There are numerous health benefits to having houseplants! Houseplants reduce stress, increase happiness, and promote a sense of calm. In addition to benefitting our mental health, a study done by NASA states that plants can also clean the air in your home. Plants have ability to convert the carbon dioxide we breathe out into oxygen. They also have the ability to filter toxins such as benzene, formaldehyde and mold particles from the air, making our homes, and us,healthier.
Here are five of the top plants that clean the air:
Snake Plant — Also known as mother-in-law tongue, this plant is one of the easiest to care for. It prefers an area with low-to-medium light. It is sensitive to over watering, so allow the soil to dry out completely in between watering.
Pothos — This fast-growing, trailing plant also does well in low-to-medium light. It prefers to be a bit dry in between watering.
Dracaena — There are many varieties of this strappy leafed plant. Some prefer low light and others prefer bright indirect light, so you should be able to find one that suits the lighting needs of your home. Water when the top half of soil is dry using distilled or filtered water (the tips of their leaves are sensitive to minerals found in tap water).
Peace Lily — An easy to grow option, this plant is one of the few tropical plants that will flower indoors. It prefers to be placed in low-to-medium light, and should be watered when the surface of the soil is dry to the touch. The plant’s leaves will droop if you forget to water it.
Spider Plant — This is another plant that is easy to care for. It prefers medium-to-bright indirect light. Allow the surface of the soil to dry out in between watering. The mother plant will send off shoots (called “pups”), which can easily be propagated.
The more plants that you have, and the larger their leaves are, the more they do to clean the air in your home, so you shouldn’t feel bad about buying more than one. Visit our shop, and we would be happy to show you any of these plants, or make other recommendations for the right plant for your home.
Still looking for other suggestions? These plants also appeared as good air cleaners:
- Bird’s Nest Crispy Wave
- Aloe Vera
- Chinese Evergreen
- Palms
- Rubber Plant
- Umbrella Tree
And more!
(Post thanks to Laurie Welling)