Since we spend over 80% of our time indoors, it is vital to ensure that the air we breathe is healthy. One effective and natural way of ensuring that is by using plants since they do a great job of eliminating toxins and pollutants from the atmosphere. The following covers some of the best plants for improving your indoor air quality.
Spider Plant
If you are looking for an easy-to-grow indoor plant for air purification purposes, then you should go for chlorophytum comosum, or a spider plant. This evergreen tropical perennial is native to Africa and great for beginners since it does not require much sunlight to grow. It fairs well in indirect light and needs minimal care to thrive.
By far, a spider plant is one of the best plants for promoting healthy air. It effectively gets rid of pollutants and toxic gases in internal spaces. Besides, it makes for a good decorative piece in your house, especially when it flowers.
All you need to do is place it in a well-lit or fairly lit room with favorable temperatures. You will also have to water it once a week and regularly add some fertilizer to the soil. If you maintain the optimum conditions for the spider plant, it can live for up to 50 years!
Garden Mum
Do you want an inexpensive plant that will promote healthy air in your home? Then chrysanthemum, or the garden mum, is a great option for you. This hardy perennial and herbaceous plant does well in interior conditions with not more than 10 hours of sunlight. However, it will also require some warm, moist soil, especially during the first few weeks. The garden mum has a lifespan of three to five years.
They grow quite fast, and you should expect them to start blooming within three to four months after planting them; they typically bloom in September or October. During summer, they fade away to a point where you might think they are dead, but they revive back during the cooler months.
The plant is great at improving the air quality in a house. It gets rid of pollutants and other molecules in the atmosphere, helping to purify the air in internal spaces. You can also use it for decorating your home or commercial area.
Weeping Fig
The weeping fig, better known as ficus, is a small tree plant originating from Southeast Asia. It does well indoors, growing up to a height of 10 feet. The plant requires minimal maintenance since some indirect sunlight and warm soils are enough to get started. However, you will have to repot it annually because it grows fast, and the roots might crack the container.
Weeping fig trees do a pretty good job of promoting healthy air in interior spaces. They absorb toxins and other pollutants from the air, ensuring that you and your family are free from respiratory infections. It is also a great decorative plant and commonly used for indoor decorating, especially due to its evergreen nature. However, it is important to be cautious around the plant since it is toxic to pets if ingested.
Dracaena
Dracaena is another great indoor plant for improving healthy air in interior spaces. Since there are over 40 distinct types of this plant, you will not have a hard time finding some for your home or office. However, like weeping fig plants, consumption of dracaena is harmful to dogs and cats. Therefore, it should be placed in areas where your pet cannot come into contact with it.
Dracaenas are very effective air purifiers and do a great job clearing pollutants and toxins from the atmosphere. As a result, they will improve your indoor air quality, safeguarding you and your family from the effects of bad air.
A typical dracaena plant reaches approximately 3 feet when mature. Therefore, you will have to get a big container capable of holding the roots. However, the plant does not require a lot of care. It does well with plenty of indirect sunlight and some warm soil. It would be best if you also misted it regularly as opposed to watering it.
Peace Lily
If you do not have a big space to keep your air-purifying indoor plants, then a peace lily is the best option for you. This plant is small and ideal for people who spend a lot of time in smaller spaces. It does not need a lot of maintenance since some indirect sunlight, shade, and moist soil are enough to grow the plant.
Peace lilies bloom during the summer. They make for great decoration and offer many air-purifying qualities. Studies have shown that they are able to break down toxic gases like benzene and carbon monoxide. They also give off a lot of moisture in the air. Like other plants on this list, though, peace lilies can be toxic to pets, and even humans, if ingested.
Snake Plant
One of the toughest air-purifying indoor plants that you will find anywhere is the snake plant. It can survive tough conditions such as dry soil and low to extremely high light levels. As such, it is a great plant for beginners and people who may have had a difficult time keeping plants alive in the past.
Most people use snake plants for home decoration due to their evergreen nature and sword-like leaves. But other than the aesthetic value, the plant is great for filtering the air in internal spaces. It readily converts carbon dioxide into oxygen, especially at night, thereby promoting healthy air for sleeping. Snake plants can also help eliminate toxic gases and other pollutants in the atmosphere. Moreover, it is capable of absorbing carcinogenic molecules such as toluene and xylene from the air.
Boston Fern
Nephrolepis exaltata, better known as the Boston fern, is an evergreen indoor plant that promotes healthy air quality in interior spaces. Unlike other indoor plants that can survive in dry conditions, this plant requires high humidity levels to grow. Other than that, though, it does not require much care to grow, and it fairs well in indirect sunlight.
This plant grows to a height of 17 to 35 inches, but it can grow taller than that at times. Therefore, you will need a big pot that can handle the roots and support the height. You will also have to check the soil moisture levels daily since it does well in moist conditions. Adding some fertilizer to the soil also helps the plant grow faster and better.
Boston ferns are great for indoors because they increase the amount of natural humidity in the atmosphere. That attribute is ideal because it relieves discomfort for people with dry skin or sore throats. It also absorbs toxic fumes such as formaldehyde and carbon monoxide, improving air quality in enclosed spaces.
Are you looking to improve your indoor air quality in Roseville, CA, or the surrounding areas? Environmental Heating & Air Solutions offers a range of indoor air quality services and solutions. We also provide other services for heating, air conditioning, and plumbing systems, including repair, installation, and maintenance. Contact Environmental Heating & Air Solutions today to set up an appointment or learn more about our services.
