KEEP YOUR HOME AIR CLEAN WITH PURIFYING PLANTS
KEEP YOUR HOME AIR CLEAN WITH PURIFYING PLANTS
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside the average home is up to five times more polluted than the air outside. While moderately alarming on a certain level, it’s really more of a catalyst for making positive changes in one’s life that not only freshen up the air, but also allow us to more intimately connect with nature—not merely when we’re outside, but in the comfort of our own living and working spaces. The remedy? Air purifying plants, of course.
Mother-in-Law’s Tongue
Sansevieria trifasciata
Long, tongue-like leaves with sharp pointed tips earn Sansevieria trifasciata the endearingly euphemistic name of Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, although certain varieties also resemble the geometrically patterned scales of a snake. The sturdy leaves of Sansevieria shoot upwards majestically, with beautiful twists and turns that resemble a mobius strip.
One of the top air purifying plants identified by NASA, Sansevieria removes at least 107 known air pollutants, including carbon monoxide and nitrogen monoxide, formaldehyde, chloroform, benzene, xylene, and trichloroethylene among many others. Sansevieria also produces copious amounts of oxygen throughout the night, making it an excellent plant to keep in the bedroom.
Money Plant
Epipremnum aureum
Native to Australia and Asia, the money plant earns its common name from its traditional use as a wealth and prosperity booster in the Chinese system of feng shui, which is the ancient art of harmonizing indoor spaces via the strategic placement of furniture, plants and other common household objects.
Whether or not it brings you greater material abundance, Epipremnum aureum is a powerful air purifying plant that will clean the air in your house very effectively, due to its particular affinity for volatile organic compounds (otherwise known as VOCs) most commonly in the form of off-gassing from synthetic paint or carpets.
Bamboo Palm
Chrysalidocarpus lutescens
Also known as the Butterfly Palm and the Areca Palm, the Bamboo Palm is another hardy plant native to Madagascar that does an excellent job as an indoor, air purifying plant, with a particular penchant for formaldehydes, benzene and carbon monoxide. As an added benefit beyond air purification, Chrysalidocarpus lutescens is also a natural humidifier, producing a liter of ambient water every 24 hours, making it a well-suited plant for dry climates or those with breathing troubles
Via Justin Fareman