Unintended consequences of the modern, energy-efficient building design are possible. A decrease in ventilation is one such negative consequence. Problems with breathing, such as asthma or sick building syndrome, can be exacerbated by a lack of fresh air circulation. Let us check out what houseplants clean the air?
Indeed, modern furniture, synthetic building materials, and even your carpet may contain more chemicals than you realize. In some cases, these compounds may account for 90% or more of the pollution inside buildings.
Benefits of Plants
Your health may benefit from plants, and this is not only achievable if the plants are rooted outside. Bringing plants inside can result in an improvement in both the quality and the health of the air that we are surrounded by. When it comes to the planning of an indoor landscape, they bring both functional and aesthetic benefits to the table.
Through a process called photosynthesis, plants purify the air we breathe. Plants take up carbon dioxide and release oxygen, just as people do. Sugar is produced when light, carbon dioxide, and water are taken in. By-products of this chemical reaction include oxygen.
No air purification system in a house or business can produce oxygen despite how sophisticated they may be. Oxygen is an essential component of fresh, breathable air. There may be a way to increase our contact with it through indoor plants.
Read Can You Be Allergic to Houseplants?
Types of Houseplants that can Purify the Air
Let us look at some of the houseplants for the purification of air.
Dracaenas for the Quality of Air
For those with no experience in gardening, Dracaenas are the perfect plant. This broad category of houseplants includes various sizes, colors, and textures. You can go with the tall corn plant with unique characteristics or the rainbow plant with a vibrant purple.
Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) Purify Your Breathing Air
Spider plants, also known as air plants, are low maintenance, quickly reproduce, and look fantastic when displayed in hanging baskets, especially in the workplace. Other names for spider plants include air plants. It is not unusual for them to bloom with petals of entirely white color.
There are more than 200 kinds of spider plants, and a good number of those species can survive despite our carelessness.
Areca palms (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens); Better Air Quality
This tiny plant is native to Madagascar and thrives best when grown outside. If, on the other hand, you have a room flooded with bright filtered light, the gently arching leaves of this plant will be a lovely addition to the decor.
Golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum) Purify Your Environment!
The golden pothos plant, also known as devil’s ivy, is considered nearly indestructible, even among other plant species. It is adaptable to a wide range of environments and can reach a length of up to 7 meters in length.
Additionally, it is regarded as one of the most efficient indoor air purifiers for getting rid of various toxins.
Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum morifolium) Eliminates Toxins in the Air
Chrysanthemums sold by florists, also known as “mums,” are the most effective at cleaning the air. It has been demonstrated that they can eliminate common toxins and ammonia.
Due to the short blooming period of approximately six weeks, you deserve a new pot of this flower. Alternately, you could wait until new growth appears in the spring before fertilizing the container again.
However, the air won’t be cleaned if there aren’t any flowers. You may purchase a new pot if you do not wish to wait.
Read House Plants That Grow in Water
Bamboo palms (Chamaedorea seifrizii) are Great for Managing Air Humidity Levels
This hardy plant is well-known for its height and effortless elegance. It enjoys bright sunlight but not direct exposure to the sun, and it is picky about the care that it receives.
Because bamboo palms release a healthy amount of moisture into the air, they are an excellent addition to spaces that tend to be dry during the winter months.
English Ivy (Hedera Helix) For The Best Air Quality
This evergreen climbing plant thrives in the controlled environment of an indoor space. There are wide varieties, and each has unique lighting preferences, ranging from direct sunlight to dimly lit rooms.
It will look incredibly picturesque if it is allowed to grow in a hanging basket or around the windowsill of your home. The English Ivy eliminates toxins like formaldehyde.
Rubber plants (Ficus elastic) Produces Great Amounts of Oxygen
The trees that produce rubber are evergreen and native to India. Their roots climb upwards and frequently become entwined around the plant’s trunk, resulting in some fascinating shapes. These plants thrive in bright, filtered light and appreciate occasional but consistent attention.
These plants are well-known for purifying the air by producing large amounts of oxygen!
Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema) Remove Multiple Toxins from Air
The tropical forests of Asia are the natural habitat of these evergreen perennials. These lovely plants not only have a patterned and colorful appearance, but they also can eliminate a wide variety of everyday toxins. However, the care that these plants require might require more of your time than usual.
Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) Removes Toxins
Gerbera Daisy well-known annual can be beneficially grown indoors, where it can remove benzene from the air while also enhancing the aesthetic value of the space. Bear in mind, however, that the gerbera daisy thrives in warm temperatures of at least 75 degrees and does best in these conditions.
Mother-in-Law’s Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii’) Removes Carcinogen
The succulent known as mother-in-tongue laws is a hardy plant that can thrive in some of the harshest conditions, including a wide range of temperatures and light conditions.
It is an excellent choice for those just starting with growing houseplants as it removes carcinogen from the air and purifies it. Nevertheless, take care not to overwater the plants (or to not water at all).
