It’s no secret that plants are excellent for your health. They’re green, the color that is known to invoke calm and-reduce stress.
Plants are beautiful, each species fascinating and unique, and will certainly lift your mood. They can also add interest and focal points to a room, breaking up neutral shades with a splash of color.
But the benefits don’t end there. The nature of plants means they are perfectly designed to work in sync with us, cleaning the air in our atmosphere.
A plant’s respiration process is the opposite of ours. We breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, whereas a plant absorbs carbon dioxide and, through photosynthesis, releases oxygen.
This purifies the air around us, making it cleaner and healthier. Some plants go one step further and absorb other nasty toxins from the environment.
While all plants do clean air and produce oxygen, some are particularly efficient at doing this job. So, if you’re searching for some purifying plants, here are 7 of the best plants to clean the air around you.
1. Bamboo Palm
The Bamboo palm is a slow-growing shrub that will bring a tropical touch to your home. Don’t confuse Bamboo Palm with the more commonly known type of grass, Bamboo; it is a different species altogether.
The Bamboo Palm is perfect for a pot and will sit well in the corner of a room. Because you can find Bamboo Palm amongst the thick rainforest foliage, the Bamboo Palm does not desire intense light, but it does need warm, humid conditions without any drafts.
The Bamboo Palm is great for cleaning the air you breathe, working its magic to produce oxygen, and removing carbon monoxide, chloroform, and other toxins.
2. Chrysanthemum
This flowering plant is small, contained, and adds a splash of color to any space. They’re exquisitely easy to care for and don’t require anything special above nutritionally rich soil and adequate drainage. It also loves a super sunny windowsill to soak up its rays.
Chrysanthemums also come in a range of colors, including purple, white, and yellow, so you’re bound to find one that works perfectly with your decor.
Make the most of them, though, as they’ll only bloom for eight weeks during the summer months; deadheading can slightly prolong this.
As well as oxygenating the air, Chrysanthemum is known to remove other toxins from a room, such as ammonia which causes eye and throat irritation.
3. Jade Plant
The Jade Plant is a fantastic small shrub. It has small green succulent leaves rich green.
Although it can reach heights of 6 feet tall, it only grows around 2 inches a year, so you don’t need to worry about it taking over. This plant is also known as the Money Tree and is a common indoor houseplant, despite its originating in South Africa.
This shrub does not require anything special to thrive; just make sure not to overwater it.
The Jade Plant is fantastic for absorbing carbon dioxide during the night and photosynthesizing – releasing oxygen – during the day. It is also excellently adept at removing compounds such as formaldehyde and acetone from your home.
4. Gerbera
The perfectly formed flowers of a Gerbera are a delight to look at. It’s a cheerful bloom, available in many colors, some subtle and some vivid, that stand out in a room, despite their small size.
These South African Daisies are desirable for their straightforward nature and ability to return once the blooms before have withered; deadhead, and within weeks a new flower will be on its way.
The Gerbera loves a sunny spot, it needs plenty of water, but it must have adequate drainage.
The Gerbera is excellent at removing toxins such as formaldehyde and benzene and works hard to keep the air clean. It’s an ideal choice of plant to keep near you for a settled night’s sleep.
5. Fiddle Leaf Fig
The Fiddle Leaf Fig is a popular plant. It’s no surprise, though, with its gorgeously glossy leaves and fascinating look. It‘s a fussier plant to grow, requiring the perfect light intensity, heat, water, and humidity to thrive, but you’ll know about it when you get it right.
It’s not uncommon for a Fiddle Leaf Fig to grow up to a foot a year. If your Fiddle Leaf Fig is happy in the corner of a room, make sure to rotate it often, and it will maintain even growth.
Because the Fiddle Leaf Fig has such huge leaves, it is excellent at oxygenating your space.
It may be a toxic plant for humans to consume, but it’s excellent for removing toxins, such as formaldehyde and xylene, which causes headaches and dizziness in mild cases.
6. Bird’s Nest Fern
The crimped, grass-green leaves of the Bird’s Nest Fern are fascinating. Their leaves look crumpled, but this is their appearance, and the more light your fern receives, the wavier the leaves will become.
Their unusual leaf design is perfect for catching water from the environment. A Bird’s Nest Fern will grow on another plant in the wild, usually a tree.
They are epiphytic plants and use the tree as support, taking everything they need from the environment. Your Bird’s Nest Fern will thrive if they have plenty of moisture and a consistent temperature.
Bird’s Nest Ferns are ideal bedroom plants because of their air-purifying qualities, helping to clean the environment for you to breathe easier.
7. Mother-In-Law’s Tongue
Mother-In-Law’s Tongue is thought to be one of the best plants to clean the air around you. This is because it continues to produce oxygen around the clock, even during the night.
Mother-In-Law’s Tongue, also known as a Snake Plant, is incredibly easy to grow; in fact, the only way you’re going to lower its chances of survival is if you continually overwater it, causing the roots to rot.
It’s simple to propagate and adds the perfect shades of calming green to any space. It will also tolerate most light and heat levels and won’t mind too much if you forget to water it.
