10 Best Air Purifying Plants For The Home
Recently I read an article by NASA, now houseplants are not something you would typically associate with NASA, however, in the late ‘80s the US government agency joined forces with the Associated Contractors of America (ALCA), to determine the most effective indoor plants for removing toxic agents from the air. Here is a like to the study, led by Dr. B. C. Wolverton, who found that some plants were effective at filtering out the likes of benzene, ammonia and formaldehyde from the air, now this is not a fix it method, and I would still suggest to invest in a purifier and ensure that you are changing your HVAC filter every 6 months.
See plant list below 🙃
Snake Plant
Snake plants are a great addition to the home. They have been known to filter out chemicals, like benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene, so you can breathe easily having a snake plant in your home, especially in the bedroom.
Potho Plant
A Pothos plant is a great first start to your plant collection, especially those with a less experienced green thumb. The Potho’s like many on this list has been known to filter harmful chemicals like benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene from the air.
Dracaena Marginata Plant
If you are living in a place where temperature may be an issue, the Dracaena Marginata Plant is your best bet, it removes benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene.
Chinese Evergreen
The Chinese Evergreen known for tolerating low light, you can grow Chinese evergreen just about anywhere in your home.
Spider Plant
Vassilkioti adds that this plant is fun to have around because it grows "baby spiders" (spiderettes), which can be easily propagated. It's also a strong air purifier, removing both formaldehyde and xylene.
Boston Fern
The Boston Fern is a great addition to your air filter plant collection. Especially airborne pollutants — including formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene. The Boston fern, which includes the lemon button variety, also combats winter dryness by raising indoor humidity.
Bird’s Nest Fern
Much like the the Boston Ferns have been shown to filter formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene, so it's not a bad idea to put one in your bathroom. After all, that's where you're likely to use household toxins, like harsh cleaners, hairspray, and nail polish remover that often contain these chemicals.
Peace Lily
A Peace Lily is a great addition to your bedroom, it is known to produce oxygen at night. Besides producing oxygen, this plant also removes ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene.
Money Plant
Featured by NASA, the Money Plant is renowned for its ability to remove chemicals and other pollutants from the air, specifically benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene. However, despite the benefit of its high purification rate, this plant is toxic to cats, dogs, and small children if its leaves are ingested.
Aloe Vera is a household staple - Put your aloe vera plant in a bright, sunny spot and don't worry about keeping it alive. Remember for watering, the trick is to to it dry out before watering. Even if you don't use aloe vera for its healing properties, you can still reap all its air-purification benefits as it removes formaldehyde.
Please note: Several of these plants are known to be toxic to cats, dogs and other pets. If you are a pet owner, please do check the toxicity of plants before introducing them to your home.
