Houseplants not only add beauty to our homes- they truly seem to transform spaces. In addition to adding life, color, and texture, houseplants help keep our homes and our minds feeling fresh, clean, and bright. Read on for a bit of the science and some of the reasons for keeping houseplants as well as my recommendations for 5 low maintenance, oxygen-producing houseplants to clean the air in your home.
I don’t know how it happened exactly; I started with one houseplant at the beginning of the pandemic, and I now have almost forty.
That might sound like a lot of work, but honestly, caring for them is not bad at all! In fact, I find it wildly rewarding to care for my little green loves.
And their function goes beyond the aesthetic. Studies suggest that exposure to houseplants can positively impact mood and even certain health conditions. Importantly, houseplants play a role in removing harmful substances from the air in our homes.
And with three kids and three dogs, I need all the help I can get to keep the air in our home feeling clean and fresh. The plants on this list do just that. that. Plus, in terms of home decor, I believe houseplants are a truly elegant and timeless way to add color and vitality to any room.
I do mean it when I say that all the plants on this list are low maintenance and great for beginners. I’m not exactly someone with a green thumb and when it comes to houseplants, I still feel like I basically have no idea what I am doing. But I have managed to keep my green menagerie alive and well for four years now, so that tells me that these five easy, oxygen-producing houseplants are nearly foolproof!
What Houseplants Do For Your Home
You probably already know that plants take in harmful substances from the air and produce oxygen. Many people keep houseplants for this reason.
However, this idea is not without controversy. Some people say that houseplants do very little when it comes to air purification. In truth, the jury is still out as to whether or not houseplants actually do very much to clean the air in our homes, but there is some good evidence to suggest that they do.
Most of the research in favor of the “houseplants help to purify air” side of this topic is based on a 1989 study performed by NASA in which researchers tested the air-purifying abilities of several common houseplants.
The study involved placing several house plants in closed chambers and then pumping in carbon dioxide and other carcinogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The researchers then measured the amounts of these toxic compounds that remained over time. The researchers found a correlative decrease in the amount of these toxic compounds relative to the number and size of the plants in the chambers.
More Plants, MoreLeaf Surface Area, Cleaner Air
It’s simple, the more plants you have, the more carbon dioxide will be consumed and the more oxygen will be produced.
Because the uptake of harmful compounds like carbon dioxide and other VOCs in the air takes place in the leaves, the greater the amount and size of leaves, the greater the amount of toxins the plant will be able to process. For this reason, plants that have a large number or bigger leaves, tend to be the best for air purification.
The NASA study referenced above advises one plant per every 100 square feet to help keep the air clean in our homes. So there it is, your permission to buy that plant! This is exactly what I tell my husband when he asks ridiculous questions like, “Do you really need another plant?” Yes, yes I do because NASA says so, and who I am to disagree with astronauts?!
Even if only in small amounts, I think it’s safe to say that houseplants improve air quality in your home. and in addition to that, they add vibrancy and color to your home and can actually improve your mental and physical health.
How Are Houseplants Good For Your Mental Health?
Research shows that exposure to houseplants naturally promotes feelings of well-being. Several studies have concluded that the presence of houseplants is linked to lower levels of stress, anxiety, and even lower blood pressure!
Those studies also suggest that being in an environment that contains indoor plants increases focus and feelings of calm.
Creating a home that promotes a sense of calm and well-being is something I continually strive for, and having a few plants in every room is one of the ways I am working toward that goal.
In this article, Lauren Garvey, LPC, CRC, a licensed clinical counselor and clinical research coordinator for a Georgia-based oncology unit beautifully and poignantly describes the symbiotic relationship we can have with our houseplants.
“One of the best things about caring for indoor plants is the beautiful exchange that happens: Plants depend on us for care and in turn, they take care of us by improving the air we breathe and making our space more beautiful,” says Garvey.
https://www.piedmont.org/living-real-change/health-benefits-of-indoor-plants
How House Plants Help to Purify the Air in Our Homes
So we’ve discussed the benefits of houseplants, but how do they actually help to clean the air? To answer that, we’re going all the way to junior high for a refresher on photosynthesis. Buckle up buttercup.
