Back in 1980 NASA started investigating ways to provide clean air in enclosed spaces. And after years of research they confirmed that house plants improve air quality in a variety of ways. It’s pretty amazing to think that you can actually grow fresh air. And knowing that house plants can do everything from aiding with depression and removing harmful VOCs from the air to alleviating seasonal allergies and ridding the air of volatile substances like formaldehyde, benzene and ammonia means they’re definitely worth the three minutes a week of watering that they require.
Many people are shocked to learn that the air inside their home can be anywhere from 3 to 10 times more polluted than the air outside- even in a big city! And seemingly innocuous things like carpets, cleaning products and nail polish remover give off vapors that contribute to some seriously polluted indoor air. Of course we do our best to bring natural (and chemical free) jute rugs into our home, use eco-friendly green cleaning products, and I’ve actually sworn off nail polish for the past few months (and maybe forever)- but we’d be fools not to recognize that plants can clean things up even more around the house, especially since the NASA geniuses say so.
And although any kind of plant is beneficial to the air you breathe, those NASA brainiacs actually pinpointed the most effective air-cleansing plants out there. So if you’re in the market for some nice fresh air, try picking up these especially purifying varieties.
- Bamboo Palm
- Rubber Plant
- Spider Plant
- English Ivy (one of our favs)
- Janet Craig Dracaena
- Dwarf Date
- Boston Fern (another one of our favorites)
- Peace Lily
- Corn Plant
- Schefflera
They’re all super hardy plants, so you don’t have to worry about having a black thumb with these guys. And you don’t have to pop a plant in every spare inch of your home, two or three per room is plenty. Placing them beside your bed, on your desk, or anywhere else you spend a lot of time (near the TV!) helps you fully reap their air-cleansing benefits. Oh and if you have a puppy who likes to dig, we’ve found that a layer of river rocks atop the soil in each planter is an effective (and attractive) way to keep puppy pawing to a minimum.
What about you guys? Do you have any house plants that make your day (bonus if they’re impossible to kill)? Any other tips for cleaner indoor air and happier lungs?
More Plant Guides
If you’re looking for more information on some of our favorite plants (real and faux!) check out some of these posts below:
- Snake Plant Care Guide
- Fiddle Leaf Fig Care Guide
- Tree Philodendron Care Guide
- How to Build An Easy Plant Shelf
- Protecting Outdoor Plants In A Deep Freeze
- Getting Started With Houseplants, An Expert Interview
- My Favorite Faux Plants
- Easy Houseplants To Keep Alive
Update: We chatted about what plants we can manage to keep alive in our own house here, so feel free to check those out.
bungalow_bliss says
I have a bamboo palm and a peace lily (didn’t realize they were on the plant A-list, though!), as well as asparagus ferns throughout the house. I also have a couple small bamboo shoots in glass tealight holders with pepples in the bath and kitchen. Other fresh-air efforts include regular filter replacement and vent vacuuming, and swapping a houseful of carpet for hardwoods.
Kari says
my only worry about some plants is how toxic they are to pets. we have 2 dogs and 1 cat and i’m so afraid they’re going to eat the leaves and get sick. any suggestions for less toxic house plants?
YoungHouseLove says
Kari,
Here’s a list of non-toxic plants for cats & dogs. Luckily, there are plenty to choose from:
http://www.sniksnak.com/plants.html
Hope it helps!
dcfullest says
I have a mother-in-law plant that I love, among others. It belonged to my GREAT grandmother, who passed away 30 years ago. She had it since my dad was a little kid. After she died, my mom split it up and keep some for herself and gave the rest to my sister and me. I truly cherish it!
And it is nearly impossible to kill!
