Indoor air pollution can detrimentally affect your health and overall well-being. Fortunately, certain plants are highly effective at purifying indoor air and keeping you healthy. In this article, we’ll share 12 exceptional plants identified by NASA for their impressive ability to reduce indoor air pollution.
Bamboo Palm
The Bamboo Palm is a good choice for an indoor plant. It not only brightens up your space but also significantly improves air quality. This plant effectively removes toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene from the air. It releases oxygen and increases humidity, promoting better respiratory health. Ideal for small apartments, this slow-growing plant requires only occasional watering.
Chinese Evergreen
The Chinese Evergreen is known for its superior air-purifying abilities, which makes it perfect for your living room or office space. It eliminates toxins like benzene and formaldehyde from indoor air and promotes a healthier atmosphere. Chinese Evergreens thrive in low light and require moderate to high humidity, making them well-suited for bathrooms. However, note that this plant is toxic to pets, so you should keep it out of reach of cats and dogs.
English Ivy
English Ivy is a remarkable plant that purifies the air by reducing harmful toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, trichloroethylene, and toluene from your home. This low-maintenance plant loves constant temperatures, bright indirect light, well-drained soil, and frequent watering. Its lush green leaves and ability to purify indoor air can make it a healthy addition to any home.
Weeping Fig
The Weeping Fig is a highly effective plant for purifying indoor air. It is ideal for homes with limited space. It grows 3-6 feet tall indoors and removes pollutants such as formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene. For optimal growth, place it near windows in low-light rooms like bedrooms and bathrooms, ensuring it gets at least six hours of sunlight daily. Plant it in well-draining soil, and water only when the top inch of soil is dry.
Gerbera Daisy
This vibrant perennial enhances indoor spaces with its cheerful blooms and purifies the air by eliminating toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. It requires full sun, 1-2 weekly waterings to keep the soil moist, 50-60% humidity, and temperatures between 55-75°F. Known for producing oxygen both day and night, Gerbera Daisies improve air quality and contribute to a healthier sleep environment.
Dracaena
Dracaena stands out among indoor plants for its ability to cleanse the air of pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene. Its long, slender leaves and diverse patterns bring a tropical vibe to any indoor space. This plant grows in bright, indirect light but can adapt to lower light conditions indoors. Popular varieties like Dracaena fragrans “Warneckii” are particularly effective at removing formaldehyde and benzene, with some species reaching up to 5 feet tall and 24 inches wide indoors. Other great options for air purification include Dracaena marginata, Dracaena deremensis, Dracaena massangeana, and Dracaena deremensis.
Snake Plant
This low-maintenance plant thrives in low to bright indirect light and needs minimal watering. With its striking, upright leaves, the Snake Plant adds a modern touch to any room while significantly improving air quality. The Snake absorbs toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, and toluene. A single plant can remove up to 9727 micrograms of formaldehyde and other toxins in 24 hours. Known for its Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM), the snake plant releases oxygen at night, significantly improving sleep.
Peace Lily
Adding a Peace Lily to your home will beautify your surroundings and create a healthier living environment. This plant improves indoor air quality by removing benzene, ammonia, formaldehyde, and xylene toxins. As per a NASA study, a Peace Lily with a foliage surface area of 7,960 cm² can eliminate up to 41,392 micrograms of benzene in just 24 hours, making the Mauna Loa variety particularly effective. Peace Lilies are easy to care for. They produce beautiful white flowers that enhance any indoor space’s aesthetics and air quality.
Pot Mum
Chrysanthemum morifolium, commonly known as Pot Mum, adds beauty and freshness to indoor spaces. It is a fantastic air-purifying plant that helps reduce toxins like formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, and ammonia. It thrives near windows with plenty of sunlight and requires regular watering, preferring soil enriched with organic matter. While it boasts medium care needs and high water requirements, it is toxic to pets.
Corn Plant
Originating from tropical Africa, the Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans) is a lush and attractive addition to your home décor and an exceptional air purifier. It is known for eliminating toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, and carbon dioxide. It’s a low-maintenance choice that thrives near a bright window with filtered light, requiring regular watering from spring to fall and less frequent watering during winter. Although toxic to pets, the Corn Plant’s lush foliage adds a tropical touch to your space.
Spider Plant
Spider plants are excellent for removing formaldehyde, xylene, and carbon monoxide from your home. Easy to maintain and quick to grow, they are ideal for beginners. These plants produce “babies” that can be propagated easily and thrive in bright, indirect light while tolerating lower light conditions. According to a NASA study, the chlorophytum elatum variety can remove up to 90% of harmful indoor air pollutants, including formaldehyde, making spider plants a valuable addition to any home.
Golden Pothos
Golden pothos is a remarkably resilient plant that grows in low light conditions and is particularly effective at removing formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, and toluene from the air. Its vines are perfect for hanging baskets or as a cascading feature on a shelf, adding a touch of green to any space. To grow golden pothos, place it in a pot with well-draining soil and water it when the top inch of soil feels dry.