9 Easy Houseplants That Are Beneficial To Your Health

Poor air quality can be found inside your home or workplace as well as outdoors. Indoor air pollutants have been ranked among the top five environmental risks to public health. Check out these 9 easy houseplants that are beneficial to your health.

Stagnant indoor environments allow pollutants to build up and stick around in greater amounts than humans should be breathing in. Living and working in places rife with air contaminants and lacking decent ventilation can cause what is called “sick building syndrome” which can cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Other symptoms include eye, ear, and nose irritation.

Given the fact that people spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors, indoor air quality matters just as much as the air quality outside.

What exactly causes indoor air quality to be so poor? Furnishings, upholstery, synthetic materials, and cleaning products in homes and offices can emit a variety of toxic compounds like formaldehyde. Indoor air pollution can also be caused by pollen, bacteria, and molds. In addition, outdoor contaminants like car exhaust finds its way into buildings. All of these contaminants are made worse in small or poorly ventilated spaces.

Houseplants to the rescue! I have compiled a list of nine houseplants that will help purify the air in your home or workplace which will make for a much healthier life. Let’s take a look!

9 Easy Houseplants That Are Beneficial To Your Health

1. Spider Plant

Spider plants are one of the easiest houseplants to grow which makes it ideal for beginners! This plant is a fan of bright, indirect sunlight and will send out shoots with flowers that eventually grow into baby spider plants or spiderettes.

Pollutants removed: Formaldehyde, Xylene

2. Boston Fern

These plants prefer to clean the air from a cool location with high humidity and indirect light. They’re relatively easy to grow but, they do need to stay moist. Check the boston fern’s soil daily to see if it needs water and give it a good soak once a month.

Pollutants removed: Formaldehyde, Xylene

3. Aloe Vera

This plant is easy to care for and carries so many health benefits! The leaves of an aloe vera plant contain a clear liquid full of vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, and other compounds that have wound healing, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Aloe Vera also emits oxygen at night which helps those who suffer from insomnia.

Pollutants removed: Formaldehyde

4. Dracaena

There are more than 40 different kinds of dracaena plants, making it easy to find one that’s a perfect fit for your home or office. They’re common foliage plants with long, wide leaves that are often variegated with lines of white, cream, or red. Pet owners might want to select a different plant, however, as these are toxic to cats and dogs.

Pollutants removed: Benzene, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene, and Xylene

5. Garden Mum

This beautiful plant is an excellent choice for air purification as it removes ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene. This plant can be planted outside after they’re finished blooming.

Pollutants removed: Ammonia, Benzene, Formaldehyde, and Xylene

6. Bamboo Palm

This plant is excellent for filtering formaldehyde! The bamboo palm thrives in full sun or bright light. Part of the reason they can filter so much air is that they can grow up to 12 feet high!

Pollutants removed: Benzene, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene

7. Snake Plant

This is probably one of the hardest plants to kill. Although it does need to be watered occasionally, it generally prefers drier conditions and some sun.

Pollutants removed: Benzene, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene, Xylene

8. Ficus

Though the ficus is a tree in its native home of southeast Asia, when it grows indoors, it’s a hardy plant that ends up being between 2-10 feet tall. It’s a low maintenance plant that likes bright, indirect light. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

Although this plant has excellent air cleansing abilities, it can also be taken outside in late spring and brought back indoors when temperatures are warm and well above freezing.

Pollutants removed: Benzene, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene

9. English Ivy

This plant is great for those who suffer from breathing problems such as asthma. English Ivy can reduce air molds up to 94% in 12 hours!

Removes: Mold Allergens

Do you have one of these beneficial plants in your home or office? Tell us in the comment section below.

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For awesome survival gear you can’t make at home, check out the Survival Life Store!

If you’re looking for a few products to help you grow easy houseplants, check out these options:

• Order your own Aloe Vera Plant Mature 3 Plants here!
• If you want a low maintenance plant, give these Hirt’s Superba Robusta Snake Plants a try!