11 House Plants So Good for You They’re Approved by NASA
Adding some green to a space can do a lot of good — both for your health and your style. Although we’ve been loving 2016’s trending house plants (we’ve even DIYed a Sharpie watercolor planter to keep them looking fresh in our office), we almost lost it when we heard that space plants (yes, space plants!) are actually a thing. And a very good thing for healthy living, at that.
During the ’80s, NASA began studying house plants as a means of providing purer and cleaner air. Thanks to their now published findings, we know some of the best house plants for clean, pure air (Love the Garden even created an awesome infographic detailing why each house plant on the list is amazing). Here are 11 plants you should definitely consider sharing your home with.
1. Peace Lilies: A beautiful house plant that actually blooms all summer, peace lilies ranked the highest at cleaning almost all chemicals in the air, including ammonia, formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene. Wow. Something so powerful in such a pretty package.
2. Sanseveria: Native to Africa and southern Asia, Sanseveria (AKA the snake plant or, for you married peeps, the mother-in-law’s tongue) is almost impossible to kill — meaning they’re perfect for the gal who’s always on vacation.
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3. Palms: Great at purifying formaldehyde, xylene and toluene, there are many types of palms that’ll brighten up your space and keep you healthy, including areca, lady and bamboo palms.
4. Golden Pothos: A fast growing vine that looks incredible dangling from a window, this awesome plant is an air purifying ninja. Don’t have a green thumb? No problem. It’s so easy to grow that you’d almost have to try to kill a golden pothos for it to die.
5. Dracaenas: With three types of dracaenas making the list (marginata, warnecki and janet craig), it’s clear that this fun house plant is so darn popular with homeowners worldwide for clearing the air of several different pollutants. However, all dracaenas are toxic to cats and dogs, so pet owners should steer clear.
6. English Ivy: Although pet owners may want avoid this traditional plant too (the leaves are toxic for cats and dogs), there’s no denying that they clean the air beautifully.
7. Chrysanthemums: Another plant with a perfect five out of five score on air filtration, chrysanthemums are a beautiful addition to any home or office during early summer.
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8. Spider Plants: Non-toxic and easy to care for, this personality-packed plant is NASA approved for sucking formaldehyde out of the air. And aren’t they just made for mantles and hanging baskets?
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9. Aloe Vera: Well known for its awesome burn and bite remedies, this low-maintenance succulent is great for keeping your air clean too. And for making cucumber-aloe cocktails.
10. Ficus: A popular tree known for needing a lot of good light, add a ficus or two to your living room for a stylish and healthy statement piece. This mini desk-sized one is cute, but be aware that they can outgrow your space super quickly if you let them. The trick is in not repotting.
11. Chinese Evergreen: Benzene and formaldehyde are no match for this easy to maintain house plant. Plus, they look great almost everywhere in your home!
Do you have any house plants at home? Tweet us your comments by mentioning @BritandCo.
(Featured photo via Getty)