Top 10 Houseplants for Air Purification

Are you a houseplant lover or a total beginner?

Or perhaps you are just interested in putting a bit of green into your surroundings?

And you also want to reap the natural benefits of a few houseplants in order to purify and remove toxins from your indoor air?

According to NASA’s Clean Air Study, it has been proven that certain houseplants can effectively purify your indoor air and filter out impurities and toxins.

With just a little bit of care, the return on investment for your home and sense of well-being is manifold.

Here is our list of the best indoor house plants that are great for beginners, known for their air purification qualities, and will give your room a lovely touch of green.

Snake Plant

An ever-popular, easy-to-grow houseplant that will tolerate low light, doesn’t need a lot of water and is tough to kill.

It doesn’t come much easier than this beautiful plant, and is great for beginners.

Known for its air-purifying properties, the snake plant will grow just about anywhere and also comes in different colors and patterns.

Peace Lily

The peace lily is your classic house lily. 

It’s very easy to grow, blooms practically non-stop, and produces lovely, sweetly scented white flowers that brighten up any room.

In its natural habitat it grows on the jungle floor, so it likes to be consistently moist and can tolerate relatively low light.

It will let you know when it needs water, because the leaves will wilt and droop just a bit. Just water it and it will come back without a problem.

Dracaena

The Dracaena is easy to grow and is a perfect houseplant for a novice. It comes in multiple varieties, such as the dragon tree (Dracaena marginata) or the corn plant (Dracaena fragrans).

They are very easy to grow indoors and need bright but indirect light, and like their soil to partially dry out between waterings.

If you see the tips of their leaves start to brown, that is an indication that they don’t have enough water or they are getting too much sun.

Ferns

Ferns are lovely, big green plants that love moisture and is one of the best houseplants for low light areas.

They are perfect for a bathroom and can even be placed on the shower floor, where they can be regularly flooded with water.

If it is dry in the winter, just make sure to mist them on a daily basis. As long as their soil is moist at all times, they are happy.

Chinese Evergreen

Yet another houseplant that can make the novice look like an expert.

Extremely durable, the Chinese evergreen can tolerate poor lighting conditions, dry air and very little water.

And they happen to be known as one of the best air purifiers amongst common house plants!

It goes without saying that the Chinese evergreen is particularly beautiful and comes in different colors, some being a silvery pink and some splashed with a light green.

As long as you don’t overwater them, they will be happy and will remove toxins and impurities from your air, including formaldehyde and benzene.

Palms (like the Areca Palm)

Palms come in multiple varieties, including the Areca palm, one of the most popular, and the Parlor palm, which is the perfect indoor plant for average light and temperatures.

Palms, depending on the variety, will often grow into a bigger tree and likes moderate amounts of water.

If your room is dry, you can simply mist them every day in the winter. If the tips of their leaves turn brown, that is a sign that they are a bit too dry.

Philodendron

Another great plant for the inexperienced gardener, the Philodendron will let you know what it needs.

They come in different varieties, and all boast beautiful foliage with different patterns and colors.

Philodendrons like bright but indirect light, like to dry out slightly between waterings, and do not like to be too wet, but also not too dry.

Pothos

Pothos, also sometimes known as devil’s ivy, is very easy to care for and come in a variety of bright beautiful colors. Perhaps the perfect beginner’s houseplant, Pothos are great for air purification and adding a splash of color to your home.

Pothos will grow in low light and dry soil, or also in indirect light and in vases of water. They can tolerate a variety of light, water and soil conditions. Essentially, they are a pretty carefree plant that will grow under nearly all circumstances.

Tough to kill, beautiful and great at filtering out impurities in the air, Pothos are a great addition to any room.

English Ivy

English Ivy is a beautiful trailing plant that are often hung in baskets, but will also vigorously climb if it has a support.

The ivy tolerates low light but prefers bright indirect light. Make sure not to overwater, and let the soil dry out a bit between waterings.

These beautiful plants are very robust and in some parts of the world considered an invasive species, so keep an eye on them! They therefore work best in a hanging basket, and can be trimmed and re-propagated to make new plants.

Spider Plant

The spider plant has always been well-known as an air-purifier and are one of the most adaptable houseplants one can buy.

They are very easy to grow, suffer from few problems, and are tough to kill.

They prefer bright, indirect sunlight and one can let their soil dry out a bit between waterings.

One can also very easily propagate a spider plant and it makes for a great gift!