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The Best House Plants to Clean Indoor Air & Provide Oxygen
The Best House Plants to Clean Indoor Air & Provide Oxygen
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Plants such as the Bamboo Palm help clean indoor air.
House plants do more than just make your room look warm and inviting. They can actually make your home feel different, as they can help clean the air from contaminants such as formaldehyde, xylene, benzene and carbon monoxide that fill many homes. While house plants clean air, they also provide oxygen, with many requiring little care. According to the University of Connecticut, scientists at NASA designed experiments to examine the effects on which houseplants will help clean indoor air.
Bamboo Palm
The Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii) helps remove trichloroethylene from the air. To grow the Bamboo Palm as a house plant, a room with ample sunlight is needed. Bamboo Palms need six hours of sunlight per day to remain healthy, and are temperamental about watering. If the leaves are turning yellow, it may indicate that you are over-watering. Mist Bamboo Palms daily, as they love high humidity. Fertilize with a high-nitrogen fertilizer.
English Ivy
English Ivy (Heeder helix), which helps remove benzene from the air, is a climbing house plant which can grow on a trellis or topiary. English Ivy is an easy house plant to grow, and grows well in a room where the temperatures are 50 degrees F at night and around 70 degrees F during the day. Fertilize the English Ivy every month while it is actively growing, but do not fertilize in the heat of summer or during its winter rest period. The English Ivy has hundreds of cultivars, with leaves varying from less than 1 inch to over 3 inches in length.
Heart Leaf Philodendron
The Heart Leaf Philodendron (Philodendron scan dens 'oxycardium'), which helps remove formaldehyde from the air, is a low-maintenance house plant which is able to live in low light and neglect. It has heart-shaped leaves that range from 2 to 4 inches in length. Some leaves are glossy green while other leaves feel like textured velvet. Grow the Heart Leaf Philodendron in rooms that are around 70 to 75 degrees F.
Spider Plant
The Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Como sum) is a simple houseplant to grow, and helps remove xylene, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide from the air. Most Spider Plants grow in hanging baskets with their spiders hanging over the sides of the pot. The leaves look like long blades of grass, although some varieties have striped leaves of yellow or white. Small white flowers and miniature plant-lets, or spiders, appear on long wiry stems. If you put the plant-lets into a small pot of soil, they will develop roots. The Spider Plant grows well in temperatures of 65 to 75 degrees F during the day and 10 degrees lower at night. Place the pot where the plants receive bright indirect sunlight. If you keep the soil too wet or too dry, Spider Plants are more susceptible to spider mites, scales, aphids and white flies.
Mother-in-Law's Tongue
Mother-in-Law's Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata 'Laurent'), or "Snake Plant," helps remove formaldehyde from the air. Mother-in-Law's Tongue, which is a member of the century plant family, is almost indestructible and will grow in the most adverse conditions. Its leaves are fleshy and sword-like, with either gray cross bands or yellow bands on the leaves. Depending on the variety chosen, the leaves can grow from 6 inches to 4 feet in length. It prefers to be pot bound and needs little to no fertilizing.
The Best House Plants for Oxygen
According to a study by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, many common houseplants not only add attractiveness to your home, but they purify the air and remove harmful components from the air. Some of these plants require little maintenance and can adapt well to low light. Houseplants are easily found at your local nursery.
Heartleaf Philodendron
The heartleaf philodendron, also known as the sweetheart vine, is a common houseplant. The plant has green heart-shaped leaves and prefers low light. It can be left to trail down from the pot or trained to grow up a trellis or support cage. Allow the soil to completely dry out before each watering. The heartleaf philodendron is a great plant for beginners, as it is tolerant of many conditions and very easy to grow, according to the Plant Oasis website.
Spider Plant
Spider plants, also known as airplane plants, have long, skinny green leaves that have a white stripe going down the center of each leaf. The leaves grow from the center of the plant and fall out around the edge of the pot. These plants prefer to be pot bound with well-drained, moist soil. For good, healthy growth, sit the plant near a window to get some light; however, keep the plant away from direct sunlight. When these plants are purchased, stay away from plants with torn leaves or brown tips.
Janet Craig
Janet Craig, which is also called the green corn plant, is a common houseplant that helps purify the air. It is a bushy plant that has long green leaves. This is a slow-growing plant that requires low to medium light and moist soil. If the plant is exposed to too much light, the leaves will become bleached. Keep the plant away from direct sun, warns the Plant Care Guru website.
Peace Lily
The Peace Lily has long green foliage with white, half-shaped blooms. For best results, keep this plant within 5 to 8 feet from a window. The plant prefers well-drained soil and bright, filtered light. Keep the plant away from any drafts and clean the leaves regularly with a damp cloth. Cleaning the leaves will not only remove dust, but it will remove some pests that tend to gather on the leaves.
Snake Plant
The snake plant, which is also called devil's tongue, has sword-shaped leaves that are green with a variety of patterns on each leaf. The plant does best in bright, indirect sunlight and barely moist soil. For best results, use fertilizer once a month and be careful not to overwater. The snake plant is an air purifier that will remove xylene, toluene and formaldehyde from the atmosphere, according to the Plant Care website.
Some houseplants remove carbon dioxide from the air and replace it with oxygen. house plant isolated image