The Best Houseplants for Improving Indoor Air Quality

Boosting Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in your home is something that we are passionate about at WLLW. While air purifiers and advanced HVAC systems can be very effective, one of the simplest solutions is to look to nature.

Plants are nature’s life-support system. A landmark 1989 Clean Air Study by NASA scientists found that plant root systems and their associated microorganisms in the soil can destroy pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and organic chemicals – eventually converting all these air pollutants into new plant tissue.

With a little know-how, it’s easy to bring air-cleaning indoor plants into your home to keep you happy and healthy. Knowing which ones absorb harmful toxins and VOCs – volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are emitted as gases and include a variety of chemicals found in household items such as furniture, synthetic materials, varnishes and detergents – can help narrow down your wish list as well as make your home more restful and inviting.

WLLW has explored eight of the best houseplants to help purify the air. Place one plant for every 100 square feet of living space for optimal results.

Boston Fern (Nephrolepis Exaltata)

Also known as a sword fern, this plant is amenable to indoor air quality and homes with little natural light. The Boston fern is native to swampy and forested areas and thus prefers shade with frequent watering or a more humid setting like a bathroom or conservatory. It has proven a strong phytoremediator, effective in removing VOCs like formaldehyde, xylene, toluene and benzene.

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea Seifrizii)

The NASA report showed that the bamboo palm had a remarkable ability to add moisture to the air while effectively filtering out multiple VOCs like benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene. Unlike true bamboo, which needs full sun, this palm thrives naturally under the shelter of lush rainforests and is ideally suited to the home's more humid but shaded conditions.

Peace lily (Spathiphyllum)

Naturally fragrant, the peace lily is especially effective at removing benzene and trichloroethylene VOCs commonly emitted from synthetic materials and furniture. They remove pollutants via their leaves, sending them down their roots and into the soil, where microbes break them down. These plants prefer low sunlight areas and will thrive as a focal point in the corner of a living space or kitchen.

Flamingo Lily (Anthurium Andraeanum)

Rainforests are one of the most efficient ecosystems for filtering and reprocessing some of the world’s most dense carbon dioxide outputs. Many air purifying plants, like the flamingo lily, are native to these areas. Their leaves tend to boast broad porous surface areas, allowing them an enhanced ability to generate an electrical charge which can attract airborne particulates. This bold lily is best suited to your home's humid, partially shaded areas.

Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron Hederaceum)

The heartleaf philodendron is part of a family of famously low light-loving plants, making it ideal for those with only a passing green thumb. Its “sweetheart” shaped leaves make for optimal real estate to absorb formaldehyde, its VOC removing specialty. They do well in shady areas of your home but will produce more leaves in medium to indirect light offered in bright spaces.

Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis Miller)

While commonly known as the panacea of medicinal plants, aloe vera is also a powerful succulent. It can purify the air of formaldehyde and benzene, commonly found in varnishes, floor finishes, and detergents. This long-lived plant favors warm and dry environments and works well on a south or east-facing table with bright indirect light.

Dumb Canes (Dieffenbachia Seguine)

Native to the tropical Americas, dumb canes are a family of thick stemmed, large leaf plants whose foliage is especially effective in removing xylene and toluene from the air. These plants can grow between three and ten feet tall, so should be potted to accommodate future growth and placed in an area with 50 percent or greater humidity and bright indirect light.

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum)

Spider plants, also called air plants, are an easy addition to your air purification plant army. These plants are one of the best options to degrade and detoxify particulate matter (PM) made up of tiny particles of dust, dirt, and external pollutants, which can cause serious health problems when inhaled. Hanging baskets are the perfect way to showcase the beautiful foliage of spider plants in a moderate to brightly lit office or bedroom with 40 to 80 percent humidity.

Know your common indoor pollutants

• Trichloroethylene: Found in printing ink, paint, lacquers, and varnishes.
• Formaldehyde: Found in wood paneling and synthetic fabrics.
• Benzene: Found in glues, paints, furniture wax, detergents and tobacco smoke.
• Xylene: Found in common household products such as paints, lacquers, adhesives, and rust preventers.
• Toluene: Found in paint, rubbers, glues, inks and stain removers.
• Ammonia: Found in household cleaners, floor waxes, and fertilizers.
• Nitrogen Dioxide: Originates from unvented combustion appliances like gas stoves.
• Particulate matter (PM): A mixture of microscopic solids of aerosols such as dust, pollen and smoke.

Photography: Patch Plants