Plants are a great decoration for the house. They help provide a natural atmosphere within the comfort of your home.
Research from NASA shows that there are indoor plants that can help filter and detoxify the air in your household. If these plants are good enough to clean the air in NASA space facilities, they can certainly detoxify the air in your home.
Here are the top air purifying plants:
1. Areca palm:
It removes harmful indoor chemical toxins from the air. Keep soil moist, and place in indirect sunlight.
2. Bamboo palm:
It helps filter formaldehyde from the air, which can be released from furniture. It also helps remove the chemical benzene. Keep soil moist, and place in indirect sunlight.
3. Chrysanthemum:
It produces beautiful flowers, and filters benzene and formaldehyde. Thrives in direct sunlight.
4. English ivy:
It helps remove formaldehyde from the air. This plant does best in cool locations with moist air. It is poisonous, so keep it away from children and pets.
5. Dracaena Janet Craig:
This plant removes toxins such as formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene. It is versatile and can survive in low light to direct sunlight conditions.
6. Gerbera daisy:
It produces beautiful flowers and needs plenty of sunlight. This plant removes trichloroethylene and benzene.
7. Peace lily: This plant removes trichloroethylene and benzene from the air. Does best in low-light conditions. It is poisonous, so keep out of the reach of children and pets. Do not over-water.
8. Red-edge dracaena:
This plant removes benzene and trichloroethylene. It thrives in a temperature of 75 degrees, and can grow up to 15 feet tall.
9. Spider plant:
This is a very hardy plant, so it doesn’t require much maintenance. It helps filter formaldehyde.
The Best Indoor Plant for You (And How to Take Care of It): Part 3
Clean the air you breathe with the help of a houseplant! In the third of our five-part series, learn about NASA-approved plants that are chlorophyll-caped superheroes disguised as little ol' potted plants.
The air in our homes is polluted. Off-gassing from furniture and carpets releases toxins, while cleaning products and dry-cleaning bring in unexpected pollutants.
But the news isn’t all bad! NASA’s two year study in the late 1980s revealed top-performing houseplants that filter and purify air in closed spaces.
WHAT’S POLLUTING YOUR HOME
The smell of formaldehyde may recall memories of dissection day in biology 101, but it’s found in nearly all indoor environments. Insulation foam, paper products, household cleaners, furniture and carpet backing all release formaldehyde into the air as an odorless gas.
Three volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are also commonly found in home: benzene, trichloroethylene and xylene.
Benzene is used to manufacture detergents, pharmaceuticals and dyes. Trichloroethylene is found mostly in dry-cleaning. Xylene is released by paints and lacquers.
Prolonged exposure to VOCs can increase chances for headaches, liver and lung damage, skin and eye irritation and cancer.
SNAKE PLANT (Sansevieria laurentii)
The snake plant, a.k.a. “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue,” removes all four toxins from closed spaces.
Snake Plant, also called Mother-in-Law’s Tongue
The most common variety, laurentii, is mottled green with a bright yellow outline. Other varieties range in color from sage to darkest green.
The snake plant also releases oxygen at night, something most plants do during the day. Place a snake plant in your bedroom for extra-clean air while you sleep.
How to take care of it: Snake plants will thrive in a wide variety of light conditions: from full-sun to shade to low levels of artificial light.
Always allow the soil dry out before watering. In the winter, water sparingly—as little as every few months or when the leaves begin to shrivel.
Snake plants store water in their upright, sword-shaped leaves, easily withstanding long dry periods. About the only way to kill a snake plant is overwatering.
PEACE LILY (Spathiphyllum)
Peace lilies have broad, waxy leaves and white flower-lEnike bracts, called spathes. They are not true lilies from the Liliaceae family, but from afar the spathes slightly resemble calla lilies.
Peace lilies are effective at removing formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, xylene and ammonia, which is often found in fertilizers, floor waxes and window cleaners.
