Plants

Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

A beautiful houseplant with long grassy leaves, the spider plant also grows rapidly. This elegant plant is great at removing poisonous gases as well as other impurities like formaldehyde and xylene. For better effect, it should be kept in the kitchen or near the fireplaces, as monoxide accumulates a lot.

Boston fern (Nephrolepsis exaltata bostoniensis)

An exotic plant that has gracefully arching fronds and frilly leaves, the Boston fern also acts as a natural humidifier. Boston ferns grow better in filtered sunlight and in humid conditions. By releasing moisture into the air, they remove nasty air pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde and xylene, providing clean  air inside the home.

English lvy (Hedera helix)

Despite its poisonous leaves, English ivy is a very  popular houseplant and is best suited for people with asthma  and allergic  conditions. Easy to grow in bright sunlight, this plant has the amazing ability to remove benzene and formaldehyde and to off-gas various chemicals released  by synthetic materials . Thus, it keeps the inside air non-toxic. With its ground – covering quality, English ivy also often serves well in landscaping.

Areca palm (chrysalidocarpus lutecens)

This very sensitive plant with feathery fronds is best known as a humidifier. Though the plant grows slowly and needs year-round care, it can be kept anywhere in the house, especially next to newly varnished furniture or in carpeted areas. The area palm helps remove deadly toxins like formaldehyde and xylene.

Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Also known as Devil’s ivy or Silver vine, the goilden pothos can be a highly invasive plant. With evergreen leaves and progressive stems, this hardy plant easily overtakes its surrounding area. Yet it is also very efficient when it comes to removing indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene and xylene. That said, care should be taken as the plant is toxic to small animals such as dogs and cats, and even to kids.

Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)

We all know that aloe vera is present in many skin care products.Not only does it help with skin burns but also with filtering various gas emissions from dangerously toxic materials. Claimed to possess tons of medicinal properties, this incredible succulent can also be grown as an ornamental plant.

Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)

An excellent air-purifier plant, Chinese evergreen is a herbaceous perennial plant. A very common houseplant with shiny, green leaves that have interesting markings on them, it grows even better with less water and minimum light. It can also filter out airbone toxinbs such as benzene and formaldehyde.

Snake Plant (sansevieria trifasciata)

Widely used as an ornamental polant, the snake plant is an evergreen perennial species that bis tolerant of irregular watering and less lightning. Scientists at NASA have found out that this plant has the amazing ability to absorb formaldehyde, nitrogen oxides, and a variety of other chemicals present in the air.

Marginata (Dracaena marginata)

One cannot ignore the beauty of marginata, a plant that has glossy thin leaves with red edges. It is a famously slow growing flowering houseplant with very few growing requirements. It also not only removes formaldehyde and benzene from the air, but is also capable of filtering out other toxins present. However, proper care should be taken while placing the plant inside, as it could be poisonous to dogs.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

Our top houseplant is the peace lily, which is known to reduce harmful  indoor toxins that may cause cancer. An easy-to-care-for houseplant, the peace lily is a great pollution fighter and air-purifier. It helps in removing benzene and formaldehyde present in the house.

Life on earth depends on plants, whether directly or indirectly. We can’t ignore the fact that plants keep the air clean and pollution free and absorb the excess of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. To find out more about the list of air-filtering plants, prepared by scientists at NASA, click here.

Common indoor landscaping plants can be a very effective part of a system used to provide pollution free homes and work places.

Today, we can see the effect of global warming and pollution on human health as well as on plants. Why not visit a nearby nursery today and decorate your house with some life- saver plants?

Thanks,

Health, March-2013