Plants are amazing for so many wonderful reasons! They not only make great statement pieces for your home décor, but they also can improve your health! Yup, that’s right— they can help purify the air in your living space, office cubicle, and/or classroom.
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The good thing about them is that they come in all shapes, and sizes, so they can fit just about anywhere. AND studies have shown that interacting with indoor plants can reduce your physiological and psychological stress!
Plants are truely magical! @inanothergreenworld took a three day time lapse of several varieties of calatheas, marantas, Ctenanthe, and an Oxalis dancing with the light.
As our climate control issues continue to be on the forefront of the media and rates in asthma continue to increase, you can do your part by owning some indoor plants (and if your feeling ambitious planting a tree) My partner and I initially bought plants as a means to help furnish our apartment but now we’ve come to think of them as our roommates too (just joking only slightly!) Sam has asthma, so along with our aromatherapy essential oils diffuser, we have plants now in every single one of our rooms (yes even the kitchen) to help keep the air in our apartment smelling fresh and purified.
All included here except for the Chrysanthemums.
In all honesty many people just aren’t plant experts, trust me I can tell you personally that it’s taken me years to join the green thumb club and I still make mistakes with their health from time to time. That’s why I created this list of the top ten best indoor plants that improve air quality by reducing and filtering everyday pollutants.
*Allergy sufferers: if one of your concerns is pollen from plants- not to worry as the plants I mention below won’t effect your allergies. If you are an allergy sufferer, I recommend throwing out all carpets, changing out your air filters (especially in your HVAC system), and buy some plants!
Indoor Plants Are GREAT Because They
remove chemical toxins from the air (smoke, formaldehyde, xylene, trichloroethylene)
catch and digest mold spores and dust mites
naturally humidify the air
beautify the home
limit stress
Can remove formaldehyde, xylene, carbon monoxide, and toluene from the air.
It can also humidify a room in dry winters or summers because it actively transpires (sweats or releases) moisture from its leaves. An adult palm can transpire up to 1 liter of water per day which keeps air fresh, moist, and makes it easier to breathe. For people with asthma, moist air is helpful.
Outdoor winter temperatures will kill this plant so make sure to keep it indoors!
These plants can grow up to 7 feet tall so be prepared to re-pot the plant and give it multiple trims (kind of like human hair! lol)
Peace Lilies
NASA conducted some research and found that this plant can help improve air quality by 60%. It neutralizes benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide.
In addition, it can help reduce mold in the home. How exactly you might ask!?! The plant absorbs mold spores and converts them into food (amazing right?).
It’s not only a beautiful plant but it looks great in just about any room you display it in. It’s perfect because it prefers indirect sunlight.
Spider Plant
This plant is easy to maintain and tough to kill so you don’t need a green thumb to own one of these.
This plant has long, thin leaves so if you’re up for hanging a basket from the ceiling, they also look great in the bathroom.
Oh, and they also do a fabulous job cleaning the air- especially of formaldehyde!
Golden Pothos
Golden pathos grows long vines like ivy!
Easy to care for as you only need to water every 10 days.
They also clean the air by taking in the good and releasing the bad.
Their nickname is, Devil's ivy.
They thrive in medium to low light and grow like- well ivy!
Easy to propogate- meaning to cut clippings from and give to friends to grow. To do this, simply cut off a piece of the stem anywhere from 6” to 12" and place in water. That's it!
Dracaena Plant
Low maintenance plants- great for beginners!
It’s specialty is removing benzene from cigarette smoke and other household chemicals but it also removes formaldehyde, xylene, trichloroethylene.
Barely needs to be watered, compared to other plants on this list
Does well in low light- so it’s great for bedrooms (especially if you have black out curtains)
Boston Fern
Great for bedroom- very pretty plant, especially when it’s hanging!
Loves sunlight
Requires occasional misting of the leaves. I use a spray bottle for misting!
Snake Plant
Low maintenance plants- great for beginners!
Barely needs to be watered, compared to other plants on this list
Does well in low light- so it’s great for bedrooms (especially if you have black out curtains)
I recommend buying a small one, as they do grown rapidly and tall (it’s been fun for us to measure the growth of our plants- yes we are nerdy! This is also a fun science lesson to do at home with your kids.)
Aloe Plant
Not only is this plant great for curing cuts and sunburns (and makes a very hydrating face mask) but it’s also great plant for the bedroom!
Aloe plants are part of the succulent family. Succulents are very easy to care for because they require little light and water. (Great starter plant for children to learn to care for too!)
Succulents start off very small and grow slowly so it’s very easy to have a couple located around your home.
I would recommend air plants for your bathroom as they don’t require soil and can grow from anywhere. Many people hang them from string, wire, or place them in glass bulbs.
They are perfect for the bathroom because they absorb the humidity caused by showers. Because of this they do not need to be watered!
Thyme & Parsley
Parsley
If you are looking to grow your own herbs for cooking and to help purify your indoor air space, then growing these two herbs is right up your alley!
You can start growing them in super small pots, so they literally take up little space!
Plants to Avoid If You Have Allergies
Any type of bouqet that contains an assortment of flowers is bound to have at least one that contains pollen or is a relative to ragweed.
Sunflowers- Many people love these but if you have an allergy to ragweed than these will give you a reaction.
Daisies- These are lovely as well but have a high pollen count which can blow around your living space.
Chrysanthemums- Very attractive to the eye but are sadly related to ragweed.
Fig tree- The wax produced from this tree can attract dust, and can also mimic a latex allergic reaction.
Pine trees- The only time I think people have pine in their houses are during the holidays, but pine trees can cause allergic symptoms as their needles easily collect dust and mold.
Bonsai trees- Can cause allergies if you have a cedar allergy so buy one that is not a juniper.
African Violets- Their fuzzy leaves collect dust mites.
A Couple Notes
Make sure you wipe down your plants leaves using a damp cloth to ensure that dust particles aren’t collecting on the surface. This goes for everyone, not just those in the houses of allergy sufferers.
Mold likes to grow in warm, moist areas- so make sure you are not overwatering your plants (especially in the warm summer months). Even if the top of the soil looks dry, the rest of the soil might still be moist enough from the previous watering sesh. To check if it is indeed time to water your plant, stick your finger down into soil about one inch. If it comes back with wet soil on it then you know the plant doesn’t need food just yet.
I personally like to tag each plant with a label so that both of us (and anyone visiting or caring for the plants while we are away) can remember the species of plant we own (because yeah sometimes we forget the exact name) This was especially helpful when we were first starting out as plant parents because we were able to look up online the specific care each plant required.
Your turn now—-> Share with me some of your favorite house plants and why!
xoxo,
Mari