Plants that Purify
Plants have a measurable beneficial effect on people: by growing plants, we can relieve stress, create calming living environments, improve physical and mental well-being, purify the air and add a decorative and (sometimes) edible element to our spaces.
Collection of the Four Best Clean Air Plants for Your Home
Start your own indoor air pollution brigade with this Collection of the 4 best clean air plants for your home, from Amazon.com.
Houseplants that Improve Indoor Air Quality
In the 1980s, NASA discovered that houseplants could remove volative organic chemicals (VOCs) from sealed chambers designed to achieve maximum air and energy insulation. NASA tested the ability of plants to remove VOCs from the air and therefore eliminate the ‘sick building syndrome’ symptoms experienced by those entering the sealed biohome; see a related study here on the effects of indoor plants on airborne microbial levels and humidity in energy-efficient homes [pdf]. The studies were a success: 12 common houseplants removed formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene, among other airborne toxins, and proved that plants are integral components to maintaining healthy air inside sealed buildings (interior plantscapers and houseplant growers everywhere rejoiced.).
Top 50 Houseplants [Listed in Order of the Plant’s Ability to Remove Formaldehyde (toxic gas) from the Environment]:
Boston fern
Florist’s mum
Gerbera daisy
Dwarf date palm
Janet Craig
Bamboo Palm
Kimberley queen fern
Rubber plant
English ivy
Weeping fig
Peace lily
Areca palm
Corn plant
Lady palm
Schefflera
Dragon tree
Warneckei
Lily turf
Dendrobium orchid
Dumb cane (Exotica)
Tulip
Ficus alii
King of hearts
Parlor palm
Azalea
Chinese evergreen
Spider plant
Banana
Red emerald philodendron
Dumb cane (Camilla)
Elephant ear philodendron
Golden pothos
Norfolk Island pine
Wax begonia
Prayer plant
Oak leaf ivy
Christmas cactus
Lacy tree philodendron
Arrowhead vine
Heart-leaf philodendron
Lady Jane
Peacock plant
Poinsettia
Cyclamen
Moth orchid
Urn plant
Croton
Snake plant
Aloe vera
Kalanchoe