Introduction
Having plants in your home not only adds natural beauty but also helps purify indoor air. As someone who enjoys gardening and wants the best indoor air quality, I’ve researched different houseplants that remove pollutants and make the air cleaner and fresher. Here’s what I’ve learned about the best air purifying plants to grow inside.
Snake Plant
The snake plant, also known as mother-in-law’s tongue or sansevieria, is one of the best houseplants for filtering out airborne toxins. This hardy succulent is easy to care for and can thrive in most indoor conditions.
Some key benefits of the snake plant:
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Removes formaldehyde: The snake plant is excellent at absorbing formaldehyde, which is commonly found in cleaning products, building materials, and some furniture. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.
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Filters out benzene: Benzene is another carcinogen that comes from paints, solvents, tobacco smoke, and more. Having a snake plant helps remove this toxin from the air.
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Purifies air: In one NASA study, snake plants removed up to 90% of chemical toxins from a sealed test chamber in just 24 hours. The toxins included benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene.
I keep several potted snake plants around my home and office. They need little maintenance besides occasional watering and light. I highly recommend them for air purification!
Areca Palm
With its graceful, feathery fronds, the areca palm is a popular houseplant that also filters indoor air. Some key benefits:
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Humidifies air: The areca palm releases moisture into the air through transpiration to naturally humidify dry indoor environments. This helps alleviate issues like cold symptoms, dry skin, and irritated sinuses.
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Removes VOCs: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted from things like paint, varnish, solvents, air fresheners, and more. Areca palms absorb these unhealthy VOCs from indoor air.
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Looks beautiful: I love having areca palms in my living room and bedroom. Their lush, tropical foliage brings life to indoor spaces. They need bright, indirect light to thrive.
I find areca palms easy to grow indoors. I water them when the top few inches of soil become dry and make sure they get adequate humidity.
Peace Lily
With its gorgeous white blooms, the peace lily not only looks great but also filters out multiple air pollutants. Here are some of its air purifying abilities:
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Trichloroethylene removal: This toxin is found in inks, paints, varnishes, lacquers, and adhesives. Long-term exposure can affect the liver, kidneys, and immune system. Peace lilies soak up trichloroethylene from the air.
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Ammonia removal: Peace lilies are effective at removing household ammonia, which can be a byproduct of some cleaning agents. Breathing ammonia can irritate the eyes, skin, and lungs.
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Moisturizes air: Like the areca palm, the peace lily also releases moisture into dry indoor air through transpiration. This provides natural air humidification.
Caring for peace lilies is easy – I just water when the soil gets dry. Plus the gorgeous flowers are a wonderful bonus!
Other Beneficial Plants
Some other great options to purify indoor air:
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Pothos: This vining plant removes formaldehyde, xylene, toluene, and benzene.
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Spider plant: Absorbs carbon monoxide, xylene, and formaldehyde.
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Red-edged dracaena: Removes trichloroethylene, benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene.
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Green chrysanthemum: Helps filter out ammonia, benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde.
Having a combination of these plants around the home helps remove a wide variety of pollutants and makes the indoor air fresher.
Positioning Tips
To get the most air purifying benefits:
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Place plants in rooms where you spend the most time – bedroom, office, living room, etc.
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Put plants near sources of pollution – kitchen, bathrooms, laundry rooms, etc.
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Make sure plants are in a spot with adequate sunlight and room for growth.
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Add potted plants to open, high shelves around the room rather than clustering in one spot.
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Consider using hanging plants to take advantage of vertical space.
Bring Nature Indoors
Adding indoor plants like snake plants, areca palms, and peace lilies brings health and natural beauty into the home. Their ability to purify the air of toxins, chemicals, and pollution makes them essential for indoor spaces. With the right placement and care, these plants can help create a fresher, cleaner indoor environment. What air purifying plant will you add to your home next?
