5 Air Purifying Houseplants

Fall is known as the season of crisp air– but that doesn’t always translate if you work in an office or live in a big city. Below, we’ve put together a list of air purifying plants that are good for spaces without a lot of ventilation (or for anyone who thinks they might be suffering from Sick Building Syndrome).

All five of these plants have science backing them up– NASA conducted a Clean Air Study and found that all the plants below have a notable ability to draw pollutants out of the air.

Plus, they’re a forgiving bunch: they don’t need too much water or light to look beautiful and do the hard work. Check out the graphic below to learn more about what plants draw which toxins out of the air. We recommend Snake Plants, Heart Leaf Philodendron, Bamboo Palm, Peace Lily, and Ocean Spider Plant, as they are the easiest to find, the best value, and they all look nice in any apartment.

For the best results, have one plant per 100 square feet of home or office space.

The above is a list of very easy-care plants. If you’re new to gardening and are worried about your black thumb, know that most of these plants are pretty tough and can handle some trial and error.

But if you’re still worried, start with heart leaf philodendron, which is thought to be the easiest houseplant ever. Most of these plants can do well in any room with low light, but if you’d like to add some green to your bathroom specifically, try a peace lily, as it thrives in humid environments.