Did you know that, when we breathe, we also breathe in harmful toxins found floating in the environment? The answer is yes. These can come from various commonly used items such as cleaning products. However, there is a very cheap and ecological solution to this problem: air purification plants. From Greenuso we bring you a list of 7 plants that you can plant in your home or office to breathe cleaner air. Most of them are ideal for indoor spaces, although many can also live outside in the sun or with some shade. Are you up for it? Let’s go!
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Air-purifying plants What are they?
Plants are those living beings that produce the oxygen we breathe and have the virtue of purifying the air. They are like natural filters that capture and destroy harmful particles floating in the atmosphere, leaving it cleaner. Some species are more effective than others in this task, which is why they are known as air-purifying plants. In the next segment we will show you what some of them are:Top 7: Most used indoor and outdoor air purification plants
Below we have made a list of the best air-purifying plants that you can grow indoors and/or outdoors in your home:
1. Espatifilo
The spathiphyllum, also known as peace flower, is a houseplant native to the rainforests of America. It is used as an ornamental plant, mainly because of its beautiful white flowers that bloom during spring and summer. It is one of the best air-purifying houseplants. It stands out because it can absorb pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene, acetones, xylene, trichloroethylene and toluene. It is very easy to grow as it requires minimal care. You should place it in a corner with indirect light and water it once or twice a week depending on the season.2. Sansevieria or Tiger’s tongue
It is a very resistant ornamental plant that can live both indoors and outdoors. The most popular variety has upright green leaves with grey tones and a yellow border. It cleans the air of formaldehyde and nitrogen oxides mainly. It also has a reputation for being indestructible so you won’t have to take too much care of it. Just water it moderately and place it near a light source, either the sun or a window.3. Poto
The poto or potos is a tropical forest climbing plant widely used for interior decoration. It is characterised by its heart-shaped green leaves with irregular cream-coloured spots. It removes substances such as carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, making it ideal for spaces that contain tobacco smoke. Also, it absorbs humidity from the environment and can be placed in the bathroom or kitchen. On the other hand, its care is very simple, it just needs to receive indirect light and moderate watering.4. Chrysanthemums
The chrysanthemum is a plant native to Asia and Europe that stands out for its beautiful flowers. There are many varieties, each with a certain type of flower. Depending on the specimen you grow, you will get daisy-type flowers, pompom-shaped flowers, recurved flowers, among others. They clean the air of harmful substances such as ammonia, xylene, formaldehyde and benzene. Just place it in a cool place (between 13 and 18 °C) with indirect light and keep the soil moist.5. Ivy
It is one of the listed outdoor air-purifying plants, although it can also be grown indoors by controlling its expansion. This climbing plant of European origin can spread over walls, trunks and other surfaces, covering them completely. It has the virtue of capturing allergens and absorbing benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde. On the other hand, this vine prefers cold temperatures, humidity (it waters every one or two days) and indirect light.6. Palma Areca
This palm is native to Madagascar and is widely used indoors and outdoors for ornamental purposes. It is also known as a yellow palm because of the yellow-green colour of the petioles on its leaves. It can absorb benzene, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide, being ideal for cleaning tobacco smoke. As for care, you should only place it in a place where it receives indirect light (although it can also withstand direct light) and keep the soil moist but not overly so.7. Brazil Trunk
It is a houseplant native to Brazil, as its name suggests. It is mainly characterised by its thick stem with horizontal rings and its elongated leaves tinged with shades of green. It can reduce the concentrations of trichloroethylene and xylene in the air, both of which are harmful to health. However, for its care you should only provide it with a lot of indirect light and water it once or twice a week according to the seasons.Main benefits of air-purifying plants
Having air purification plants either indoors or outdoors brings many advantages, among them- They clean the air of harmful toxins from cars, cosmetics, cleaning products, synthetic textiles, among others. This is especially vital indoors, where these harmful substances tend to accumulate due to lack of ventilation.
- They consume carbon dioxide and produce oxygen , improving the quality of the air we breathe.
- They are decorative
