Top Indoor Plants to Purify Your Home

I often have a hard time choosing the best plants to adorn the rooms in my home. Often times I will go to my local nursery and pick something with lush, green leaves but when I get it home it is another story. I don’t know if I picked the right plant for the right room, how much water does it need or how little, and will it be happier in direct or indirect lighting? Sometimes I feel like you need a manual to make sure you are getting it right! Spending so much time in my home lately has forced me to want to choose more carefully so I don’t end up with a dead plant.

So, which plants are right for you? I have come up with a list of plants that are not only beautiful to look at, but easier to care for in your home while at the same time detoxifying unwanted pollutants.

• Bamboo Palm. Its lush hunter green fronds are smaller than the ones you typically see at a tropical destination, but nonetheless they are just the right amount of green. I find using a medium size pot or basket is perfect for any table or countertop. It not only can remove benzene (a chemical found in some household products) and formaldehyde (the gross chemical once used to preserve carpet and other items). This plant prefers partial sun and watering one to three times per week.
• Peace Lily. As far as levels of easy care, this plant ranks very high. The long, oblong leaves and white flat flowers can perk up any room. This plant is known to fight toxic gases such as formaldehyde and carbon monoxide but can be mildly toxic to humans and pets. Keeping this plant high up on a tall bookshelf or away from easy access may be best.
• Pothos. This plant was rated very high in terms of clearing the air of toxins. The leaves are known for cascading down its pot or container, which can make for a more dramatic effect in your home. I think the perfect spot would be a window ledge in a bathroom or maybe a small side table next to your favorite chair. My favorite part – this plant can bring solid green leaves or slight splashes of a yellowish green dependent on sun exposure. This plant prefers dry soil between waterings.
• Aloe Vera. Remember the days when you got too much sun exposure and your mom told you that you needed some aloe vera to ease the pain and burning? This easy to care for succulent is not only functional but is good at cleaning the air. This plant looks particularly beautiful in a terracotta pot with sand on the top of the soil. I love this plant because you only need to water about every three weeks. You don’t really need to be a green thumb and usually with some plant success it gives you the confidence to take on more.
• Snake Plant. This plant always reminds me of a furniture ad where everything is minimalistic and monochromatic with just the slightest touch of green in the background. It releases oxygen at night and it’s sharp green, yellowish spear like leaves are complementary to almost any space or design. This plant is very functional – on the floor in a corner of a room or prominent on a tabletop or coffee table to add height and interest. Like the pothos plant, the snake plant prefers dry soil between waterings.
• Ficus. Last, but certainly not least. In my early twenties, I had a ficus for the longest time set in the nook behind our living room couch. I just loved the intertwining trunk that braided to the top and how the leaves were so dark and glossy. I think I even named it Herman. Don’t ask. Just think, this plant is good for cleaning the air by removing formaldehyde, xylene and toluene from your home and will bring years of enjoyment. The ficus requires more consistent watering and you may lose some leaves in fall/winter, but it usually gets full again in the spring. It is a larger plant so although you may end up paying more for a proper pot or container, it may be that one plant you have for a long time.

I love these baskets. Affordable and Beautiful.