Kim says
I just bought two Bamboo palms for my bedroom. And they look great on either side of our bed. The wall color behind the bed is brown and really helps these guys pop! They are officially my new favorite accessory to the new house!
bungalow_bliss says
dcfullest, that is awesome. So special that g-gma’s plant is now with each of the women! Try as I may, I can’t even imagine keeping a plant alive that long…
Carrie in Colorado Springs says
I’ve got a corn plant, a Boston fern, and a palm! Well, and a dying Christmas tree. ;)
erica says
I was given a Christmas Catus for Christmas one year, and it’s sucha tough little sucker! I also has the neatest pink flowers every winter.
heather s. says
I was just looking at the book that discusses NASA’s findings last night at a local bookstore: http://www.amazon.com/How-Grow-Fresh-Air-Plants/dp/0140262431. The list you have here is not nearly complete so people interested should check out the book or do a search online for more plants you can get to help with your air quality.
Funny timing! :)
Sara says
Yea, I have a very large cat with a sweet tooth for anything plant/flower related. I can’t put a vase of flowers any lower than on top of the entertainment center (the only reason this works is because he can’t superman jump off the couch that high..thank you gravity). I can imagine how he would destroy a house plant. Oh, how I dream for the day to enjoy fresh plants in my home! Between the puppy and 4 yr old cat..it’s gonna be awhile!
Alison says
I combatted a house-ful of animals by hanging my plants from strong hooks on the ceiling! It looks great and provides an out-of-reach decorative touch. Keep a tiny step-stool tucked away for easy watering. Voila!
Micha B says
I’ve had the best luck with philodendrons even though they aren’t my aesthetic first choice. I live in a basement apartment with poor lighting and these are the only plants that have maintained health long enough to be considered a fixture in my decorating.
TD says
I haven’t read the NASA findings about house plants in homes. But from what I understand about the Biology of the plants, it is not completely safe to sleep near or underneath a plant. Plants release Oxygen gas during the day and Carbon dioxide at nights. So the air purification is only happening during the daytime. Keeping plants in bedrooms could potentially concentrate CO2 in the sleeping area and any biologists would say that breathing in too much CO2 during sleep cannot be good. I personally don’t care for plants near my bed, but those of you who do might want to research this a little bit. Again, I am not an expert at this. I just wanted to share what I learnt in high school biology, that’s all.
btw, the list is great and very helpful. I plan to get the Dwarf Date plant in a few months. Does anyone know of a good place to get these plants online?
Erik says
I’ve heard the opposite. I’ve specifically seen the Gerbera Daisy being highlighted for absorbing CO2 during the day and releasing O2 at night.
Jen says
As for the river rock suggestion…my dog is not much of a digger, but he has found great joy in carefully extracting river rocks to bat around the house. (So far, he hasnt ingested any.) If anyone has any suggestions about how to cover the pots, please post. I have thought about having plexiglass cut to go on the top of the pots (around the stems).
pam says
I love succulents and cacti. They’re sculptural, low maintenance, and they’re really hard to kill.
Larissa says
I love putting plants in my home, but after repotting my ficus tree, I’ve had an infestation of gnats that live in the soil! Gross!! The current solution is to kick all the plants outside. I want to bring them back in, so does anyone have an organic solution to ridding the soil of these pests?
Alison says
One easy and non-toxic way to prevent and kill earth-bound parasites and bugs is a substance sold at many gardening shops called “diatomaceous earth”. Mix it with the top couple inches of soil and it organically takes care of business.
Blayne says
Thanks for the link about the plants safe for animals, my cats are terrible about eating anything I bring into the house! As far as plants releasing CO2, it is true that they do, the same as humans and animals do, but they release much more oxygen than they do CO2. I would personally not be uncomfortable with having plants in my bedroom. It is also not a bad idea to have a CO2 detector in your home, whether or not you have plants.
Blayne says
I also meant to add that plants take up more carbon dioxide than they release.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Blayne,
The carbon monoxide detector is a great idea! We recently purchased a second one (so we can have one in the den and one on the other side of the house in the bedroom). In fact, stay tuned for another post about breathing easy at home in a few days.
xoxo,
Sherry
AliCherri1 (HisBirdie) says
I just finished an Ecology class, I’m in Interior Design school so we learned all about these indoor plants. I’m so glad you posted this and it was totally a reminder of my final haha.
