Purify Your Air Naturally With These Indoor Plants

Purify Your Air Naturally With These Popular Indoor Plants

We can all agree that indoor plants can improve your focus and lower stress levels. But there are some species of indoor plants with air-filtering properties and an aesthetic appeal. Since most people spend up to 90 percent of their time in closed spaces, there’s a need for indoor air quality.

One of the artificial ways to remove pollutants from indoor air is using an air purifier. While this method is effective, it’s quite expensive and has a higher carbon footprint than houseplants.

Volatile organic compounds in-home products like carpet and paint can pose serious health problems. They contain chemicals that are toxic to the respiratory system. Luckily, you can use indoor plants to return your indoor air to its natural state.

Finding an ideal indoor plant to purify the air in your home can be a bit challenging. In this guide, we’ll discuss the ten most popular indoor plants and their care instructions:

1. Areca Palm

Regarded as a natural cooler, Areca Palm can remove toluene and xylene from the air. Its ability goes beyond filtering the air by adding moisture to the surroundings. You can count on this houseplant to absorb pollutants and supply you with clean air.

Areca palm is used in folk science to attract good luck and add a tropical feel to living spaces. It emits more oxygen, improves air humidity, and is safe for pets. Though you can mount this indoor plant on any surface of your house, it looks great in living rooms.

2. Money Plant

Thanks to its affinity to toxic gasses, the Money plant is a brilliant air-purifying plant. Unlike other indoor plants, it produces oxygen at night instead of carbon dioxide.

Money plant is among the NASA-approved houseplants known for removing pollutants from the air. However, it’s toxic to small children, dogs, or cats who may ingest its leaves. Depending on your decor tastes, you can grow the plant indoors or outdoors.

Place this plant in areas with direct sunlight for optimum growth. It also grows well in a partially shady and sunny room with no defects. Any impact with a high amount of sunlight may burn the leaves.

Though the plant can grow in low-light settings, exposing it to bright sunlight will speed its growth. Water it frequently to prevent the tips from turning brown.

3. The Chinese Evergreen

Aglaonema, popularly known as the Chinese Evergreen, is an ornamental plant grown for its luck-bringing benefits in Asia. It can clean out benzene and formaldehyde from the air as an air purifier to improve indoor air quality.

The Chinese Evergreen emits a lot of oxygen needed for respiratory function. Count on it to enrich your well-being and increase productivity in your working or living spaces. Though it pairs well with living rooms, you can also place it in your kitchen or verandas.

The plant thrives in medium to low-light settings and can tolerate harsh weather conditions. Place it in an area with indirect sunlight and warm temperatures for its survival. Also, water the plant once every two weeks during winter and every 7 to 10 days during summer to keep the leaves healthy.

4. Aloe Vera

Originally known for its healing properties, aloe vera is a versatile houseplant. The plant emits lots of oxygen at night while absorbing carbon dioxide from the air. As a result, it purifies the air and can improve your night’s sleep.

The plant can thrive in an area with bright sunshine and requires less frequent watering. You can count on it to suck pollutants like benzene and formaldehyde found in detergents and paints.

When growing aloe vera as a houseplant, water the soil only when moderately dry. You should also maintain warm temperatures ranging from 20 to 30 degrees Celsius. Keep the humidity levels low (5 to 24 percent) and plant it away from kids or pets.

5. Snake Plant

Popularly known as the Mother-in-law’s Tongue, the snake plant produces a lot of oxygen at night. It can also purify the air by removing pollutants like toluene and benzene.

Snake plants are native to Africa and Asia and can be identified by their sword-shaped evergreen leaves. Their leaves grow upright and pair well with home decor. Though they are relatively safe, the leaves contain a poison that can cause numbness and swelling when consumed in large doses.

Plant 6 to 8 snake plants for every person in your household. They are an excellent choice for low-maintenance, elegant air-purifying plants.
Snake plants grow well indoors when the temperatures range from 18 to 23 degrees celsius. They also thrive in areas with low humidity (ranging from 25 to 49 percent).

6. The Gerbera Daisy

Gerbera Daisy is among the prettiest indoor plants that double up as natural air purifiers. Besides using it as a decorative element in your garden, you can place it in your house since it produces lots of oxygen at night. Count on this plant to eliminate pollutants like benzene from the air.

The plant works well for those with breathing disorders or sleep apnea. Depending on your decorating preferences, you can place it in your bedroom or living room.

Choose sandy soil for your potting soil when growing this plant for it to thrive. Adding a little compost to the plant will boost flower growth. When growing Gerbera Daisy from seeds, use a well-draining pot mix for the seeds to germinate well.

7. Spider Plant

If you are new to houseplants, consider getting the spider plant for its air-purifying capabilities. The plant can eliminate toxic gasses like xylene and carbon monoxide from the air. It’s also safe for pets and kids and works well as a hanging plant.

Grow your spider plant in a bright to moderate lit room with comfortable temperatures. You should also keep the potting soil slightly moist by watering it once a week. Be sure to allow the potting mix to dry before the watering sessions.

Spider plants can grow indoors with average humidity levels (ranging from 25 to 49 percent). You can place them in your living room or bedroom for their air purification benefits.

8. Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemums rank highly in natural air purification since they are proven to eliminate ammonia from the air. Count on them to remove airborne pollutants from the air and add a natural feel to your living spaces.

The plant thrives in well-draining soil watered consistently to keep the flowers lively. Use organic soils and work them to a depth of up to 12 inches for the roots to develop.

The roots may fail to grow further when you leave the soil dry for a long time. Even more, excessive watering may drown the roots and affect the plant’s growth.

When buying a potted chrysanthemum, carefully look at the ripeness and vibrance of the flowers. You should also check whether the leaves are colourful to prove that the entire plant is healthy.

If the plant has defective or damaged leaves, it was probably poorly shipped or stored in unfavourable conditions. Yellow leaves and wilted flowers may suggest that the indoor plant passed its peak. When buying it, the chrysanthemum shouldn’t have any leaf miner damage or rust.

9. Weeping Fig

The weeping fig is one of the oldest, popular indoor plants dating from Victorian times. It helps tackle traces of pollutants like toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde in the air. Weeping figs pair well with living spaces and can complement your decor.

Grow the plant in bright but indirect light away from a shade to improve indoor air quality. A well-lit corner of your balcony or living room can be an ideal spot for the weeping fig.

Since weeping figs are quite picky about their growing conditions, expect them to shed leaves if the conditions are unfavourable. Maintain indoor temperatures of up to 16 degrees Celsius for the plant to survive. The leaves may drop when you move the plant around, water it incorrectly and expose it to draught.

10. Broad Lady Palm

As an air-purifying plant, the broad lady palm can suck ammonia from the air to keep you from developing respiratory complications. Though the plant is quite costly in its full-grown size, it’s worth every penny. You can get a smaller one or sow it from the seed to cut the buying costs.

Broad lady palms do well in indoor spaces like your living room or the bathroom entrance. If you place it around the bathroom, go easy with the water to avoid drowning the roots. The plant grows well in spaces with high humidity.

Shop Popular Indoor Plants Today

With the suggestions given above for air-purifying plants, it’s now time to shop for popular indoor plants. Look at their growing conditions and care requirements before adding them to your collection of indoor plants.

Count on Bloomspace for houseplants that will elevate your living spaces and improve your home’s indoor air quality. Our selection of indoor plants comes in all sizes and can adapt to different environmental conditions.