We have studied in school that plants breathe in carbon dioxide1 and exhale out oxygen, and they also help to clean chemicals and other pollutants in the air, thus providing us with fresh and clean air to breathe. Apart from being a natural air purifier2, they also work as beautiful additions to your house decor. Here are few plants that you can keep in your house for a healthy and beautiful environment.
1. Aloe vera
This plant grows best in sunlight, and because it is succulent, you don’t have to worry about watering it frequently. We also know how good aloe vera is for the skin and hair. It is also used for healing wounds and possess antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. This plant can clean the chemicals in our house, and when the amount of chemicals in the air increases excessively, the plant will show brown spots. It mainly removes formaldehyde3 from the environment.
2. English Ivy
NASA claimed it as the best air-filtering houseplant. This plant is grown at moderate temperature, and it can be used as a hanging or a floor plant or as a topiary. It trails down your furniture and gives them a pretty touch. This climbing vine is available in many colours and shapes.
3. Peace Lily
Peace Lily is an incredibly beautiful plant to grow and is the only air-filtering plant that flowers. It usually produces one large creamy flower that lasts for weeks. It removes spores from the environment along with certain other chemicals. This plant should not be grown if you have cats at home as it is toxic to feline pets. For better results, wash the leaves frequently to remove insects.
4. Snake plant
The plant is used as an ingredient in many cleaning and personal hygiene products. It requires low light conditions and helps keep the air clean. It can also be kept in the bathroom as they thrive in steam and do not need much sunlight.
5.Spider plant
Spider plants are decorative and can be easily grown at home. It is a beautiful plant with striped leaves and does require much care to grow. It grows flowers which eventually grow into baby spider plants or spider ties. It is one of the easiest household plants4 to grow and removes xylene, which is used as a solvent in leather.
6. Weeping Fig
This household plant is commonly called ficus, and it grows from 2-10 feet tall. The plant requires a lot of care in the early stages, and you must ensure that it gets the right amount of water and sunlight. Once it grows, it will thrive for years. It is used to clear the chemicals and toxins of the environment.
7. Bamboo palm
According to NASA, it has a filtering score of 8.4. It does an excellent job at removing formaldehyde and other toxins from the air; this plant can be grown anywhere as it does not become enormous. It is usually placed near furniture to purify the air and works great as an indoor decor. However, keep in mind that bamboo often requires regular watering and sunlight.
Before buying expensive furniture and decor items for your house, buy these plants which will decorate your house in the prettiest way possible. Also without much care required, they work to keep you healthy.
- Schmalensee, Richard, Thomas M. Stoker, and Ruth A. Judson. “World carbon dioxide emissions: 1950–2050.” Review of Economics and Statistics 80.1 (1998): 15-27. ↩︎
- Madiraju, Saisantosh Vamshi Harsha, P. V. G. Raghunadh, and K. Ravi Kumar. “Prototype of eco-friendly indoor air purifier to reduce concentrations of CO2, SO2 and NO2.” Nat. Environ. Pollut. Technol. An Int. Q. Sci. J 19.2 (2020): 747-753. ↩︎
- Salthammer, Tunga, Sibel Mentese, and Rainer Marutzky. “Formaldehyde in the indoor environment.” Chemical reviews 110.4 (2010): 2536-2572. ↩︎
- Der Marderosian, Ara H., Fredrick B. Giller, and Frank C. Roia Jr. “Phytochemical and toxicological screening of household ornamental plants potentially toxic to humans. I.” Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A Current Issues 1.6 (1976): 939-953. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi