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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNASA Has Compiled a List of the Best Air-Cleaning Plants for Your Home
For anyone that spends the majority of their time indoors, it can often be forgotten how much of a difference some houseplants can make. Not only do they look fantastic by adding natural colour to a space, but they also have various air-filtering properties that can actually make an indoor space healthier!
This all comes from extensive research that was conducted by NASA and the Associated Contractors of America (ACLA) in the 1980s to discover which plants worked best at purifying air indoors. The result was the highly informative Clean Air study , which discovered that some plants add the incredible ability to remove various chemicals from the air, helping to reduce any negative impact they could have on humans breathing in impure air.
The Florists Mum and Peace Lily are among the best thanks to their ability to effectively remove parts of benzene, xylene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, toluene, and ammonia present in the air. Many other plants were effective at removing some, but not all of these chemicals.
According to NASA, its best to have a plant for every single 100 square feet of space, allowing for plenty of lovely (and healthy!) houseplants to find their way into your indoor space!
This handy infographic breaks down what plants work best at eliminating certain chemicals!
http://themindcircle.com/nasa-air-filtering-plants/
Many other plants are listed along with the pollutants they can filter out of the air. I love the practical applications of science in our daily living, and who doesn't enjoy plants in their home.
Squinch
(50,955 posts)We've been together for years now.
hlthe2b
(102,292 posts)many many years, having acquired it from the person who left it in my last house when they moved out. Likewise an umbrella schefflera that I cut back from 18 feet, when it got so big I could never re-pot it.
I had read that golden pathos were good air cleaners too and can handle one heck of a lot of neglect/abuse.
Squinch
(50,955 posts)hlthe2b
(102,292 posts)so that is worth checking out too. Some (e.g., most ferns) are awfully messy and really need humidity.
I think the most easy plant on that list that likely grows well in the widest range of light and environmental conditions is the Chinese Evergreen--thus you tend to see a lot of them in florescent light-only office settings. There are new varieties that can be really pretty.
procon
(15,805 posts)I'd like to have more plants, but my cat is such a jerk -- a lovable jerk, but he's still a mess maker -- he likes to destroy plants. He knocks them over or lays in the pots, crushing or breaking them, and chews the leaves or rakes out the potting soil. The Spider plant lives only because it is hanging and he can't get at it.
Dem_4_Life
(1,765 posts)Lithos
(26,403 posts)I know the Flamingo Lily is toxic to cats and dogs. I think the Palms and the Ferns are safe, but still best to check.
procon
(15,805 posts)oasis
(49,389 posts)eppur_se_muova
(36,269 posts)They didn't include one for toluene, but chances are, those that remove xylene will remove toluene.
Kaleva
(36,309 posts)TheBlackAdder
(28,208 posts)I need plants that are hearty and can survive harsh conditions - me.
WhiteTara
(29,718 posts)they are almost indestructible.
TheBlackAdder
(28,208 posts)WhiteTara
(29,718 posts)WhiteTara
(29,718 posts)With a one acre garden, that just seemed like one too many. But hey, I'm quite open to change. Besides I love those Flamingo Flowers.