Given that people spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors, air quality matters. Furniture, rugs, carpets, synthetic building materials, and cleaning products in homes and offices can emit a variety of toxic compounds, like ammonia, benzene, talc, and formaldehyde. Pollen, bacteria, dust, dirt, and molds can also litter the air, not to mention street dust and car exhaust. Yuck!
But not to worry – you can purify your air with a variety of common houseplants! And NASA scientists can prove it. In 1989, they conducted a study on how plants could potentially purify the air in space stations. What they found was that, in addition to absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen through photosynthesis, certain common indoor plants also provide a natural way of removing toxic agents such as benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene from the air. The study further suggested that efficient air cleaning is accomplished with at least one plant per 100 square feet.
NASA found these plants to be very effective at purifying air, and some studies suggest that Chrysanthemums are the most effective of all!
Aloe vera
Bella Palm
Boston Fern
Dracaena
English ivy
Ficus
Peace lily
Pilea
Pothos
Rubber Plant
Philodendron
Snake Plant
Spider Plant
We have a wide variety of air-purifying plants available in our Garden Store right now. Come and browse our selection and take some home with you.