Daily Detox: Indoor Plants for Cleaner Air

Houseplants are a simple, inexpensive way to help boost indoor air quality. They help clear pollutants and toxins from the air and moderate humidity indoors. Here’s a list of the most effective plants for removing indoor air pollutants, from a study by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA):

Philodendron scandens `oxycardium’, heartleaf philodendron

Philodendron domesticum, elephant ear philodendron

Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana’, cornstalk dracaena

Hedera helix, English ivy

Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant

Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig’, Janet Craig dracaena

Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii’, Warneck dracaena

Ficus benjamina, weeping fig

Epipiremnum aureum, golden pothos

Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa’, peace lily

Philodendron selloum, selloum philodendron

Aglaonema modestum, Chinese evergreen

Chamaedorea sefritzii, bamboo or reed palm

Sansevieria trifasciata, snake plant

Dracaena marginata , red-edged dracaena

*If you’ve got pets, keep them safe from toxic plants by checking the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center to see which plants to avoid.

You can read the full study here (PDF).