purplish hue, used for both gourmet olive oil production and table olives.

Little Ollie

Olea europaea 'Montra'

Little Ollie is a compact, non-fruiting cultivar of the Mediterranean olive tree, prized for its dense, rounded form and silvery-green evergreen foliage. Bred by Monrovia, this sterile selection produces the classic olive look without the mess of dropped fruit, making it a popular choice for hedges, containers, and topiary. Extremely drought-, heat-, and salt-tolerant once established, it thrives in full sun with minimal care.

Dwarf Lilyturf

Ophiopogon

Ophiopogon is a genus of evergreen, grass-like perennials in the family Asparagaceae, native to East and Southeast Asia, with Ophiopogon japonicus as the most widely cultivated species. It forms dense clumps of thin, arching, linear leaves resembling a coarse turf grass, creating a uniform dark-green mat. It is widely used as a shade groundcover, border edging, and filler between stepping stones, precisely because it tolerates spots where regular lawn grass fails from lack of sun. In summer it produces small, understated white-to-pale-lilac flowers, followed by ornamental cobalt-blue berries.

White Lilyturf

Ophiopogon jaburan

White lilyturf (Ophiopogon jaburan) is an evergreen perennial native to Japan and southern Korea, prized as a shade-tolerant groundcover and border plant. It forms dense clumps of long, arching, strap-like leaves — plain green or variegated with cream stripes — and sends up spikes of small white to pale lavender flowers in summer, followed by ornamental violet-black berries in fall. Low-maintenance and adaptable, it handles partial shade to full coastal sun and light frost.

Prickly Pear Cactus

Opuntia

Opuntia, commonly known as prickly pear or nopal, is a genus of cacti native to the Americas, especially Mexico. Its flattened pads (cladodes), spines, and showy flowers make it one of the most recognizable plants in the world. It produces edible fruits (tunas) and pads (nopales) that have been used in Mexican cuisine for millennia.