In order for plants to grow and survive, they must have an energy source. Plants are known as producers, meaning they make their own energy within their leaves via photosynthesis.
During photosynthesis, plants take in water and carbon dioxide from their roots and the air, respectively. They use light energy from the sun to create the reaction that allows for the conversion of those reactants into glucose and oxygen.
The glucose will be used as energy for the plant’s cells to carry on their essential functions, much like it is in our own bodies. The oxygen, a byproduct, will be released back into the air through the pores in their leaves called stomata.
Simply, carbon dioxide goes in, and oxygen comes out, leaving cleaner, more oxygen-rich air for us.
In case you don’t have a perfect recall of middle school science and you need a refresher, I made a diagram of the process!
5 Best Oxygen-Producing Houseplants for Cleaner Air
The house plants on this list will help to purify the air in our homes, allowing us to breathe better, cleaner air, naturally.
1. Pothos
First on the list has to be my very first houseplant, the lovely pothos. A hardy and low-maintenance plant known for long vines, bountiful leaves, and varied appearance.
They are incredibly easy to care for, easy to propagate, and do well in various environments and light conditions. They are also said to be powerful purifiers due to their quick growth rate and numerous leaves.
I have since propagated that first pothos into at least 10 different plants.
Pothos are excellent at cleaning the air due to their relatively quick growth rate and numerous leaves.
If you want to make more pothos for free, read the article below!
2. Snake Plant (Mother in Law’s tongue)
Snake Plants are wonderful for air purification. The entire plant above the soil consists of long, stiff leaves filled with chlorophyll which are capable of photosynthesis.
This Snake Plant has been with me almost the entire decade-plus that I’ve lived in California.
I purchased as a wee plant from Ikea for my first Bay Area apartment. And I have since propagated and split it off into several different plants.
Their hardiness and growth rate make them an awesome plant to keep the air in your home clean.
2. Ficus/ Fiddle Leaf
Fiddle Leaf Ficus and Rubber Plant Ficus have large, waxy leaves and are wonderful air purifiers.
They exist in a variety of colors and patterns and do well in most light conditions. I just bought a Fiddle Leaf Ficus tree that lives in a somewhat low-light area of my living room. It is thriving and already ready for a larger pot.
Now that I think about it, I just sold myself on getting a second Fiddle Leaf Tree for our bedroom (not that it takes much convincing for me to want to buy a new plant).
Pro tip, if you live near Trader Joe’s, check the plant section! I got both of my small Ficuses from TJs and they seem to be incredibly healthy. And I haven’t had an issue with gnats like I have with plants from the big home improvement stores.
4. Monstera
Like Snake Plants, monsteras have big waxy leaves with a large surface area so they are excellent purifiers.
Monsters are also very hardy and thrive in a variety of light conditions.
I keep one in our bedroom where it gets very little natural light and it is still thriving after 7 months in this new house.
And this little guy lives between two windows and gets indirect east-facing light and does well. I have seen them get a little dry in direct sunlight, so indirect is best.
5. Silver Bay a.k.a Chinese Evergreen
Silver Bay plants are a work of art with beautiful leaf patterns that remind me of impressionist watercolor paintings and gorgeous light green to white flowers and they are powerful air purifiers.
The NASA study above found that plants like Silver Bays and Peace Lilies are effective at removing carbon dioxide and other VOCs from the air and exchanging it for oxygen.
Which makes sense considering their large and numerous leaves!
I currently have a Calla Lily, but maybe my next plant needs to be a Peace Lily!
While the exact extent to which plants improve air quality is not known, it is a simple matter of biological fact that plants do provide some air purification. They promote focus and feelings of well-being and they add life, color, depth, and texture, to your home. And importantly, the simple satisfaction of caring for something and watching it grow.
Are you on your way out to buy more plants right now? Let me know in the comments!
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