15 Plants That Naturally Purify Your Home's Air

Beautiful chrysanthemums are one of the best air-purifying plants you can add to your home. These eye-catching plants can remove ammonia and other toxins from the air. Although this plant is an air-purifying powerhouse, it only purifies the air so long as its flowers are blooming, which is roughly six weeks. Available in many different bloom shades, chrysanthemums will add color and texture to your home. Keep in mind, however, that these plants are toxic, so keep them away from kids and pets.

Rubber plants hail from India where they’re known as tropical evergreens. These plants love bright settings, moderate watering, and moist soil. Rubber plants aren’t particularly high-maintenance, but they are toxic, so be sure to keep them away from young children and pets. Rubber plants are adept at removing toxins like formaldehyde and carbon monoxide from the air. With their rich “rubbery” foliage, these plants make charming accents to any home or office. If your plant gets dusty, just wipe them clean with a clean sponge.

Spider plants add color and visual charm to interior spaces. These plants look terrific in hanging baskets or tall containers where their foliage can hang over the basket’s rim for an eye-catching display. One of the many reasons why spider plants make such great additions to homes is because they’re not overly fussy. Easy to take care of, these plants only require watering two to three times per week. Moreover, spider plants are non-toxic, so you can keep them in spaces where kids and pets are present.

English ivy is a favorite houseplant. It can be trained to grow into various shapes and will add a pleasant green touch to any niche of your setting. While English ivy charming to behold, it is also wonderfully efficient at removing toxins from the air. This plant is also amazingly versatile and can grow in both full sun and full shade. With optimum care, this plant can purify the air of your home for years.

The elegant Kimberly Queen fern will add a regal touch to your interior space. This fern has an upright growth habit that makes it perfect for growing in your favorite pot. Ideal for removing toxins like formaldehyde from your home, this fern is also dubbed as a natural humidifier, owing to its high transpiration rate. This plant requires routine watering and humus-rich potting soil. Simply remove discolored fronds to keep this fern looking its best. If your fern looks like it needs perking up, try misting it with your spray bottle.

Beautiful and bright gerbera daisies are available in multiple shades like fuchsia, orange, and pink. These captivating lovelies are perennials that are native to South Africa. Today, they’re grown commercially all over the world. These plants require partial to full sun but are susceptible to root rot, so be sure to keep the soil moist but not wet. Grow this plant indoors so that you can enjoy its air purifying properties. Gerbera daisies are ideal for removing toxic gases from your setting, but their flashy colors make them wonderful accents too.

The dragon tree is a showy plant that prefers semi-shade settings and plenty of humidity, but it will tolerate winter dryness well, providing you mist it regularly. With its upright growth pattern, the dragon tree makes an attractive plant to add to corners or beside office desks. Adept at purifying the air quality of interior spaces, the dragon tree will leave your interior air smelling fresher while enhancing the look of any room. Popular for use in office buildings as well as homes, this plant is especially versatile and sure to complement multiple decorative styles.

Hailing from South America, the prayer plant is compact and only grows to the height of 12 inches, so you can conveniently place it on your desk or an end table. This plant grows well in semi-shade or semi-sun. This air-purifying plant is lovely to behold with its lustrous green leaves that feature a rib-like pattern. A charming house-warming gift, this plant is easy to care for, requiring routine watering. Its habit of unfurling its leaves during the day and closing them again at night makes this plant an interesting sight to see.

The gorgeous dendrobium orchid will add attention-getting beauty to your home while removing all sorts of air pollutants from the air. This beauty thrives in semi-sun and requires generous watering. Ideally, you should plant this orchid in a special orchid mix. Although these plants can be difficult to care for, they are worth the effort with their showy blooms. The flowers can last for months, making this plant a winner when it comes to decorative charm and air-purifying prowess. The beautiful plant also makes a lovely gift any time of the year.

The red emerald philodendron is a vining houseplant that will enliven any area of your home with its gorgeous shades of burgundy and green. This plant is a powerhouse when it comes to air purification. While removing toxic gases from your interior space, this plant is as decorative as it is functional. Easy to grow in a standard pot, this plant requires moist but not soggy soil and semi-shade. Ideally, you should stake this plant’s pot with a water-absorbing pole which can provide support for the plant’s upward growth.

Aloe vera plants are a good choice to purify the air in your home. They help remove benzene and formaldehyde, byproducts of many common household cleaners. They also have uses beyond their function as air purifiers. When applied topically, aloe vera gel helps soothe burns, acne, and many itchy skin conditions. Aloe vera is an easy-to-grow houseplant, as long as it has the proper conditions. It required well-drained soil and a sunny window to thrive.

The snake plant cleans several toxic components from the air, including benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene. Trichloroethylene is most commonly used for industrial purposes, but it is widespread in ground and drinking water. Xylene and toluene help produce solvents, plastics, adhesives, and many other household items. The snake plant does best in well-drained soil and tolerates low-light conditions.

The broadleaf lady palm is a slow-growing houseplant that removes ammonia, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, and xylene from the air. This plant prefers indirect sunlight. When watering, allow the soil to dry out to a depth of one inch before providing a thorough soaking. Repot the broadleaf lady palm into larger pots as it grows. You can stop its growth, which can reach eight feet or more, by not sizing up the pot once you are happy with its height.

There are several varieties of ficus, and at least two are known to help clean the air. Ficus benjamina or weeping fig removes formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene. Ficus elastica, the rubber plant, removes formaldehyde. This latter variety is the one commonly thought of when ficus is mentioned, and it makes an attractive addition to the home. It is easy to grow in low-light conditions, although it does prefer to be kept away from drafts. It is important to note that both the rubber plant and weeping fig are toxic to household pets.

For those new to houseplants who want the benefits of cleaner air, the Chinese evergreen is a great choice. An easy-care, slow-growing, attractive plant, the Chinese evergreen removes benzene and formaldehyde from the air. The plant is not particular about lighting conditions, doing well in bright sun, low light, and even artificial light, making it a smart choice for the office. In addition to removing chemicals from the air, the Chinese evergreen and other air purifying plants cut down on the amount of household dust and raise the humidity level in the room.