By Anabel Cardenas
There's all sorts of harmful pollution that's in the air around us as we breathe. The air contains gases and substances that can make us sick. Some of these contaminants are caused by materials in homes such as cleaning products or even carpets. This is why it is important to take matters into our own hands to breathe cleaner air.
This is where plants come into play. Plants produce oxygen, but on top of that many plants purify the air. Below you will find a list of seven indoor plants that purify the air we breathe. After reading all about them you should go out and get your hands on one or a couple and enjoy some clean air!
1. Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
Also known as Mother-in-Law’s tongue plant among many other names this is one of the top plants for purifying the air. It's one of the easiest plants to care for, almost impossible to kill as this plant is similar to succulents and cactus’.
-Low and High light
-Water once a month
-Toxic to pets
2. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
The spider plant has become a very popular plant for its trailing “babies” called plantlets that begin to hang off the plant giving it a spidery appearance. The plantlets can easily be propagated by being placed in soil. This plant improves air quality indoors by removing formaldehyde.
-Bright indirect light
-Water once a week,
-Allow soil to dry before watering it again. If your tap water contains fluoride, use distilled or rainwater to prevent brown leaf tips on your plant.
-Non-toxic
3. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Peace Lily is one of the only indoor plants that flowers, yet also purifies the air. It is research proven that they have the top rates at removing toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia, xylene, trichloroethylene and carbon monoxide from indoor air. For these plants it is recommended to clean the leaves at least once a month to remove any dust bunnies. Failing to clean its leaves may prevent it from receiving light through its cells and photosynthesizing.
-Bright indirect light
-Water once a week
-Plant will begin to sag if it is overly dry
-Toxic to pets
4. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
These are common indoor plants, found in the doctor's office and restaurants they are easy to care for and add life to a room. The pothos family includes all types of plants some are variegated others are neon. Nevertheless, they all are great plants to clean the air. They remove formaldehyde in the air caused from carpets and other materials used in homes. Pothos begin to trail down, and can easily be propagated from a small cutting placed in water.
-Low to bright light
-Water once a week
-Leaves will droop and become soft when it needs water
-Toxic to pets
5. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
Fern’s can be a little tricky to get the hang of at first but it's all about placing them in the right spot and having them on a watering schedule. Fern’s remove more Formaldehyde than any other plant because of their lush green foliage.
-Moderate to bright indirect light
-Water twice a week
-Non-toxic
6. Janet Craig (Dracaena deremensis)
This plant was experimented by NASA to prove that it removes substances such as Benzene, Formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene. Janet Craig’s can survive decades if properly cared for.
-Moderate to bright indirect light
-Water biweekly
-Toxic to pets
7. Rubber Plant (Ficus Elastica)
Rubber plants come in all different types some variegated others not. Either way, their large leaves absorb airborne chemicals rendering them harmless. They eliminate carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and many more harmful gases found in the air.
-Bright indirect light
-Water twice a month
-Certain types of rubber plants are toxic to pets
I chose these seven plants out of many others because they are low maintenance and they clean the air. Does it get any better? Actually yes, because you can find any of these plants at Home Depot or a nursery near you.
Credits: True Green Nursery, The Sill, Etsy, Greenery Unlimited, The Spruce
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