Air purifying plants: 12 indoor varieties to grow

All air purifying plants can improve our health in many ways, absorbing harmful carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen into the air through a process known as photosynthesis, as well as helping to balance humidity levels, which is also beneficial to our wellbeing. 

An often-cited 1989 study by NASA also found that some houseplants could reduce levels of air-borne toxins such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which include a range of harmful chemical gases emitted from furnishings, detergents, and paints. However, more recent research has shown that even the best indoor plants absorb such low levels of toxins that you would need a forest of them to purify the air effectively, while simply opening a window for couple of days after buying new carpets and furniture to allow any harmful VOCs to escape would be a more effective solution.

While research is on-going, these are the best air purifying plants which have been found in some experiments to reduce airborne pathogens and air pollutants.

Air purifying indoor plants can help to improve your mental health and boost immunity levels while adding natural decoration to your home, so you have nothing to lose even if their air purifying abilities are not as strong as previous studies, such as the NASA study, might have suggested.

By Zia Allaway