Do you know the top houseplants for clean air? While you’re adding plants to your landscaping outside, why not add these plants to the inside of your home? NASA tested some plants to see if they could remove toxins from the air—and many could. You can use them to boost your air quality and target specific toxins you’re concerned about.
About the Study
A pioneering study conducted by NASA revealed that certain indoor plants are highly effective at purifying the air by removing harmful toxins. This research, known as the Clean Air Study, identified plants such as the peace lily, snake plant, and spider plant as particularly adept at filtering out common indoor pollutants like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. The study emphasized the potential of these plants to improve indoor air quality, contributing to healthier living and working environments
The Top House Plants for Clean Air
- Peace Lily: The peace lily is effective at removing indoor air pollutants like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. It prefers low to medium light and needs watering when the soil feels dry to the touch.
- Snake Plant: The snake plant filters out formaldehyde, xylene, toluene, and nitrogen oxides. It thrives in various light conditions and requires minimal watering, making it an ideal low-maintenance plant.
- Spider Plant: The spider plant is known for removing formaldehyde and xylene from the air. It prefers bright, indirect light and should be watered when the top inch of soil is dry.
Additional Air-Filtering Plants
- English Ivy: This is one of the best plants for air purification because it removes every toxin NASA tested for, including benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and ammonia. It’s also a very easy plant to grow, whether in a hanging basket or against a climbing wall. Unfortunately, the leaves are toxic, so they may be a danger to pets or young children.
- Gerbera Daisy: Few plants will bloom so spectacularly indoors as the gerbera daisy. You can pick up this beauty in a swathe of colours. In your home, it will absorb formaldehyde, a common addition to household fabrics.
- Aloe Vera: A staple houseplant in arid areas, this desert plant can take some neglect, so those without gardening experience may want to start here. It absorbs two toxins, benzene and formaldehyde. Many also use its juice to soothe burns or as a general skin salve. Not only is this plant very useful, it’s quite beautiful, too.
The Best House Plants for Oxygen Production
If you’ve asked yourself which plants produce the most oxygen, the answer is that it depends. Plants will produce more oxygen when they’re larger, so simply filling your home with lots of large plants that are easy to grow could give your home more oxygen than investing in one high-producing plant.
Here are some large houseplants that produce a lot of oxygen:
- Rubber plant: This plant is very low maintenance and gets quite tall, so placing it in a room with high ceilings is a good idea. That, or you’ll have to trim it. While it produces a lot of oxygen it also can kill bacteria and mold in the air, part of its defense mechanism for survival in the jungle.
- Bamboo palm: The bamboo palm can grow up to six feet tall, so it’ll fit under a normal ceiling. Not only will it produce oxygen, it will also absorb two household air toxins, xylene and chloroform. The bamboo palm is among the top indoor plants for air purification because it offers something other plants don’t—humidification. The palm releases moisture through its leaves and can keep your home more comfortable through a dry winter.
Help Out Your Plants With A Certified Indoor Air Purifier
If you add any of these top houseplants for clean air into your home, you can significantly boost your air quality. However, if you find you need a bit more help, you can always invest in an air purifier or humidifier from Advantage Airtech ClimateCare.
