Houseplants beautify your interiors but they can do much more than that. They can act as highly efficient air purifiers within your home. Bringing plants inside can improve the good health of your family and you. During the process of photosynthesis, plants release oxygen which is great for you. Some plants like orchids, epiphytic bromeliads and succulents do that even during the night. Plants increase humidity indoors, which is good if you live in a dry climate. NASA’s research in air quality revealed that plants can absorb toxic chemicals from the interior of your home. Looking at plants helps sick people to recover and improves concentration too. Take a look at these houseplants which you can keep in your home:
Aloe (Aloe Vera)
Aloe Vera is good for skin, as we all know. It’s also a good air purifier, clearing benzene and formaldehyde from your home. You can put it in a sunny corner of your home. This plant has been used as a natural healing plant for 6,000 years.
Golden pothos (Scindapsus aures)
This plant is best for the garage as it is poisonous for children and pets and should be kept away from them. It needs less water and does well in bright but indirect sunlight.
Gerbera daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
This bright and beautiful flowering plant is known to remove trichloroethylene, which is present in dry cleaning chemicals. It filters the benzene which is given off by inks. If you have a sunny bedroom or laundry room, which will give it the required 6 hours of sunlight, it will flourish.
Peace Lily
The Peace Lily is beautiful, low maintenance, need shade and cool temperature, and of course, reduce toxins present in the air.
English Ivy
According to NASA scientists, this is the best plant to filter the air indoors. It absorbs formaldehyde and is incredibly easy to grow. It can adapt to any setting, so you can grow it in a pot or hang it. It needs medium sunlight and moderate temperature.
Red-edged dracaena (Dracaena marginata)
This plant will bring color into your home. It removes various toxins and gases present in the atmosphere indoors. They can grow quite high, reaching almost to the ceiling, so you can keep it in a high ceilinged room.
Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii’)
Known also as mother-in-law’s tongue, this Snake plant absorbs formaldehyde. Because of its property to keep absorbing carbon dioxide even at night, you should keep one of these in your living room and bedroom to get an oxygen boost the whole day.
Philodendron
The philodendron can be seen inside many homes due to their beautiful heart-shaped vines. They need little sunlight and moderate water and regular care ensures that they last for years. Their air filtering capacity has made them quite sought after too.
Rubber tree
Rubber trees clean the sir and are easy to grow, so those who do not have a green thumb, can also successfully grow this plant. They thrive in cool temperatures and dim lighting, so you don’t have to carry them out to the sun. Rubber trees are quite low maintenance and good toxin eliminators, making it a very popular houseplant.
Azalea (Rhododendron simsii)
Azalea is a flowering shrub which combats formaldehyde emanating from foam insulation or plywood. They are great to purify air in the basement, if you have a place where there is some sunlight.
Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
This is another hardy plant, and can survive in dire conditions. It’s an excellent air purifier, absorbing carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, benzene and xylene. It’s safe for pets and with its tiny flowers and rich foliage, it looks pretty too. The spider plant is called airplane plant too. They stay healthy in average to cool temperatures, need dry soil and like indirect sunlight.
Bamboo palm
The elegant bamboo palm got the purifying score of 8.4 in NASA’s list. The palm needs a lot of water, and kept in indirect sunlight or the shade. They clean the air of benzene and trichloroethylene.
All these houseplants can improve the air within your house to a great extent. Most of these plants are low maintenance and have many health benefits which make them a great addition to the interior of your home.
