Poor indoor air quality can lead to a variety of health problems including headaches, allergies, and respiratory issues. Fortunately, there are several beautiful houseplants available at your local nursery that can help purify the air in your home. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best houseplants for improving indoor air quality, including some super basic care instructions, water requirements, and pet-friendly options. Let’s get started!
#1 – Spider Plant
Perhaps the most popular option, the unique looking Spider Plant is ideal for beginners or new plant owners. It is super resilient, so it won’t die straight away if you forget to water it. It has very pretty long, narrow leaves (hence the name) and sometimes produces small, white flowers.
The coolest part about these plants is that it actually grows baby versions of the plants as it trails down. You can easily trim these off and plant them in some soil to propagate yourself ever more plant friends.
Benefits: The spider plant is effective at removing formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from the air.
Care Instructions: Spider plants prefer bright, indirect light and should be watered when the top inch of soil is dry.
Pet Safety: Spider plants are non-toxic to cats and dogs.
#2 – Peace Lily
The peace lily is a beautiful plant with glossy, dark green leaves and white flowers. It is also one of the most dramatic plants you can find. What do I mean by dramatic? When these folks need water, they tend to wilt to the point where they look dead. The good news is, once you give them a good soak they perk right back up again like nothing happened. They are the comeback champs of the plant world.
Benefits: The peace lily is effective at removing formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene from the air.
Care Instructions: Peace lilies prefer low to medium light and should be watered when the soil is dry to the touch. They can also benefit from occasional misting to increase humidity.
Pet Safety: Peace lilies are toxic to cats and dogs if ingested, so it’s important to keep them out of reach.
#3 – Rubber Plant
No, it’s not actually rubber. The rubber plant, also known as a Ficus, is a large, sturdy plant with shiny, thick, leaves. They come in different shades of green, burgundy, and even pink. These plants are natural humidifiers and are even recommended by NASA as natural air purifiers. These will thrive if you put them in a bright spot, near a window, and can grow super tall.
Benefits: The rubber plant is effective at removing formaldehyde from the air.
Care Instructions: Rubber plants prefer bright, indirect light and should be watered when the top inch of soil is dry.
Pet Safety: Rubber plants are toxic to cats and dogs if ingested, so it’s important to keep them out of reach.
#4 – Dracaena
Dracaenas have my heart, and not just because they sound like a member of the Targaryen family (#TeamBlack). These plants come in a variety of interesting shapes, sizes, and colors, and are super popular, making them readily available at every nursery, garden center, and even IKEA. They are leafy plants with long, narrow leaves and often grow quite tall, albeit slowly.
Benefits: The dracaena is effective at removing benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene from the air.
Care Instructions: Dracaenas prefer bright, indirect light and should be watered sparingly, when the pot is light and the top few inches of the soil are dry. These plants originally hail from Africa and are accustomed to dry climates so they require little effort when it comes to water.
Pet Safety: Dracaenas are toxic to cats and dogs if ingested, so it’s important to keep them out of reach.
#5 – Snake Plant
Also known as the mother-in-law plant, but entirely unlikely to cause you any distress, this plant is one of the best beginner plants you’ll find. These are a part of the succulent family and store water in their leaves as well as little root bulbs under the soil, so you’ll only have to care about these plants every few weeks. They’re basically fake, and they thrive on neglect so they’re a great option if you travel a lot or are forgetful.
Benefits: It is one of the best plants for filtering the air of formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, toluene, and trichloroethylene.
Care Instructions: Leave it alone until it is bone-dry, give it a good soak, and repeat!
Pet safety: These are also toxic to pets if ingested, so please keep them out of reach.
Adding these houseplants to your home can help improve indoor air quality and make it a healthier and more pleasant place to live. Plus, who doesn’t love a little nature in their home? Bring some life to your space!
