Benefits of Air Purifying Plants

Poor air quality at home is one of the main causes of leading respiratory health problems like asthma and respiratory allergies. To help solve these problems, there are air purifying plants that can help restore and maintain indoor air quality.

What are the health benefits of air purifying plants?

According to the NASA Clean Air Study, indoor landscape plants can help detoxify indoor air by reducing airborne contaminants such as cigarette smoke, dust, germs, and certain chemicals.

Aside from converting carbon dioxide into oxygen, air-purifying plants, houseplants, or plants, in general, offer a lot of benefits. Here are some of them:

• Plants detoxify the air, which help lessen the occurrence of some allergic symptoms like itching, runny nose, eye irritation, and difficulty in breathing.
• Constantly seeing plants can make you feel more relaxed and calm, thus reducing stress and anxiety. The calming effects of plants can also improve concentration and memory.
• Having certain air purifying plants at home helps minimize the harmful effects of volatile organic compounds (VOC) that come from the products used to build and maintain a house. Long-term effects of VOCs include chronic headaches, nausea, irritation, damage to the kidney and central nervous system, as well as certain types of cancer.
• Air purifying plants can also improve your quality of sleep since they help clarify the air you breathe while you sleep.
• Being around plants helps the recovery of people suffering from depression, trauma, and dementia.

Air-purifying indoor plants you need in your home

Taking care of plants can be quite difficult, especially if you don’t have a green thumb. However, doing your research on plants will help you take care of them even if you are just a newbie.

Here are 5 air purifying plants indoor plants you need to have in your home:

Spider plant

Spider plant is the best houseplant for people who are just starting with indoor planting. It is one of the easiest air purifying indoor plants to maintain since they just need well-drained soil and bright, indirect sunlight to flourish.

Spider plants effectively purify the air by removing certain air pollutants like carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, Xylene, and toluene. It is a non-toxic plant that is safe around children and pets and is also edible.

Dragon tree

Dragon tree is one of the most effective air purifying indoor plants as it gets rid of formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, and trichloroethylene. This plant thrives in humid spaces, ideally in the kitchen or bathroom.

For maintenance, dragon trees must be placed under bright, indirect sunlight, and only need watering when the topsoil becomes completely dry. Dragon trees contain saponins that are toxic to pets such as dogs and cats when ingested.

Gerbera daisies

Gerbera daisy is a lovely, bright-colored flowering plant that purifies the air. It effectively removes most airborne pollutants like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene in just 24 hours. You can place this plant in your bedroom, laundry room, or living room where there is direct sunlight.

Thoroughly water the gerbera daisy once a week. Water it every morning so the soil can dry out throughout the day. Then trim the plant after a flower starts to wilt to make space for a new bloom. Gerbera daisies are non-toxic, thus completely safe for children and are advisable for fur parents.

English ivy

English ivy is one of the popular plants included in NASA’s Clean Air Study. It has been proven to be an effective filter of air contaminants at home. Besides removing benzene from the air, one of the known benefits of English ivy is its medicinal properties.

English ivy was used in ancient Greek to prevent intoxication and swelling, as well as an anesthetic. Today, English ivy is used to help restore lung function in people with asthma, bronchitis, and other conditions.

Although it is safe for humans, English ivy is toxic to house pets when eaten as it contains triterpenoid saponin.

Philodendron

Philodendron is a tropical plant known for its purification qualities that promote cleaner indoor air. It purifies the air by getting rid of formaldehyde that comes from certain household products, cigarette smoke, and fuel-burning appliances.

Philodendron is an adaptable plant and is easy to take care of. Place the philodendron plant near a window with bright, indirect sunlight where sun rays do not directly touch its leaves.

You can grow a philodendron in water and soil. When watering a soil-grown philodendron you must wait once half of the soil is dry. Feeding the plant with fertilizers that contain macronutrients will help with the plant’s growth.

Philodendron is mildly toxic to house pets and children as it can cause irritation and swelling when ingested.

Key Takeaways

Air purifying plants plays an important role in maintaining indoor air quality. The benefits of air-purifying plants do not only revolve around their filtering abilities but also their qualities that help boost mental health.

Learn more about Stress Management here.