If you follow me on Instagram, it’s no secret that I’m a crazy plant lady. I sometimes call my apartment The Jungalow 🌱😜. Beyond my obsession with succulents and cacti, I love houseplants.
Lucky for us, houseplants help with poor air quality. Did you know that indoor air pollutants have been ranked among the top five environment risks to public health? Stagnant household environments allow pollutants to build up, which is not good for us to be breathing. Plants not only make a house more homey but they also clean the air.
Plants absorb particles from the air at the same time they take in carbon dioxide, which is then processed into oxygen due to photosynthesis. Plants are also said to bring positive vibes and help lower stress levels.
So which plants are the best to clean your air? There are several according to NASA but here are my favorite three. All of which are relatively easy to take care of.
- Dracaena (Dragon Tree): With 40 different varieties, you’re sure to find one that matches your decor. They come small or as large as 6-10 feet tall with green, yellow or red foliage. We just bought a huge carefree one from Portland Nursery but I’ve found them often at Ikea for cheap. I dig how funky they look. Dracaena like indirect sunny spots and like watering when the pot is nearly dry. They will even forgive a missed watering. Note — if you have pets that like plants, you might choose a different option as these can be toxic for the furbabies to ingest.
- Bamboo: I like to keep Bamboo in my bathroom. It adds a sense of calm to the room (I take Epsom Salt baths to relax). We have a skylight in our bathroom so light is not an issue either (they like bright light). Bamboo is a superstar for filtering formaldehyde. I prefer lucky Bamboo, which I grow in pebbles with standing water.
- Aloe Vera: The health benefits of Aloe Vera are numerous. Beyond cleaning your air, this plant has been used for ages to alleviate pain, since it has excellent anti-inflammatory properties. Aloe likes bright light and needs deeps watering when the soil is dry. They also produce plantlets or “babies” that can be removed to grow a new aloe plant.
You’d have to try pretty hard to kill these guys so don’t let your “green thumb” or lack there of stop you from adding some green to your life.
Sweat Adventures 