5 Fabulous Houseplants that Work as Living Air Purifiers

Often people do not understand why they feel sick on a regular basis and why we develop symptoms that worsen over time. We hardly know that inside our house, various toxins are present at any time: toluene, xylene, ethyl acetate, methylene, acetone and chloroform, none of which are healthy.

Among other toxins present, three are of major concern: benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde, which could lead to serious health problems like asthma, cancer and various allergies.

In recent years, scientists at NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) have discovered that there are various houseplants that keep our household air clean and pure and balance indoor humidity. Not only do these plants absorb pollutants, they also scrub harmful gases out of the air and help fight pollution. How incredible!

Let's look at a gallery of a few of these beneficial types of houseplants that can take care of indoor pollution.

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

A beautiful houseplant with long grassy leaves, the spider plant also grows rapidly. This elegant plant is great at removing poisonous gases as well as other impurities like formaldehyde and xylene. For better effect, it should be kept in the kitchen or near the fireplace, as these are the places where carbon monoxide accumulates a lot.

Boston fern (Nephrolepsis exaltata bostoniensis)

An exotic plant that has gracefully arching fronds and frilly leaves, the Boston fern also acts as a natural humidifier. Boston ferns grow better in filtered sunlight and in humid conditions. By releasing moisture into the air, they remove nasty air pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde and xylene, providing clean air inside the home.

English Ivy (Hedera helix)

Despite its poisonous leaves, English ivy is a very popular houseplant and is best suited for people with asthma and allergic conditions. Easy to grow in bright sunlight, this plant has the amazing ability to remove benzene and formaldehyde and to off-gas various chemicals released by synthetic materials. Thus, it keeps the inside air non-toxic. With its ground-covering quality, English ivy also often serves well in landscaping.

Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)

This very sensitive plant with feathery fronds is best known as a humidifier. Though the plant grows slowly and needs year-round care, it can be kept anywhere in the house, especially next to newly varnished furniture or in carpeted areas. The areca palm helps remove deadly toxins like formaldehyde and xylene.

Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Also known as Devil’s ivy or silver vine, the golden pothos can be a highly invasive plant. With evergreen leaves and progressive stems, this hardy plant easily overtakes its surrounding area. Yet it is also very efficient when it comes to removing indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene and xylene. That said, care should be taken as the plant is toxic to small animals such as dogs and cats, and even to kids.

Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)

We all know that aloe vera is present in many skin care products. Not only does it help with skin burns but also with filtering various gas emissions from dangerously toxic materials. Claimed to possess tons of medicinal properties, this incredible succulent can also be grown as an ornamental plant.