Peace lily
How to take care of it: Peace lilies are one of the few indoor plants that actually prefer shade. In winter, a slightly sunnier location with medium to low light is appreciated, but not necessary.
Peace lilies’ tolerance of low light make them a great option for locations with limited natural light, like bathrooms.
This is another plant that would happily reside on the Easy-Care/Hard-to-Kill list. The peace lily is very drought tolerant and can withstand under-watering with no adverse effects.
Your peace lily will tell you when it’s thirsty!
Once the plant has completely dried out, the normally wiry stems will begin to bow and the waxy green leaves will droop. It’ll look positively dog-tired, yet the plant is unharmed.
Water deeply and watch as the stems perk right up while the leaves regain their broad appearance. Overwatering is the most common killer of peace lilies.
ENGLISH IVY (Hedera helix)
There are many different varieties of Hedera helix. Some sport leaves that are deeply-lobed and waxy, others are heart shaped and still others can be yellow, ruffled or cupped.
English Ivy
All varieties are effective filters of all four toxins: formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene and xylene.
English ivy may be the bane of yard and garden architects, and is a noxious weed in Washington State, but inside it provides quite the cleaning power.
How to take care of it: Unlike many houseplants, English ivies thrive in direct sunlight. Try a location that receives at least four hours of direct sunlight per day. Or, choose a brightly lit spot with indirect sun.
Keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Ivies are hardy and can withstand some neglect, but avoid drying out the soil completely.
Pinch back growing tips to encourage a bushier plant. Any cuttings put in water and placed on a windowsill will soon grow roots. If you desire, repot in soil once the roots reach a half-inch long.
GERBERA DAISY (Gerbera jamesonii)
Gerbera daisies, also called Barberton or African daisies, are the only flowering plant on our Top 5 Air-Purifying Plants list.
Gerbera jamesonii have deeply lobed leaves and large, colorful blooms in many colors. They’re great filters of trichloroethylene, formaldehyde and xylene.
These plants don’t love to be transplanted, and may not re-bloom. Some people will keep their Gerbera daisy until it stops blooming and then toss it.
How to take care of it: Gerbera daisies are difficult to re-bloom as they won’t produce flowers without intense light, yet the plants hate too much heat.
Any windowsill that provides direct sunlight will often be too hot for this finicky flower. If your plant isn’t overheating, use the most brightly lit location you have.
Keep the soil consistently moist, but water from below using a saucer. Wet leaves can cause problems with mildew and fungal diseases. Good air circulation will discourage disease. Avoid locations with high humidity, like bathrooms.
Dracaena, specifically the Red-Margined Dragon Tree
DRACAENA (Dracaena sp.)
Over 40 species make up the Dracaena genus. The look of each species differs greatly—from mini-trees, to bushy shrubs, to small mounds of pointed fronds.
All varieties of Dracaena are good filters of all four pollutants.
Of the 12 plants NASA studied, four were Dracaenas; Dracaena fragrans “Massangeana,” called fragrant dracaena or corn cane; Dracaena marginata, the red-margined dragon tree; Dracaena deremensis “Warneckei,” a.k.a. striped or Warneckei dracaena; Dracaena deremensis "'Janet Craig," the Janet Craig dracaena.
How to take care of it: Most species of Dracaena can be grown in a similar fashion. Place in bright indirect or curtain-filtered light. The exception is the Warneckei dracaena, which is particularly suited to low light.
Keep the soil moist at all times and encourage new growth by trimming or cutting back the plant.
Next Time: Part 4, Top 5 Classic Houseplants. Three NASA-studied plants make this list too! BOSTON FERN (Nephrolepis exaltata bostoniensis), FICUS (Ficus benjamina) and FLAMINGO LILY (Anthurium scherzeranum).
Find out what makes these go-tos such firm favorites, and how to take care of them.
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Original article and pictures take www.mclendons.com site
Top 5 Air Purifying House Plants That Won’t Kill Your Cats!
