10 Best Air Purifying Plants That Clean The Air In Your Home

Before I landed on buying my first houseplant, I was researching like crazy about the best air purifying plants to bring into my home. There are numerous pollutants inside of our homes. The saying that the air in our homes is actually dirtier than the outside air is 100% true. Air purifiers are great and all, but if I can add some life into my home with plants and they purify the air, that’s what I’m getting!

Pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene are in the air we breathe in our homes. As. you may have heard, NASA did a study on the top 10 air purifying plants way back in 1989 so this idea of air purifying plants certainly isn’t new. While more recent studies have been done showing you need quite a few plants in order to get the air purifying benefits, these plants will certainly do more good than harm.

Without further ado, let’s see what the best air purifying plants are!

English Ivy (Hedera Helix)

The English ivy was the number one houseplant to filter out the toxins in the air, according to NASA’s study. This plant can be a little finicky as an indoor plant. It needs the right amount of medium, indirect light and the right amount of water in order to thrive as a trailing or bushy houseplant. These plants don’t like wet soil so let it dry out a bit before watering. But they love humidity so place next to a pebble tray or next to a humidifier!

Areca Palm (Dypsis Lutescens)

Areca Palms have gorgeous foliage. These leaves help as one of the best air purifying plants that will absorb a lot of those indoor toxins, mainly formaldehyde. This plant is also pet-friendly, which is perfect as this is a great floor plant! Areca palms like bright, indirect light. Be sure to not let this plant get soggy and allow for proper drainage in order for the plant to thrive.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

Give the Peace Lily plant a medium to bright indirect spot in your home. Be sure to keep the plant just enough moist at all times. It doesn’t do well when overwatered and the same goes for underwater. These plants have a high transpiration rate which essentially makes it a natural humidifier, in addition to their air-purifying qualities!

Snake Plant (Sansevieria ‘Laurentii’)

This Sansevieria, now Dracaena, is another great air-purifying plant that was also on NASA’s list. This is a fuss-free plant, as it needs low to medium light and doesn’t like for its soil to be always wet. Allow for proper drainage in the pot with a drainage hole.

Dragon Tree (Dracaena Marginata)

The dragon tree couldn’t be an easier plant to care for and it also offers air-purifying qualities? What a great houseplant!!

Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina)

The weeping fig, also known as ficus, is another great air-purifying plant. The ficus has been known to absorb benzene, toluene, and trichloroethylene from the air inside your home.

Rubber Plant (Ficus Elastica)

The Rubber Plant has been shown to remove formaldehyde from the air. This plant also produces a ton of oxygen thanks to its large and gorgeous leaves. Give this plant bright, indirect light so it can do its thing and purifying the air in your home!

Golden Pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)

The Golden Pothos, also nicknamed the devil’s ivy is a plant that will trail and trail, purifying the air as it goes. This plant likes medium to bright indirect light and doesn’t like for its soil to be soggy. Be sure this plant is dried out before watering.

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea Seifritzii)

The bamboo palm has been shown to decrease pollutants in your home such as formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide. Talk about a great air purifying plant! The bamboo palm grows to be about 3-8′, making it great for a low lit corner in your home. Keep this plant moist, it loves humidity but don’t overwater it.

Boston Fern (Nephrolepis Exaltata)

The Boston Fern needs an ample supply of sunlight but can tolerate some shady conditions. This plant needs to stay moist at all times, but be careful not to overwater it. There’s a fine line between the two and crossing on either side of this line could cause the plant to die. The Boston fern needs high levels of humidity, so mist the leaves regularly and place it in the bathroom if it provides a good amount of sunlight.