Great as a gift 🌸
Fingernail Plant
Neoregelia spectabilis · Bromeliaceae
How it looks
The Fingernail Plant (Neoregelia) is a bromeliad whose narrow, long sword-shaped leaves gather to form a cup like a pot. The leaf tips have red, fingernail-like spots, and the center turns red when the plant flowers. The rosette is 12–24 in (30–60 cm) across.
This plant is listed as non-toxic to cats by the ASPCA. An occasional nibble is unlikely to cause any real trouble.
Guide for parents
If the leaves form a cup in the center that holds water, check whether that water sits at a height your cat can reach, and refresh it now and then — standing water turns cloudy over time.
If it is mounted on a wall or a board, your cat may reach the leaf tips from a cat tree or bookshelf beside it. If it is set on a shelf or table, a passing cat can nudge it over, so place it a little in from the edge. Pick up any fallen leaf pieces when you spot them on the floor.
Details
- Scientific name
- Neoregelia spectabilis
- Common name
- Fingernail Plant
- Family
- Bromeliaceae
- Source
- ASPCA cats plant list
Related plants
Same plant family· Bromeliaceae
Other safe flowers
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