Top 10 Air Purifying Plants to Refine the Indoor Ambiance
The advent of industrial revolutions, faster cars, increasing population, etc., has led the environment to a degrading place of pollution. No matter where you stay, the air quality has been drastically diminished. And it is no news that it will worsen unless we individually take on the torch for a better and more sustainable future.
Nature lends us one magical way of transforming the air we breathe around our homes: plants that purify the air. The air purifying indoor plants are a boon to mankind, as they not only refresh the air quality but also add to the beauty of the ambiance!
Let’s begin our air-cleansing journey by learning about these plants:
What Are Air Purifying Plants?
As the name implies, air purifying plants belong to those categories of indoor plant beauties who assist their plant parent in detoxifying the indoor atmosphere just through their presence. One only requires to propagate them in the planters of choice, and the job is done!
These plants carry significant goodwill for leaving the ambiance purer than before. In the later part of the twentieth century, NASA collaborated with other researchers to appreciate such plants that can not only make the ambiance look better but also promote better airflow for the lungs! After thorough research, certain plants received the NASA air-purifying certificate.
How Do Air Purifying Plants Work?
Like all other greenery, air-purifying plants go through a process of cooking their food called photosynthesis. The act of photosynthesis is performed by them through their leaflets. The leaves assist them in converting the mix of carbon dioxide and sunshine into food for the stomach.
However, this conversion doesn’t take place alone, as these green buddies tend to absorb other volatile particles in the surroundings, too! These volatile compounds go unnoticed by the naked eye, but they are present in the atmosphere nonetheless. The air purifying plants help us remove atmospheric toxins like benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, etc.
Which Indoor Plants Are Best For Air Purifying?
Several indoor specimens come with a built-in feature of detoxification. They make the surroundings a purer place to be with their green leaflets dancing with the breeze of rejuvenation. Here’s a list of the best air purifying plants in India:
1. Peace Lily
The peace lily is one of the perfect air purifying plants for bedrooms due to its low-maintenance personality; it can also flourish in low-lit locations such as bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, etc. It matures with dark green leaves and pearly-white flowers that add aesthetics to the ambiance. This plant holds a reputation for absorbing air toxins like benzene, formaldehyde, etc.
2. Aloe Vera
You must have heard of this hardy succulent’s contribution to the cosmetic industry, right? The aloe vera plant is quite famous for its healing properties for skin, hair, and immune system. However, little do people know that this succulent is also a powerhouse for cleaning the air. Certain studies suggest that one aloe plant is equal to nine air purifiers, appearing in the top 10 air purifying indoor plants list!
3. Money Plant
Also known as Golden Pothos, this plant is a favorite in the indoor category due to its hassle-free approach to life. One may propagate it in water and soil, in table top planters, or a flower vase; it will flourish without much fuss when given proper room for growth. Also popular for its name’s inclusion of money, this plant is a superhero of purifying the air around any ambiance.
4. Snake Plant
If you haven’t experimented with your green thumb much yet and wish to introduce greenery in the interiors of your home, the snake plant can become your best friend. It doesn’t ask for attention and thrives in low-lit spaces, too! It appears in the top 10 air purifying plants category because it can clear up to 107 toxins responsible for air pollution and emanates the highest oxygen levels at night.
5. Spider Plant
You can definitely judge this green buddy by its name - spider, as it tends to unfold like a spider’s web. This plant can quickly transform into a bushy web of variegated leaflets when grown in the best conditions, asking for minimal maintenance. Known for its capability to clear xylene and formaldehyde, a single plant is enough to detoxify up to two hundred square meters of the landscape.
6. Areca Palm
This robust specimen that falls in the category of the mighty palms is a new addition to the NASA top 10 air purifying plants section. The areca palm grows with multiple shoots leafing from several hardy branches bunched together in the floor planters. This plant not only clears benzene, trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, etc. but also pumps humidity in the dryness of winters.
7. Weeping Fig
Did you know that placing furniture, carpets, etc., in the interiors also generates pollutants in the surroundings? And even if you are a minimalistic hoarder, you will still find yourself surrounded by their aestheticism. That’s when the weeping fig steps into the picture to detoxify the atmosphere of those man-made air pollutants. Initially, it takes on a slow-paced maturation, but once set, it will freely grow into a big houseplant.
8. American Ivy
If you want to nurture the best indoor plants for air purification with your utmost attention, American ivy will suit you best. This plant requires optimal levels of sunshine, without which it will invite pests for company. Moreover, it doesn’t like standing water, so ensuring proper drainage is a must. Nonetheless, once propagated, this delicate plant appears surreal and cleans the air of fecal pollutants and formaldehyde.
9. Syngonium
Another candidate in the low-maintenance indoor plants for clean air category, Syngonium, grows with rich green leaves indoors and outdoors. One may propagate it in soil or water, as like the money plant, it accepts every home with open arms. This plant also carries goodwill in the Japanese science of Feng Shui, known for bringing luck & prosperity to its place of residence. Further, it enriches any ambiance by removing air pollutants to the best of its capabilities.
