The Top Easy-To-Grow Air Purifying Houseplants
At a glance, here are my picks for the easiest-go-grown plants that provide air purification in your home:
Aloe
English Ivey
Snake plant
Spider plant
Peace lily
Boston fern
Jade plant
Rubber plant
Cactus
Dracaena
Succulents
I’m a big fan of indoor plants - they add life to a space, they increase oxygen levels in your home and they remove harmful chemicals and toxins. They're also very grounding and calming, inherently connecting us daily to the Source. Bringing Mother Nature inside is good for our minds, bodies and souls.
Indoor air is 2-5 times as contaminated as outdoor air. Substances such as chemical-based cleaners, air fresheners, and detergents can pollute indoor air and contribute to poor health over the long term. Plants, however, will naturally absorb carbon dioxide and harmful toxins and then release oxygen, making your home healthier.
But for those with more of a brown thumb than a green one, plants can be intimidating. So here's a list of indoor plants that are both easy to grow and great at cleaning the air in your home. They'll simplify your life and help in creating a healthy, natural home.
1. Aloe
This is a plant for every home - it cleans the air and heals your wounds. It loves a sunny spot and prefers dry soil, so it's also very easy to keep.
2. English Ivy
Ivy is a great formaldehyde remover (which is often in our wood glue and carpets), and it's lovely trailing down from a high spot or climbing up from a low one. English ivy enjoys moist soil and cooler room temperatures, and thrives in low light.
3. Snake Plant
This is a super-easy indoor plant that's good at filtering out formaldehyde. Its leaves grow upright for a crisp, clean look, and grows well in a variety of lighting conditions, including low light. The soil should stay somewhat dry, so it's fine even with a missed watering or two.
4. Spider Plant
If you’re looking to add visual interest to a room, then look no further than the spider plant. They're super easy to maintain and make great hanging plants. They also remove airborne formaldehyde and benzene molecules. Keep them in moist soil and bright or medium lighting near or in a window.
5. Peace Lily
Peace lilies are easy to maintain, smell refreshing, and bloom for a good chunk of the summer. They rid the air of the VOC benzene, a carcinogen found in paints, furniture wax, and polishes. It also sucks up acetone, which is emitted by electronics, adhesives, and certain cleaners. Peace lilies enjoy moist soil and the best shady spot you’ve got to offer. Warning - they are poisonous to pets.
6. Boston Fern
I love Boston Ferns and find them easy to grow as long as I keep them well watered - usually daily. I move them from outside on a porch in Summer to inside near a window for Winter. Some people do find them finicky, however. But Boston Ferns remove more formaldehyde than any other plant and are highly efficient at removing other indoor air pollutants such as benzene and xylene—components of gasoline exhaust that can migrate indoors if you have an attached garage.
7. Jade Plant
Jade leaves have a lush shine to them and are super-easy to maintain. They're also said to bring good luck! They prefer full sun and good watering. Let the surface soil dry out in between watering but don't let them get completely dry. My jade plant has been with me for years without much maintenance at all.
8. Rubber Plant
This unique beauty is one of the easiest plants to keep. It does well in low light, cooler temperatures and low humidity. It's excellent at moving indoor toxins, including formaldehyde.
9. Cactus
The ultimate low-care plant is the cactus! It loves to bathe in the sun and requires very little water. Cacti, including the colourful Christmas Cactus, are great at purifying indoor air.
10. Dracaena
The Dracaena is known for its carefree nature. It can grow very tall, but you can keep it small in a small container (I've had mine for years). It tolerates low light and low humidity and it will forgive the occasional missed watering. This plant will take care of gases released by xylene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde, which can be introduced by lacquers, varnishes, and sealers.
11. Succulents & Air Plants
There are many types of succulents and they’re great for those with a brown thumb. They come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colours, and look wonderful grouped together in a collection. You can move them outside in the summer and indoors again for the winter season.
Air plants need no soil or water at all. Just dunk them into a cool water bath for about an hour once every couple of weeks and then let them dry. Good to go!
