It is claimed that our homes have three to five times more pollutants than the outdoors. NASA had suggested the list of various plants which can sanitize or purify the air inside of your house. Here in this article we have listed few plants along with their specialties and their usage. 

Introduction

During 1980 AD, The National Aeronautics Space Administration commonly known as NASA identified different sources that caused air to pollute inside our home. For a person’s well being, a healthy home environment is vital and very important. There are different harmful substances inside rooms of our house like xylene (in paint and lacquers), benzene (in furniture wax and insect sprays), formaldehyde (in upholstery and air fresheners) and trichloroethylene (in cleaners and adhesives) which can cause headache, allergies like breathing troubles and sore throats and different serious problems. NASA Clean Air Study identified different characteristics of different plants having abilities to purify the air inside our home. NASA revealed that some common house plants have air-purifying superpowers and can be kept at home to purify air naturally.

Causes of indoor air pollution.

• Carpets
• Paint
• Furnishings
• Building Materials
• Air fresheners
• Cleaning products
• Exterior pollutions
• Mold

Health effects of Indoor Air Pollution

• Coughing
• Watery eyes
• Sneezing
• Headaches and Fever
• Respiratory problems
• Dizziness and Fatigue
• Hearing Loss
• Nausea and Vomiting

Benefits of growing air-purifying plants in your house

• These plants can lower human brain stress.
• They boost human attention capacity
• Purifying plants can help people with preventing coughing and congestion.
• Purifying plants reduces irritation to eyes, ears, nose and throat.
• These plants can reduce levels of CO2 and increase relative humidity.
• Purify indoor air by absorbing toxins, and producing oxygen.
• Dizziness and Fatigue
• Hearing Loss
• Nausea and Vomiting

Top 10 air purifying plants to grow at your house

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Clean_Air_Study

Peace lily

Peace lily is one of the most popular indoor plants to plant inside a house or an office.   Their leaves are dark green, flowers are white and they are attractive to look at whilst also being good at purifying the surrounding air. They are responsible for filtering xylene, toluene from your surrounding area.

Peace lily doesn’t need neither much light nor water, frequent watering can be stressing for the plant. They need well-drained soil to grow properly. These plants are easier to maintain and care as pests and diseases aren’t much of a nuisance.

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum is another plant that NASA has suggested in the list. These plants are also commonly known as Mums or Chrysanths. There are many cultivars, however, mums with golden flowers are the most common ones.

Mums need as much sunlight as possible, so make sure to plant them in fully sunlit areas of the house. Any type of soil known for growing vegetables is suitable for planting. They don’t need much watering. They remove benzene, xylene and several other polluting elements. If planted outdoor they can withstand very harsh winters too. 

English Ivy

English Ivy are greenish-white/yellow vine plants i.e. they need a standing structure to hold onto. This plant can grow inside a room with artificial light, it doesn’t need much light compared to the other ones. They can be planted easily in a container or well-drained soil or can be planted outdoor.

They don’t need much watering and can easily be propagated by branch cuttings too.  They can effectively remove benzene, xylene, toluene, and formaldehyde from the surrounding air.

Snake Plant

Snake plants are considered to have the ability to withstand adverse harsh conditions compared to other indoor plants. Their leaves are dark green, stand long and look like a snake’s body. They remove formaldehyde and benzene like toxins inside your home. These plants also don’t need much watering and keep it as dry as possible between watering schedules. Fertilizers can be used but not a must.

These plants can be propagated and multiplied by the leaf cuttings or the baby plants separation.

Spider Plant

Chlorophytum comosum commonly known as Spider plants are one of the air purifying plants which are easiest to grow as well as maintain. Beginners or forgetful owners can choose this plant to purify their indoor air. Spider plants can thrive in a wide range of conditions. They are found to be growing best at temperatures between 18 – 32 degrees Celsius.

This plant removes impurities like carbon monoxide and formaldehyde from the air. It is also claimed that it can remove 95% of formaldehyde from a closed chamber in 24 hours. Spider plants can get harmed by high fluorine or boron levels.

From a single spider plants one can have numbers of spider plants in few period of time. They grow baby plants from a branch like outlet and the new growths starts form there. In 2-3 years you can have as many number of plants as possible form a single plant.

Bamboo Palm

Chamaedorea commonly known as Bamboo palm is a small palm that can grow up to a limit of 0.6 to 6 meters. Bamboo Palms grows in a nice amount of light away from cold drafts. They can bring a lot of green to your home, but they’re slow-growing. 

Bamboo Palm removes benzene and formaldehyde. It also keeps the air moist thus making it a great plant for winter. The plant needs care, it should not be placed in direct sunlight and regular misting should be done.

Boston Fern

Nephrolepis exaltata commonly known as Boston Fern is a plant originating from tropical regions. These plants are common in humid as well as swamp areas. Boston Fern plant can grow as high as 1.5 meters. They are found to thrive in low light places. Generally, These plants are ideal for human being’s bathrooms, the moisture of the bathroom will hydrate the Boston Fern very well. 

Boston Fern helps to remove the xylene, Toluene, and formaldehyde from the air. It is non-toxic due to which it can be termed as safe for both humans and pets.

Money Plant

It is probably one of the most common pot plants found around the world. They grow incredibly well in the indoor room conditions and temperatures. They are also known as Epipremnum aureum  is its biological name. The plant keeps its color even when it’s put in a dark place without any light. As always, this plant doesn’t need much watering and incredibly easy to maintain as well. They remove harmful toxins from the air such toluene, which is a common element found in indoor paints.

These plants also can be easily multiplied by the branch cuttings in water or in soil. These plants rich green color and the shiny texture make everybody feel fresh and energetic. Its is definitely a wonderful plant of good benefits.

Zanzibar Plant

Zamioculcas or commonly known to people as Zanzibar Gem or ZZ plant is one of the most attractive plants to look at that you can grow inside your house. It can grow under low light conditions (shade or artificial light) and doesn’t need much watering as well. ZZ plants much like other plants are easier to maintain and care. Their leaves are dark green, smooth, waxy and compared to other plants, they don’t grow big, tall that quick. They can grow in well-drained soil or aren’t that hard to plant in a container. Zanzibar gems are as tolerant to pests and diseases as Peace lilies are. They are effective for removing benzene, toluene and other toxins from the air.

ZZ plants can also be propagated by the stem cutting in water or in soil. These plants rich green color make us feel refreshed.

Conclusion

The plants give a feeling of peace, refreshment and energy in the body. It is strongly recommend to have these plants at home. These plants are not only for decorations purpose but they will also clean the air inside home which is of outmost importance for maintaining good health and well being of you as well as your family member.

So what are your views on these plants? Please share your comment below and if you have any good information let us know we will be more than happy to know it.