10. Indian Basil
Mostly known for its religious connotations and medicinal properties in India, the Holy Basil is one of the best air-purifying plants in India. It can sustain itself in indirect sunlight, but ensure the lighting is not filtered, so place it on a windowsill when indoors. Apart from its air-purifying skills, you can take advantage of its medicinal value by integrating it into your culinary world.
How Should One Take Care of Air Purifying Plants Indoors?
Although most indoor greenery is fuss-free and low-maintenance, it is greenery still! Plants are living beings requiring optimum care for their best growth. This is what you can do to improve the well-being of your air purifier plants indoor in India:
- Lighting
Most plants, even when indoors, ask to see a certain amount of sunlight per day. They might not want direct exposure, yet a bit of sunshine filtered through the windowsills is most welcome. However, it is better to gauge their preference, as every indoor plant specimen can have a different outlook on its lighting requirements.
- Medium
If you propagate them in a soil-based environment, ensure mixing the plant soil with supreme ingredients like cocopeat to enrich the plants’ residence. However, if it is a water-based approach, refill the container as and when you find it evaporated, and replace the water often to minimize diseases.
- Hydration
Your air-purifying plants will turn to you for hydration, more so in the summer months. Give them a continuous water supply, maybe once daily, based on the weather around you. Hold back on watering during the frosty months of the year. Also, a simple rule suggests hydrating them whenever the soil seems draught-like.
- Enrichers
Although a good potting mix with proper sunlight and hydration is often enough for these plant beauties, treating them with a nourishment booster like an organic fertilizer or garden manure will only make their growth more prominent. They will thank you for a once-a-month feed of a balanced booster.
Health Benefits of Air Purifying House Plants in India:
Greenery is always welcome in Indian households, and what’s better than growing green buddies that can also clean the atmospheric pollutants? No doubt, one may invest in air purifiers, but inculcating the magic of greenery indoors to cleanse the surroundings is a cost-efficient and ornamental way of staying healthy. Here are some more benefits associated with these plantations:
- Reduces Air Pollutants
Knowingly and unknowingly, various factors contribute to the rising pollution levels indoors. These plants are perfect to introduce a sense of well-being by restoring oxygen levels, reducing the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and eradicating harmful toxins like benzene, chloroform, formaldehyde, etc. - Decreases Atmospheric Dust
Even after cleaning the interiors a zillion times, you will find the dust particles mingling with each other in the air around you. These plants readily absorb the dust particles, leaving the surroundings cleaner. Also, ensure wiping their leaves clean to remove the dust that sticks to their surface. -
Lowers Air Temperature
The NASA-certified air-purifying plants are not here just to give your ambiance an air-pollutant makeover. These plants, when introduced indoors, will also impact the temperature indoors by promoting a cooler environment with their existence. Their insulation properties will significantly reduce the degrees and save you some air-conditioning costs.
- Boosts Mental & Physical Health
The air-purifying plants will change how you look and feel with their presence. They will lend you a fresher ambiance for your lungs to breathe cleaner air, while their being will promote the feel-good hormones in your brain. These plants will reduce your stress levels, increase your productivity, and improve your concentration power.
From Where Can One Buy Top Air Purifying Plants?
The best part about our age is that we have the convenience of purchasing almost everything from the cozy comfort of our homes. All you need to do is log on to our web page and look for the air-purifying plants you wish to call home. You are free to scroll through the online gardening store as much as you want to pick the greenery that suits you most!
After selecting the plants, go through the user-friendly ordering process, and that will be all. You will receive your parcel in a safe position after a few days of order placement. Meanwhile, you can think about the style & decor ideas for indoor and outdoor greenery!
Overall, introducing air-purifying plants in the ambiance is an economical method of making your home a fresher and calmer place. These green buddies will remove the air pollutants in no time while ensuring a regular supply of boosted oxygen indoors. They are fantastic for physical health and mental well-being and will also serve as eye candy for your scenic buds!
FAQs About Top Air-purifying Plants
Ques: How do Air-purifying Plants Work?
Ans: The air-purifying plants utilize the stomata part of their leaves to absorb all sorts of toxins and carbon dioxide.
Ques: How Many Air-purifying Plants are Enough to Clean The Air?
Ans: One should place at least one plant in the vicinity of ten meters to optimally detoxify the air around any ambiance.
Ques: What Are Some Examples of Air-purifying Plants Certified by NASA?
Ans: NASA took on an experiment in 1989 and later classified these plants under the air-purifying category: spider plant, peace lily, English ivy, anthurium, bamboo palm, etc.
Ques: Can Air-purifying Plants Replace Air Purifiers?
Ans: Research suggests that growing big and leafy air-purifying plants has an almost similar effect on the surroundings as an air-purifier. However, whether these plants will be enough to cleanse the air or not really depends on the environmental pollution around.
Ques: Can Air-purifying Plants Remove Bad Smells?
Ans: Yes, certain air-purifying plants can eliminate nasty odors by absorbing them through leaves.