Jessica says
Larissa–I’m not particularly good at keeping houseplants alive so I’ve never tried it, but I’ve read that a layer of sand on top can help to keep gnats away. The link I turned up also mentions watering less and making sure that your soil is well-draining and high-quality: http://tinyurl.com/85bqzc
Gina says
Just wanted to let you guys know that I soo love this blog–great info and it totally encourages me to go out to get new plants to replace my faux plants in my home! I especially love the english ivy and corn plants!!! I like tall plants –i think its because i used to have a 7-foot plant (i dont know what kind but when you break the branch off the stem, the white liquid will come out) in my bedroom when i was little.. so tall plants for me!! :) Thanks for this blog and I look forward to your next blog about breathing easy.. is having a humidifer on the list of breathing easy? hmmm… :o)
Katie says
I also would love to have some plants, especially since my house is fairly devoid of windows. But alas, anytime I bring fresh greenery into my house my cat promptly chews it up, them throws it up just a little while later. Advice? I’m thinking of putting up some small shelves way high just for the plants.
Jessica J. says
I have a few african violets and find those to be very easy to keep (although because they’re so small, the probably aren’t doing much air purifying).
Also – I used to have a money tree. Very pretty plant. Very hard to keep alive. I still don’t know what I did wrong. Oh well. I’ve got an empty pot now so I think I’ll be buying one these “easy” plants to try.
Tiffany says
Larissa – We had the same problem with the gnats. Our pest control guy told us it’s because the soil was too moist. We put the plants on the patio for a few days to dry them out and brought them back in. A few days later the gnats came back.
We also found out those little suckers lay a lot of eggs so likely we killed the live gnats, but then the eggs hatched. We took off the top layer of soil per his suggestion, put it on the patio for a few more days and brought it back in.
We did have to repeat this one last time, but it worked, no pesticides involved. Now, we only water when the soil is bone dry and they’ve never come back.
CapreeK says
This is good to know, because I tend to kill most of my houseplants!
jamie says
Jen, my sister’s dog used to do the exact same thing. He swallowed rocks on two different occasions and had to have emergency surgery to remove them. I had never heard of a dog that ate rocks – its kind of a running joke in my family because he ate a 50 dollar bill too along with many other strange items :)
Sarah says
Thanks so much for this post – I’ve been meaning to do the research myself before purchasing plants, but now it’s done for me! I’d be interested to see any pictures or tips you have for incorporating the plans into rooms so that they blend in nicely. I’m so afraid that I’ll end up having a living room that looks like it’s straight from the 80’s or something, or that I won’t find an attractive pot, or will give off too much of the dusty jungle plant room impression. It’s hard for me to imagine how I might incorporate one into my room without it being overbearing or too much the focal point.
megan says
Wonderful info…I am going plant shopping this weekend.
KSS says
We have tons of plants in our house. I’m slightly addicted to them, I suppose. We have ivy, small palm-type plants, Christmas cacti, regular cacti, bromeliads, an orchid, bonsai trees, aloe, a mini pine tree…and of course our wonderful banana tree that has grown so large we had to place it at the end of our bed because there was nowhere in the normal livings areas left for it. At work I have two peace lilies and a bamboo. I do think they help to keep my air fresh.
erin says
The CPSC website also has a great list of toxic plants and safe plants if you google them. My local nursery was able to help me with some non-toxic plants also to keep our kitty safe.
I am surprised no one mentioned pothos for easy plants. I LOVE mine. I can kill a plant in no time flat and pothos actually thrive at my house, and they are so simple to start from a cutting when you want a new one. I read that they can be somewhat irritating to pets if they chew the leaves so I just keep mine up out of kitty’s reach. Which looks pretty anyway with the vines trailing.
