Clear the Air With These Air-Purifying Houseplants

You might think that, in order to breathe truly clean air inside, you'll have to invest in an expensive air purification system, but that's not so. There are many houseplants that eradicate airborne toxins, and you can pick them up at any major home improvement store. Here are just four of them.

  1. English ivy. According to the scientists at NASA, there's no plant better at purifying the air than English ivy. It helps soak up any formaldehyde that could be floating around in your air, and you definitely don't want to be inhaling the stuff. Plus, it's almost impossible to kill them.
  2. Peace lily. The peace lily may be beautiful, but beauty can be deceiving. Don't fall for its game; this is actually a powerful plant. Harmful chemicals like xylene, ammonia, formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene will all decrease in your air when a peace lily blooms nearby.
  3. Red-Edged Dracaena. Named for the strips of bright red that run along the edges of its thin, long leaves, the Red-edged Dracaena is more than just a pretty plant. It also gets rid of xylene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde when you feed it enough sunlight.
  4. Golden pothos. If you really want to make a statement with your new houseplant, consider buying a hanging pot for the golden pothos. When positioned properly, its leaves will snake their way down to the floor in beautiful vines.

7 Plants That Purify Indoor Air [Rodale's Organic Life]
This Graphic Shows the Best Air-Cleaning Plants, According to NASA [Lifehacker]
10 Best Houseplants To De-Stress Your Home And Purify The Air [HuffPost Home]

How to Choose the Right Houseplant for Your Home or Office

Whether you have a green thumb or you just can’t seem to keep a plant alive, there is truly an indoor houseplant for just about everyone. Here is a list of the best houseplants for the home or office, and some of them require almost no care at all.

  1. Geranium. This green flowering plant features long stems with lush leaves at the end, and it will thrive all year round if placed near a sunny window. Best of all, the sturdy geranium won’t suffer much if you miss a watering, so it’s a good fit for forgetful plant owners.
  2. Golden barrel cactus. Cacti are especially great plants for those who don’t want to water their plants daily, as they only need watered about once per month. This particular type of cactus is especially large and unique looking, though it only grows to about 1 foot tall.
  3. Jade plant. Jade plants are some of the most popular houseplants because they grow to be quite tall and impressive-looking when placed in bright sunlight. Because they are succulents, they also store a great deal of water in their leaves and require watering very infrequently.
  4. Aloe. With its numerous healing properties and its long, spiky appearance, it’s easy to see why people love aloe plants. With bright light, an aloe plant can grow to 3 feet tall.

Houseplants for the Forgetful Gardener [Better Homes and Gardens]
How To Choose the Right Houseplant [Bayer Advanced]
Houseplants for People Who Can't Grow Houseplants [This Old House]

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