Plants make your house look great and purify the indoor air. Some of them not only turn CO2 into oxygen, they also absorb common harmful household toxins, such as benzene, formaldehyde or trichloroethylene, out of the indoor air.
A while ago NASA published a list of their top 10 air purifying plants. But nearly all of them are toxic to our furry friends. Cats love to nibble on plants, so I decided to do some research and make my very own list of safe houseplants that will keep the air fresh and won’t kill your cats.
Here’s a pic of my two cuties…
1. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is definitely one of my favorite plants. They look great, purify the air of chemicals from paint and cleaning products. The gel can be used to relieve burns, cuts, rashes, insect bites, etc.
You may have read or heard rumors circulating the internet that you shouldn’t have aloe plants when having cats. The truth is, while aloe contains saponins that can wreak havoc on your cat’s delicate digestive system, it isn’t going to kill them. Their bodies will go into a detox mode and they may throw up and have an upset stomach or diarrhea but it won’t kill your furry friend. And actually most cats will learn their lesson and stay away from them in the future.
Though on very rare occasion, ingestion of aloe vera plant can be lethal, there aren’t many cats who get tempted to try those thick succulent leaves out for a quick nibble. One of my cats eats everything, but the aloe leaves just don’t get his attention. But if your cat keeps being attracted towards this plant or munches on the leaves it is best to get them out of your house to avoid regular green goo on your carpet and your cat being nauseous all the time.
Aloe care: they are low in maintenance and love a sunny spot near the window sill. They need a well-drained soil with slight drying between watering. Click here to learn more about how to care for your aloe plant and harvest its healing gel.
2. Bamboo Palm
A great looking plant that can grow between 3 to 6 feet. Most palms are safe for cats and they work great in removing formaldehyde, which is often used in furniture, for the indoor air. So best place them next to chairs, end tables or couches to maximize its effect. Not only will bamboo aid you to remove formaldehyde, it is also a great natural humidifier, benzene, and carbon monoxide purifier. So if you got a smoker in your home, this plant is an absolute must.
Bamboo care: bamboo likes bright, indirect light and a moist soil. But watch out you don’t water it too much. Although a moist soil is a must it doesn’t like to sit in water.
3. Spider Plant
Another great plant to rid your home from formaldehyde, xylene (a chemical used in leather, rubber, and printing industry), benzene, and carbon monoxide. They produce runners with baby plants that can easily be transplanted. Although this plant is safe for cats, some, actually most cats, really love to nibble on the long, skinny leaves and indigestion of it may trigger mild nausea.
Spider plant care: spider plants don’t need much attention. Just put them in a bright spot away from direct sunlight. They can easily go without water and will actually let you know when they are thirsty. The green of the longleaf will fade when it needs water.
4. Snake Plant aka ‘Mother-In-Law’s Tongue’
A common sight in many homes and absolutely safe for cats. Although some sources claim it otherwise. Same story as with the aloe plant. Saponins may upset your feline’s tummy but won’t kill it. And again most cats won’t even try to munch on its leaves. But if you have one of those cats who won’t learn their lesson it is better to remove them from your home.
It does a great job in filtering the air of common toxins found toilet paper, tissues, and other toiletries. It can grow in low light rooms, making it perfect for your bathroom or bedroom.
Snake plant care: can grow nearly everywhere and needs little attention and watering.
5. Boston Fern
Great humidifier and formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene capturing plant. They can grow really big, so only one Boston fern can have a great impact on your home. So if you don’t want to add too many plants to your home, you should definitely take one of these to cover some ground.
They are the safest plant for your cats and actually 100% edible.
Boston fern care: the plant loves a moist soil but can tolerate drought for a while. It doesn’t need bright light and grows well in partially lighted rooms.
It is recommended to have at least one potted plant every 100 ft2 (or 10 m2), but the more you have the better your indoor air quality will get.