And I second the bamboo and peace lily also as easy to grow and pretty to boot. I’ve had both for years and I haven’t killed them yet. DH also likes our kentia palm though I am struggling to keep it happy.
Holly says
I know this is a plant related post but I couldn’t help but notice that you (Sherry) mentioned that you don’t paint your nails very often because of the toxins and what not. Check out this link.
http://www.atirnncc.com/about.htm
It is a natural nail clinic that I just tried out for myself. They use friendly products and it actually smells very pleasant at the “nail bar.” Just a suggestion!
Sarah says
Ditto to Holly about Atir. It’s my fave!
I really was commenting about the plants though! I have a Schefflera plant in my apartment and it’s dead as a doornail. It was a clipping from my parents’ Schefflera so I can’t return it to Lowe’s. I think it was the heating vent next to our window that killed it. So if you want one of these, just make sure its not near a vent!
Megan says
So glad I ran across your site! I looked at your links on the left and eventually found this post! I had heard this before and that they are especially good for nurseries. I was just going to get English Ivy because that’s what I read about earlier but now I have choices! Do you know if any of them are poisonous to babies or animals?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Megan,
If you scroll up a bit you can see a link for plants that are poisonous to animals. And although we don’t have a bad-for-babies plant link on hand, we’re sure you can google “toxic for children plant list” or something to that effect and pull one up. Or just place your English Ivy on a ledge or table far away from baby’s little hands. Happy hunting!
xo,
Sherry
Jen says
We have a few of the little fake bamboo plants and one English Ivy from my great-grandmother. Prior to moving here from MI, I had many more plants (a beautiful fern, some orchids, etc) but several didn’t quite make the trip.
We’re planning to buy small lemon & lime trees for the house. Crazy, I know.
YoungHouseLove says
Not crazy! I’ve been dying for a meyer lemon tree. In fact we tried to buy one in 2007 but there was some crazy lemon tree virus in Florida that made it impossible to find one- even up here in Virginia. But maybe this will be the year that we make one ours!
xo,
Sherry
Danny says
As both Sherry’s little brother and a big science nerd I feel that I’m obligated to post that people should have no qualms about sleeping in the same room as a plant. Your own breathing gives off hundreds of times the amount of CO2 that an plant could (several liters per hour – not all that much considering a 12′ x 12′ x 8′ bedroom contains about 30,000 liters of air). So unless your bedroom is a sealed box the size of a port-a-potty don’t worry about CO2 poisoning you in your sleep.
Also just a note that CO2 (the product of animal respiration and complete burning of organic fuels, which is non-toxic to humans up to tens of thousands of ppm) is very, VERY different from CO (the product of incomplete burning of fuels i.e. – charcoal or propane, which is deadly at even very low concentrations).
Also, not really related but I read some posts about which products are safe to use in your home. Acetone and ethyl acetate (the major solvent in ‘acetone free’ nail polish removers) are quite safe to humans – to be honest they have about the same toxicity as ethanol (the alcohol in alcoholic beverages). As long as you’re not funneling or chugging them you should be okay…
Keep up the good work Sher – let me know when you want to spin off Thisyoungerbrother.com
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Danny!
More like mynerdybrother.com. Just kidding… sort of. Your science-riffic comment was extremely enlightening and should serve to show everyone just how different two siblings can be. Isn’t my little brother the smartest cookie you’ve ever virtually met? He was the Valedictorian of his ENTIRE graduating class at Cornell and is now getting his PHD at Columbia. That’s a far cry from his older sister who went to art school in Manhattan! And sorry ladies, he’s taken.
xoxo,
Sherry
ecumings says
Snake plants dont need much light, purify the air and are nearly impossible to kill. And for whoever has gnats, i have always used a little bit of dawn dish soap and water in a spray bottle. Spray anywhere, all over the dirt and so forth. I have never had a problem spraying it on my spider plant, snake plant, or any other plants. It kind of helps clean the leaves, i think. I spray all my plants at least once a month with the soapy spray. I have a huge spider plant that used to get gnats alot, i sprayed soap water on it a few times and havent had a problem since. Occasionally my hoyas, and philodendrons get them but go away fast. My cats have eaten almost every one my plants, peace lily, spider plants, palms, my bamboo, and even tried to chew my yucca and ive never had a problems with any of them getting sick. Hope this can help someone….
