Our Top 5 Toxin-Fighting Flora
There’s nothing like plants when it comes to livening up your indoor space. Not only can the calming green leaves boost your mood, some shrubs work overtime, reducing the tiny toxins that hover in the air around us!
Freshen up your space and improve your air quality by investing in some of these easy indoor winners.
1. Devil’s Ivy or golden pothos (Epipremnum aureu)
Banish the devilish air toxins!
Named for its invasive nature, this hard-to-kill climbing vine is best at battling common household toxins like xylene, benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene. Otherwise known as golden pothos, devil's ivy’s marbled leaves add instant colour to any room with cascading locks perfect for pots or hanging baskets.
2. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
For your peace of mind!As far as undemanding plants go, Peace Lilies or, spathiphyllum, are some of the easiest! Their shiny green leaves thrive in low light corners with a good watering once a week, removing benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene from the room. With a little bit of fertiliser in the spring, you’ll see those budding white blooms year-round.
3. Rubber plants (Ficus elastic)
Let’s bounce back!
These tough elastic trees originated from India and thrive in bright unadulterated light with weekly and bi-weekly watering, in winter and summer, respectively. They can stay small in pots or be encouraged into towering indoor trees, all while their secretive burgundy underbellies fight xylene, benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.
4. Dwarf Date Palm (Phoenix Roebelenii)
Good things come in small packages!
The tiniest of the palm tree family, pygmy or dwarf date palms start small but can grow to be ten feet tall with six-foot fronds! These secret giants love the sun but can live happily in medium filtered light as long as you’re not over watering them. If you do avoid root rot, these palms can help protect you from formaldehyde and xylene, all while giving your living room a tropical vibe.
5. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata v. Bostoniesis)
Decorate your fern-ature!
The perfect bathroom plant, this foliage thrives in consistent moisture and indirect light while fighting formaldehyde and xylene. Pop them near a rear window and shower regularly if you don’t have time to mist their leaves and soil. They appreciate a two-inch winter haircut to help them grow healthy fronds come summer.
This year, purchase yourself some air purifying plants and get ready to breathe a little easier.
Learn more here: NASA's Clean Air Study