FYI: How To Prevent Your Cat From Chewing On Plants
Mist the leaves with water, then sprinkle cayenne pepper on them.
Plant a container of grass for your cat, so they have their own thing to munch on. Cats often eat grass to induce vomiting to get rid of their hairballs.
If your cats love digging in pots, place a piece of tin foil in the pot. Cats hate the look and feel of it or opt for a piece of plastic needlepoint canvas which can be found at your local hobby/craft store.
If you think your cat has been poisoned with any substance, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435), which is available 24/7 from anywhere in the US, but note there is a fee. Phones are manned by licensed veterinarians and toxicologists. Or not in the US, call your vet and he or she will tell you what to do or who to call.
Original article and pictures take eatlove.live site
Forget the old lady who lived in a shoe. I’m the young lady who lives in a green womb.
As I sit and type this, I’m relaxing in my hammock, staring out at the broad leaves of my fig, backlit by a fading northern light and at least six dozen Philodendrons and Pothos cascading down from my highest shelves.
I’ve seemed to manage to bring nature indoors—in some artificial way. Pro-forager and recent guest on my Conversations series, Tama Matsuoka would say they are all “prisoners of war” – trapped in their tiny pots. History would reveal to us that this is perhaps what nature intended. Evidence shows that the Egyptians brought plants indoors as early as 3rd Century BC. Paleoethnobotanists have also found evidence that plants were grown indoors over 2000 years ago. And The Hanging Gardens of Babylon—whether real or fictional—reveals that potted plants were indeed desirable as part of the architecture of a building.
If anything—we’ve made ourselves prisoners—sitting between four walls anywhere from 15 to 20 hours on average. Think about it: The average city-dweller spends up to 90 percent of her time indoors. It’s no wonder why some of us formerly rural folk have decided to bring some green indoors.
There are many benefits to having plants in our home and office environments. Anecdotally, it both elevates my mood and calms me. Perhaps plant care may feel like a quotidian chore to some people, but the act of watering and trimming plants, if done at the end of a day, is very meditative. Additionally, evapotranspiration from leaves normally raises the humidity in a room by 5-10%, which is particularly good for when air is dry.
Depending on species, plants can act as effective botanical air purification systems. The higher the transpiration rates, the higher the convection currents, which ultimately has a pulling effect on airborne toxins. During the 1980s, NASA found that some species of plants can eliminate up to 87 percent of toxins in the air, including formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, trichloroethylene, carbon monoxide, and even dust. These volatile organic contaminants (VOCs) are off-gassed in homes from paint, varnishes, cleaning solutions, insulations, wood, furniture, carpeting and other products. NASA concluded that 15 to 18 mature air-filtering plants in a house with an area of about 160 square meters could maintain the level of emissions in accordance with our environmental standards. Since that time, multiple studies with varying methods have been conducted. From what I’ve seen from the literature, the following thirty species have been shown to be effective biological air filters:
– Bamboo Palm (Chamadorea elegans or C. erumpens)
– Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
– Dwarf date palm (Phoenix roebelini)
– English ivy (Hedera helix)
– Florist’s mum (Chrysanthemum morifolium)
– Gerbera daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
– Kimberly queen fern (Nephrolepis obliterrata)
– Rubber plant (Ficus elastic)
– Areca palm (Dypsis lutescens)
– Corn plant (Dracaena fragrans)
– Janet Craig (Dracaena deremensisI)
– Peace lily (Spathiphyllum varieties
– Schefflera (Brassaia actinophylla)
– Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina)
– Dendrobium orchid (Dendrobium sp.)
– Dumbcane (Dieffenbachia sp.)
– Long leaf fig (Ficus binnendijkii)
– King of Hearts (Homalomena wallisii)
– Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa)
– Lily turk (Liriope muscari)
– Spider Plant (Clopophytium comosum)
– Philodendron (Philodendron sp.)
