In 1989 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducted a study to research ways to clean indoor air spaces. Through their research, they discovered several common houseplants that double as air-purifying plants for our home and workspaces. This list includes several of those plants along with the pollutants they help filter.
Common Household Toxins and Their Sources
Some of the most common products in our homes emit toxins into the air we breathe. While most levels of these toxins are miniscule, they can add up when combined. The following list is the most common toxins found in households and the products and items that emit them.
- Benzene: Found in paints, glues, furniture wax and detergents.
- Carbon Monoxide: Furnaces, water heaters, gas-burning appliances.
- Formaldehyde: Tobacco smoke, poorly vented gas or oil-burning appliances, fireplaces.
- Trichloroethylene: Cleaning products, adhesives, sealants, paint.
- Xylene: Adhesives, paints, tobacco smoke
- Chloroform: Chlorinated tap water–especially when bathing or doing laundry, indoor swimming pools.
- Toluene: Paint, adhesives, automotive products, some personal care products.
- Nitrogen Oxides: Building heating systems, gas stoves, improperly vented appliances.
- Ammonia: Pet waste, home cleaning products, wood-burning fires
Top Air Filtering Plants for Your Home
English Ivy
Eliminates: Benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene
- Care Level: Medium
- Toxic to Pets: Yes
Where to Place This Plant: Near a sunny window in a hanging basket or atop a bookcase or shelving unit where its long vines can be spread out.
English Ivy is an air purifier plant with a classic appearance. Best suited for hanging baskets, this house plant prefers bright, indirect sunlight. Grow English ivy in a loose potting soil amended with peat or perlite for added drainage. Water the plant when the top 1 inch of soil feels dry.
Bamboo Palm
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide, xylene, chloroform.
- Care Level: Medium
- Toxic to Pets: No
Where to Place This Plant: As a floor plant in a foyer, office reception area, or large living space.
When it comes to air purifying plants, the Bamboo Palm filters an impressive amount of toxins in your home. Bamboo Palm plant prefers medium to low lighting that is filtered, not direct. The Bamboo Palm likes consistently moist soil but does not respond well to overwatering. A well-draining, rich soil is recommended.
Chinese Evergreen
Eliminates: Benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene.
- Care Level: Medium
- Toxic to Pets: Yes
Where to Place This Plant: Kitchens and bathrooms with higher humidity
The Chinese Evergreen plant is one of the more colorful air filtering plants. This evergreen plant has variegated leaves and prefers bright, indirect sunlight. Water the plant once the soil has moderately dried out, then water thoroughly. The Chinese Evergreen grows well in any quality potting soil amended with perlite for drainage.
Gerbera Daisy
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene
- Care Level: Easy
- Toxic to Pets: No
Where to Place This Plant: On a foyer table or any bright area to add a splash of color
The classic Gerbera Daisy is often associated with the flowers added to outdoor gardens for their bright, eye-catching colors. Yet, these daisies work well as houseplants that purify your air and add to your decor. Provide all-day, filtered sunlight or morning sun. Water regularly from spring to fall, then reduce in the winter. Potting soils with a pH below 6.5 is recommended.
Dragon Tree
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, xylene, toluene, benzene, trichloroethylene
- Care Level: Easy
- Toxic to Pets: Yes
Where to Place This Plant: In a corner of a bright living room or office space
The Dragon Tree is a part of the Dracaenas family of plants. The plant is medium to large in size, making it an excellent feature or floor plant. Provide bright, indirect sunlight to light shade. These air filtering plants are drought tolerant and have a more relaxed watering schedule than most houseplants. This plant requires a large pot to accommodate the expansive root system.
Snake Plant
Eliminates: Carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, xylene, nitrogen oxides
- Care Level: Easy
- Toxic to Pets: Yes
Where to Place This Plant: A very adaptable plant that will thrive anywhere
There is a good reason the snake plant has been one of the most popular houseplants for decades. This fully adaptable, air purifying plant can be trained to grow in almost any lighting conditions and is considered extremely hardy. The plant’s water needs are average during the growth months, and reduces to only once per month during the winter. The Snake Plant grows well in cactus soil.
Chrysanthemum Morifolium (Pot Mums)
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, ammonia
- Care Level: Medium (high water needs)
- Toxic to Pets: Yes
Where to Place This Plant: Near a window exposed to sunlight for most of the day.
Mums are often associated with fall and are a great way to extend blooming in and around your home. Besides making an excellent potted porch plant, the Pot Mum is an excellent air purifying plant for your indoor space. Place the plant near a window with several hours of sunlight as the plant is triggered into blooming by the shorter, fall days. The plant requires regular watering and prefers soil with organic matter.
Peace Lily
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, xylene, ammonia
- Care Needs: Easy
- Toxic to Pets: Yes
Where to Place This Plant: Anywhere you want to make a statement. Prefers East exposure.
NASA considers the Peace Lily as one of the top three air purifying plants. This large, tropical houseplant is prized for its large, showy blooms. The Peace Lily prefers bright, indirect light and regular waterings. The plant is sensitive to chlorine and may require filtered water. Grow the plant in a loose potting soil with added organic matter.