Katie says
Mind sharing what brand carbon monoxide detector you two use? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katie,
Of course we don’t mind. We’re currently using a Kidde Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Alarm. Hope that helps!
-John
vivianne says
I have two plants that are showing signs of distress. one is a spike and the other the corn plant the middle of the plant appears wilted and the outer leaves are dying. Can this be treated or should they be removed not to contaminate other plants?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Vivianne,
We wish we could help! We are by no means experts in the area of botany so we would suggest taking a clipping of each plant to your local nursery for a quick (and free) evaluation. It sounds like they might just need different watering or sunlight conditions, and they don’t appear sound like they’re contaminating anything else, but hopefully you’ll learn how to save them at the nursery! Good luck.
xo,
s
Stacey says
I really want plants in my house, but do you know (or have you even had this problem?) what to do about the gnats that seem to accompany them? I can’t stand gnats :(
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, we haven’t had that issue but maybe you’re watering too much (don’t gnats like super moist soil?). Perhaps trying to snatch up succulents or other plants that only need a drop of water a week will help? We love Burro Tails for that reason and we get them at places like Home Depot on the cheap. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sarah says
Hey guys, love your website. Maybe this was already addressed in the older comments, but I did want to point out that several of these plants can be highly toxic both for pets and for Clara as she gets more mobile and begins to grab/chew on things. By coincidence my nerdy read this week is a book called “Wicked Plants”, and the section on house plants actually mentions several of the ones you have above.
Peace Lily: contains calcium oxalate crystals and can bring on skin irritation, burning in the mouth, difficulty swallowing, and nausea.
English Ivy: berries can cause gastrointestinal problems, delirium, and respiratory problems. Sap from the leaves can cause serious blisters and skin irritation.
Rubber Tree: this plant contain latex and can provoke severe allergic reactions (including anaphylactic shock) in people sensitive to latex.
A few other common house plants that are toxic: philodendron, dieffenbachia/dumb cane, ficus tree, pencil cactus/milkbush, jerusalem cherry or christmas cherry.
We still keep tons of plants – just helpful to know which ones may be potential hazards to be kept out of reach of little hands.
YoungHouseLove says
So helpful! We’ll be sure to look into it more and keep the bad ones out of reach once Clara is a bit more mobile!
xo,
s
Lynda says
GOOD INFO! Do you know anything about “Zee Zee” plants? I have one in the Family room because they look great and are impossible to kill, but I’m wondering if they are good air purifiers?
YoungHouseLove says
I’m not sure- maybe try googling around? I think all plants purify the air to some extent- some are just super efficient like the NASA recommended ones.
xo,
s
Julia says
Just read this post! My roommate and I went on a houseplant shopping spree a month ago and got ourselves a peace lily, a variation on the spider plant, and a couple of small plants. Great post and comments!
One thing that I would add is that English Ivy is actually an invasive species to N America so please keep it inside if you have to have it at all! It’s so popular because how easily it grows (uh, no predators) and it attracts a lot of nectar-loving animal. But it’s actually a lot like kudzu. If planted outside, it spreads to surrounding trees and other native plants, eventually out-competing them for sunlight and water sources (basically a long slow death). Trees can eventually fall over from the added weight of being covered. And that hurts the animals’ homes, of course. Even if someone was diligent about maintaining a patch in their yard, the stuff spreads so easily through the insects and birds that feed on them, the entire neighborhood could look different in just a few years. Dramatic plant, right?
YoungHouseLove says
Very dramatic! We had heard the bit about toppling trees.
-John