– Dragon tree (Dracena marginata)
– Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)
– Flamingo lily (Anthurium andreanum)
– Areca palm (Dypsis lutescens)
– Azalea (Azalea sp.)
– Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
– Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
– Cast iron plant (Aspidistra sp.)
Click here to view how to build a vertical garden with many of the plants above.
For more, click here:
Ed: Kate Bartolotta
Original article and pictures take www.elephantjournal.com site
Top 15 Air Purifying House Plants According To NASA
Having good indoor air quality is very important, especially since many of us spend so much time inside. In the late ’80s, NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America studied house plants as a way to purify the air in space facilities. They found several plants that filter out common volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Lucky for us the plants can also help clean indoor air on Earth, which is typically far more polluted than outdoor air. Other studies have since been published in the Journal of American Society of Horticultural Science, further proving the science. Want to see the best plants?Click the link below.
Original article and pictures take www.livinggreenandfrugally.com site
This is from, believe it or not, the Earthship website. We’ll be talking about Earthships on Tuesday’s green building episode of This Green Earth. (Google Earthship and Images if you haven’t the slightest idea what I’m talking about). Anyway, one of the best things you can do in your home or office for indoor air quality is buy a plant. Here are the top 10 plants and how they can help your indoor environment. I added the photos, because I don’t recognize plants by their names, but otherwise this is all theirs:
Adiantum absorbs radiation from computers and printers.
Adiantum absorbs 20 micrograms of formaldehyde per hour and it is considered the most effective natural cleaner. If you work with paint or have smokers around you, you should consider Adiantum. This plant also absorbs Xylene and Toluene released by monitors and printers.
Aloe “signals for help” when in excessively harmful air.
Aloe is dubbed as an air cleaning expert. One pot of aloe is equal to nine biological air cleaners. Aloe absorbs formaldehyde, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. When the amount of toxins in the air have exceeded healthy amounts the leaves on the Aloe plant become spotted, signaling for help.
Rubber trees are helpful in eliminating harmful substances.
The rubber tree is a multi-functional cleaner that eliminates harmful substances in the air. They can absorb carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and they collect granules which help reduce the dust around you.
Asparagus can kill viruses and bacteria.
The fragrance of asparagus absorbs the bacteria and viruses in the air which can help optimize your health.
Ivy is the king in absorbing formaldehyde.
Ivy is the most effective indoor plant in absorbing formaldehyde.
Ivy per square meter can absorb 1.49 grams of formaldehyde. It also absorbs harmful substances like benzene. In 24 hours, ivy can absorb 90% of indoor benzene.
Cacti is the best in reducing radiation and bacteria.
Cacti is very strong in eliminating bacteria. In tackling pollution, cacti is also great at reducing radiation. In addition, cacti absorbs carbon dioxide at night to release oxygen. Putting cacti in the room is helpful in sleeping and supplementing oxygen.
Chlorophytum (umm, isn’t this a spider plant?) is an air filter itself.
Chlorophytum can perform photosynthesis under weak light and absorb harmful air. One pot of Chlorophytum in 200 square foot room is enough to perform as an air filter, which releases oxygen and absorbs carcinogens like formaldehyde and styrene. Chlorophytum is very strong in absorbing carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. It decomposes benzene and nicotine in tobacco as well.
Clivia keeps air fresh in winter.
One adult Clivia can absorb one liter of air and release 80% of oxygen overnight. It can perform photosynthesis under very weak light. Two or three pots of clivia in a room can absorb the smoke. In winter in the north, even with doors and windows closed, Clivia can adjust the air make it fresh.
Monstera improves air quality at night.
Monstera is really good at absorbing formaldehyde. It also absorbs carbon dioxide at night and releases the oxygen, so it is helpful in improving air quality. It is also good looking and relatively easy to maintain.
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Pachira absorbs smoke well.
If you can’t avoid smokers in your life, you can put pachira around you, which is effective at absorbing smoke. It also absorbs carbon dioxide and monoxide, and releases oxygen.
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