Mass Cane/Corn Plant Aids in Air Purification
The mass cane/corn plant is one of the most popular varieties of Dracaenas due to the lovely foliage ranging in color from green to yellow. It has also been demonstrated that this plant can help remove formaldehyde from the air. They can be trained into beautiful trees but thrive when grown as shrubs.
Lemon Button Fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia) Will Make Your Air Breathable
Lemon button ferns, related to Boston ferns, are excellent for purifying the air in your home and removing harmful toxins. They reach a height of about one foot and thrive in conditions of indirect light as long as there is sufficient humidity in the air.
They are more resistant to drought than most ferns, so before you water them again, let the soil around their plants dry out slightly.
Philodendron Reduces Air Pollution
Philodendrons are available in a wide range of sizes and colors, and the leaves of these plants can take on a wide variety of forms. These plants, like the ‘Xanadu’ variety displayed here, can easily adjust to most homes’ lighting conditions, ranging from medium to bright indirect light.
Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea Elegans) Purify Your Breathing Air
The ability of parlour palms to thrive in the low light conditions typical of most homes is mainly responsible for their continued popularity in modern times. Parlour palms were very fashionable during the Victorian era.
The research that NASA conducted on plants that purify the air found that these plants can also remove benzene and trichloroethylene from the air in your home or business.
Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) Targets Toxins
Aloes are succulents that are simple to cultivate and remove benzene and formaldehyde from the air when released into the atmosphere by-products such as paints, cleaners with chemical ingredients, and other goods. The plants require a sunny location inside your house to thrive.
They should be grown in a cactus potting mix or should improve the drainage in the regular potting mix by adding perlite or sand. When treating minor burns, use the gel extracted from a piece of aloe that has been broken or cut open.
Broad Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) For Better Air Quality
The broad lady palm can reduce the amount of ammonia found in certain products used for cleaning places. Its filtration system eliminates benzene, nitrogen oxide, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene.
Since these palms can reach heights of six feet and are tolerant of low light, they are an excellent choice for shady nooks and crannies. They prefer moist soil, but it must have adequate drainage.
Fittonia ‘Frankie’ (Fittonia argyroneura) Reduce Toxins from the Air
Nerve plants, or Fittonias, are low-maintenance houseplants that purify the air by absorbing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like toluene, benzene, and trichloroethylene. The ‘Frankie’ variety’s foliage is pink and green, while other types’ foliage is either white and green or green and red.
Fittonias are great for growing in terrariums and dish gardens due to their small final height of three to six inches. High humidity, moist yet well-drained soil, and indirect bright light are necessary.
Ficus (Ficus Benjamina) Eliminates Contaminants
According to research conducted by NASA, Ficus trees, often known as weeping figs, can purify interior air by eliminating contaminants such as formaldehyde and xylene.
Weeping figs are extremely delicate plants; if you relocate them to a new area or alter the way they are watered, the leaves on the plant may turn yellow and fall off. In most cases, the leaves will regrow once the plant has adjusted.
The majority of Ficus prefer bright light that is indirect or shaded. You should provide your plant with a high humidity environment and refrain from watering it until the top inch of the soil has dried out.
Read How Long To Keep Grow Lights on House Plants?
Poinsettia (Euphorbia Pulcherrima) Cleans Out the Air
Poinsettias are an excellent choice for any time of the year and are particularly well-liked during the winter holiday season. The bright pink blooms are a sight for sore eyes, but they can also remove trace amounts of formaldehyde from the air, making them a health-conscious choice.
If you get an indoor plant that helps clean the air, you should know that getting just one plant won’t significantly improve the air quality in your home by itself. It can be of assistance and aid. You might have to look into other ways to improve the air quality inside your home if you want to purify the air you breathe!
Plants and Purification
A high-quality air purifier, in addition to air-cleaning plants, is a beautiful way to clean the air in your home and is one of the best ways to clean the air in your home. Pollen and bacteria are not something these air-purifying plants can eliminate; however, they can eliminate toxic gasses.
Increasing the percentage of oxygen in the air while simultaneously reducing the number of harmful pollutants, pollen, and pet dander can be accomplished by combining air purifying plants with an air purifier.
When caring for air-cleaning houseplants, a helpful piece of advice is to keep a close eye on the humidity levels in the environment. Although it has the potential to become tedious, we do have a resourceful answer for you.
Conclusion
Bringing a bit of the outdoors into your hectic lives is made easier by the addition of houseplants. Tending to plants can be therapeutic and instills in one a fresh appreciation for nature. Keeping even one of the abovementioned plants in your home will be an excellent choice that you won’t ever come to second-guess. Happy gardening!
You may also like the following house plants articles:
- Why Is My House Plant Dying
- How to Kill House Plant Bugs
- Why Are My House Plant’s Leaves Curling Up?
- Why is My Houseplant Wilting
- How to Care for Houseplants While On Vacation
Hi! I’m Sophia, and I love plants – especially an expert in growing house plants. I stay in Chicago, United States of America, and through my blog and social media platforms, provide tips and tricks on how to grow healthy, vibrant plants indoors. Check out more here.