10 Best Air Purifying Plants for the Home

10Best Air Purifying Plants for the Home

By Carl Eden

We’re all looking for ways to live healthier lives. And now that we’ve all spent a year indoors, people across the UK are looking for ways to breathe new life into their homes.

Some scientists suggest turning to plants to help. NASA’s Clean Air Study found that there’s a number of air purifying plants that are perfect for detoxifying your home from the dust, germs and airborne pollutants found in a variety of everyday materials from carpets to furniture.

Researchers have since said that you’ll need a considerable amount of plants in the home to make a real difference to the air around you, but with plants becoming such a dominant interiors trend in the last year, it makes sense to kill two birds with one stone - plants that help purify the air in your home, and look good doing it.

We spoke to Nathan Raab, MD of Pointless Plants, for his top 10 best air purifying plants to help give your home a breath of healthy fresh air:

1SPATHIPHYLLUM VIVALDI – PEACE LILY

“NASA’s study found that the peace lily was one of the best plants when it came to purifying the air because of its ability to break down and neutralise toxic gases like benzene, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. It’s also beautiful in its own right, with gorgeous white blooms and fairly easy to care for as the leaves will droop when it needs water. Poisonous to pets however, so be careful if you’re a cat or dog owner.” Baby - £8.99 (with pot £14.99) Medium - £22.99 (with pot £44.99)

https://pointlessplants.com/ collections/air-purifying-plants/ products/lily https://pointlessplants.com/ collections/air-purifying-plants/ products/kentiapalm https://pointlessplants.com/ collections/air-purifying-plants/ products/zoe

2HOWEA FORSTERIANA – KENTIA PALM

“Almost unbeatable when it comes to purifying the air, kentia palms are slow growers too which makes them easy to manage. Prefers the light but happy in the shade too. Make sure to run a duster over the leaves now and then to keep the plant happy, healthy and producing plenty of clean air for your home.” Medium - £39.99 (with pot £74.99)

3ZAMIOCULCAS ZAMIIFOLIA – ZZ PLANT

“ZZ plants make for small but mighty air purifiers - the NASA study found that it’s specifically adept at removing toxins like benzene, toluene and xylene from the air. It’s also especially easy to care for, which makes it perfect for city-lovers and occupied-office workers who want fresh air with the minimum fuss. The plant is however poisonous, so not the best choice if you’ve got pets or kids at home.” Small - £12.99 (with pot £29.99) Medium - £19.99 (with pot £34.99) Big - £34.99 (with pot £64.99)

GIVE YOUR HOME A BREATH OF HEALTHY FRESH AIR

4NEPHROLEPIS BOSTON – BOSTON FERN

“Boston ferns are particularly adept at removing pollutants from the air, in fact, NASA’s study placed them as the 9th best for air purification. They’re especially good at removing formaldehyde - a toxin generated by smoking, certain cosmetics and household adhesives. So if you’re suffering from symptoms like dry skin, dry noses or sore throats a boston fern could help you out!” Baby - £8.99 (with pot £16.99) Small - £14.99 (with pot £24.99) Medium - £22.99 (with pot £49.99) Big - £32.99 (with pot £54.99)

https://pointlessplants.com/ collections/air-purifying-plants/ products/bostonfern https://pointlessplants.com/ collections/air-purifying-plants/ products/daniel https://pointlessplants.com/ collections/air-purifying-plants/ products/palm-with-basket

5FICUS BENJAMINA DANIELLE – WEEPING FIG

“A simple and low maintenance house plant which gives off dense, dark green foliage whilst cleaning the air in your home, and especially effective at removing toxins like xylene and toluene from the air. As with some other plants on this list, it is toxic itself - so bear that in mind if you have pets and small children at home. Place it in an area with plenty of natural light but don’t leave it in direct sunlight as the leaves will burn.” Small - £17.99 (with pot £29.99) Big - £34.99 (with pot £59.99)

6CHRYSALIDOCARPUS LUTESCENS – ARECA PALM

“The top air purifying plant according to NASA’s study, areca palms are a great way to freshen up your home or office air. Keep it in a balanced light area - not too bright, not too dark - an area which gets the sun for short periods of time is ideal. It’s a thirsty plant too, one which needs a lot of water but always make sure the top level of soil is dry before you water again - otherwise you risk flooding the poor plant” Big - £44.99

7SANSEVIERIA ZEYLANICA – BLACK CORAL SNAKE PLANT

“A relatively easy plant to care for, sansevieria doesn’t need much light and can tolerate all sorts of light levels, and it makes for a superb home plant by removing toxins like formaldehyde and nitrogen oxides from the air. Unlike a lot of plants too, sansevieria continues to produce oxygen at night, which makes it a great way to boost the air quality of your living space, and a brilliant choice to have in your bedroom.” Baby - £12.99 (with pot £24.99) Small - £22.99 (with pot £44.99) Medium - £29.99 (with pot £49.99) Big - £44.99 (with pot £72.99)

https://pointlessplants.com/collections/air-purifyingplants/products/sansevieria

9CHLOROPHYTUM BONNIE – SPIDER PLANT

“An easy to grow plant which thrives in medium to light shade and moist air - spider plants are perfect for hanging baskets and bring a charming, haphazard quality to the home. They’re also wonderful at removing toxins from the air - particularly ethylbenzene and formaldehyde.” Small - £12.99 (with pot £27.99)

8DIEFFENBACHIA MARS – DUMB CANE PLANT

“Dumb cane offers lush foilage to help you and your family breathe a little bit easier. Perfect for bringing a tropical look to your home whilst removing toxins from the space and excellent at absorbing carbon monoxide. Don’t eat it however - the plant gets its name from a poisonous substance which can temporarily numb the vocal cords if consumed.”

https://pointlessplants.com/collections/air-purifyingplants/products/bonnie

Baby - £8.99 (with pot £14.99) Small - £19.99 (with pot £44.99)

https://pointlessplants.com/collections/air-purifyingplants/products/dieffenbachia

10CHAMAEDOREA ELEGANS – PARLOUR PALM “A popular plant in the Victorian era, parlour palms make for excellent houseplants to this day helping to turn your home into a mini tropical paradise. They remove the usual pollutants from the air - formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide - and are relatively low maintenance and require little work to care for. Palms are also associated with victory and success, so they’re a great addition to any home office”. Small - £19.99 (with pot £39.99) Medium - £24.99 (with pot £49.99) Big - £39.99 (with pot £59.99)

https://pointlessplants.com/collections/air-purifyingplants/products/maya