If you’re looking to clean the air in your house naturally, here are 10 indoor-cleaning plants that can help you improve the air quality in your home.
As we get into the winter season, plants that enjoyed the summer outdoors are slowly transitioning inside to protect against the winter and frozen nights. This not only gives us the chance to make our space greener, but also to support cleaning the rooms with fresh oxygen. Why is this important? Because during the cold days, we open our windows to allow the fresh air in!
If you want to beautify your space and get a little extra oxygen boost, look no further than house plants. Many species thrive indoors and look nice to boot. Here are 10 indoor-friendly plants to improve the air quality in your home.
1. Pothos
This plant is so hard to kill that its nickname is Devil’s Ivy. It’s great for beginners and anyone with little time to dedicate to watering and fertilizing. It’s also very easy to propagate through cuttings. Pothos thrives in bright but indirect light but will also adapt to low-light conditions.
2. Mother In Law’s Tongue
This moniker is a humorous nickname for the snake plant — a common houseplant that can beautify any space. It’s tolerant of infrequent watering and low light levels. You can find it in a solid green color or with bright yellow borders on the leaves.
How to Start Your Own Bee Farm in Your Backyard
3. Moth Orchid
Moth orchid is the common name for orchids in the genus Phalaenopsis. This gorgeous flower can thrive indoors with the proper substrate, moderate humidity and low light. Although slightly needier than the other plants on the list, it’s a common houseplant because of its striking appearance and ease of care compared to other orchids.
Keep in mind that if you have pollen allergies, it’s sometimes not best to keep flowers indoors, as they can trigger a reaction for some people.
4. Air Plant
Famous for not growing in soil, there are about 650 species of air plants. Some require watering and others just need to be misted or briefly soaked in water. They’re widely considered a low-maintenance house plant.
5. Lavender
This sweet-smelling flower will brighten up any space and emit a pleasant fragrance that has a calming effect on many people. It does best when it gets full sun, so put it in front of a south-facing window to maximize the amount of light it receives.
How to start an organic greenhouse at home to grow your food
6. Lucky Bamboo
Did you know there are approximately 1,400 species of bamboo, but this species isn’t a genuine bamboo? It’s a perennial herb that does well confined in a pot and likes scattered light or semi-shade. You can sometimes find lucky bamboo arranged into specific shapes, such as a heart or spiral.
7. Pitcher Plant
Certain species of this carnivorous plant will grow indoors and can serve as insect control, too. The most commonly cultivated varieties are in the genus Nepenthes.
Not recommended for beginners, a pitcher plant requires particular types of soil, strict humidity levels and food — in the form of insects — dropped into the cups. But if you have a green thumb, it’s a showstopping plant that guests will always want to ask you about. Plus, it’s like having a pet that doesn’t make noise.
8. String-of-Pearls
A succulent with a unique appearance, the string-of-pearls looks a lot like its namesake, except it’s green instead of white. Many people keep it in a hanging basket so it can flow over the edges. Because it’s a succulent, it requires infrequent watering.
9. Echeveria
Echeveria looks like a flower even when it’s not blooming — its dusky green or rose-tinted leaves are arranged in the shape of a blossom. This desert plant can survive on very little water, although it does prefer regular watering and fertilizing.
10. Fiddle-Leaf Fig
If you plant it outside, this plant can grow into a full-sized tree, but it stays small indoors. A fiddle-leaf fig likes full sun, can tolerate indirect sunlight and has broad, glossy leaves. This plant does not do well in cold temperatures, but the inside of your house probably won’t get chilly enough to harm it.
Grab Some Indoor-Friendly Plants
To improve the air quality in your home and bring a little zest into your living space, consider growing house plants. You can almost certainly find a plant that would thrive no matter what type of environment you live in and they can improve your quality of life, too.