Spider Plant
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, xylene
- Care Level: Easy
- Toxic to Pets: No
Where to Place This Plant: Grows well in a hanging basket near a large window or patio doors.
The Spider Plant is a popular and hardy houseplant with air purifying properties. The plant is drought tolerant and doens’t suffer much if a watering or two is skipped. The soil must be well draining as the plant is susceptible to root rot. The plant is adaptable to most household conditions and lasts for years with regular maintenance.
Corn Plant
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, carbon dioxide
- Care Level: Easy
- Toxic to Pets: Yes
Where to Place the Plant: As a floor plant close to a bright window with filtered light
The Corn Plant is from the same family as the Dragon Tree and grows to roughly the same size. Water regularly from spring to fall, then reduce frequency in the winter. The plant prefers a potting soil amended with perlite for added drainage. The Corn Plant is an easy-care plant that lends a tropical vibe to any space.
Rubber Tree
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, mold spores, reduces bacteria by 60%
- Care Level: Medium
- Toxic to Pets: Yes
Where to Place This Plant: In a large space with bright, diffused light such as a foyer or family room with sheer curtains
The Rubber Tree is a long-lived, air filtering plant that prefers bright, filtered light for several hours per day. The plant grows up to 10 feet tall and, because the plant isn’t drought tolerant, requires regular watering. Cactus soil is a preferred growing medium that must be topped up occasionally.
Lemon Button Fern
Eliminates: Xylene, toluene, formaldehyde
- Care Needs: Easy
- Toxic to Pets: No
Where to Place This Plant: Works well in a kitchen or bathroom due to its humidity needs.
The Lemon Button Fern is a dwarf version of the Boston fern. The fern will grow well in most lighting conditions except direct sunlight which will scorch the fronds. As with most ferns, the Lemon Button requires consistently moist soil but never soggy. Almost any soil type wil be adequate as long as its fast-draining to avoid root rot.
Pothos
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, xylene, toluene, benzene, carbon dioxide
- Care Level: Easy
- Toxic to Pets: Yes
Where to Place the Plant: Grows well in hanging baskets near a bright window with filtered light.
Pothos are a large and popular variety of houseplants. Correct lighting is the biggest challenge with this plant. Too much light will bleach out the variegation but too little sun causes the vareigation to revert. Watering is easier–the plant will tell you when it needs water by starting to wilt slightly. Regular, fast-draining potting soil works fine for this plant.
Broadleaf Lady Palm
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, ammonia, ylene, carbon dioxide
- Care Level: Easy
- Toxic to Pets: No
Where to Place This Plant: A spacious spot like a living room or large dining room. Also works well in a large office space.
Add a touch of the tropics to your living or work space with a broadleaf Lady Palm. This impressive houseplant makes a statement and works as an air purifier plant to help filter toxins. The palm prefers bright, indirect sunlight and regular waterings to keep the soil moist but not soggy. While its a Palm, the Broadleaf grows well in an African Violet soil mix.
Kimberly Fern
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, xylene
- Care Level: Easy
- Toxic to Pets: No
Where to Place This Plant: Rooms with high humidity, such as a kitchen or bathroom, or any space where you can add a humidifier or pebble tray.
Ferns make wonderful houseplants and the Kimberly Fern is no exception. With a bushy growth habit, this plant lends a cool and calming vibe as it helps purify your air. The plant requires indirect sunlight as direct sun will scorch its fronds. Regular watering and a standard potting soil is all this plant needs to thrive.
Clivia Plant
Eliminates: Toluene, trichloroethylene, formaldehyde
- Care Level: Easy
- Toxic to Pets: Yes
Where to Place This Plant: Near a sunny window in almost any room in the home or office.
The Clivia Plant is a prized houseplant thanks to its beautiful blooms. The flowers give off a pleasant fragrance while also acting as an air filtering plant for the space it lives in. The plant prefers to be watered only when the soil’s surface feels dry as overwatering often leads to rot. For optimal growth provide a high-quality potting soil with added compost for nutrients.
Adding houseplants to your indoor space adds to the asthetic appeal and, as NASA has proven, increases the quality of the air you breathe. The plants on this list have, for the most part, very simple care needs and won’t take up much of your time. Make your home or office space a more welcoming and healthier place to be by adding some of these beautiful air filtering plants.
Air Purifying Plants FAQ
According to several studies on houseplants, other benefits of having indoor plants includes reduced stress, boosted productivity, and faster healing from illness or injury.
While there are many sources that contribute to decreased indoor air quality, two of the main factors are how homes and furnishings are made in these modern times. Homes today are more air tight than they were decades ago, reducing the natural air exchange we used to enjoy. Also, an increase in synthetic materials and chemicals used in the manufacturing of our furnishings and belongings has increased the need for indoor air purification.
The best spot for your plants is where they will thrive best. Ensure you review each plant’s sunlight, temperature, and humidity requirements. Provide the amount and frequency of water the plant needs and you should have a healthy plant to enjoy for years to come.
Some important things to consider before purchasing plants is if the plant is safe for those of you that have pets and if you have a place in your home or office that will provide the right environment for the plant’s needs.
The level of care plants need varies from plant to plant. Most of the plants on our list have easy care needs. If you need really easy plants, check out our low water plants or plants that grow in water.
