We all love it when our houses smell clean and fresh. One way to freshen your home’s air is to use plants!
So we’re sharing our favorite plants that can also help keep your house smelling green and clean.
As an added bonus, studies have shown that house plants can boost your mood, improve productivity, and reduce stress. What’s not to love?
Plants That Clear The Air
These plants are the best at filtering the air in closed environments, like your home. Research has suggested having one plant for every 100 square feet of your home, for maximum air quality.
- Aloe Vera – Aloe is a succulent plant that is not only beautiful and air freshening, but it can also be used medicinally. You can harvest the leaves and use the gel inside to treat minor cuts and burns. Aloe plants like sunny locations.
- Areca Palm – The areca palm is also called the butterfly plant – due to the curve of the leaves. It’s an especially beautiful indoor plant that’s become incredibly popular because of its modern look.
- Bamboo Plant – Bamboo is a fascinating and unusual plant to grow at home. They’re from a family of grass plants, so they grow very quickly.
- Boston Fern – Boston ferns are very popular houseplants because they’re relatively easy to grow in cool places with indirect light. They grow to be quite large!
- Chinese Evergreen – Chinese Evergreen plants have beautiful variegated leaves. They’re easy to keep alive as they’re tropical plants that tolerate low water and light situations. If they are in low-humidity rooms, mist the leaves a few times a month, so they don’t crisp.
- Chrysanthemum – Chrysanthemums have beautiful bright blooms. They are happiest in bright light though and will only flower when they are next to a window.
- Devil’s Ivy – Devil’s Ivy plants can grow to have very long vines. They love indirect sunlight and only need to be watered when the soil is dry.
- Dracaena “Janet Craig” – Dracaena Janet Craig plants are especially popular for their deep green, shiny leaves. They tolerate low water and are easier to keep alive.
- Dwarf Date Palm – Dwarf date palms are ridiculously cute. Even though they’re smaller than regular date palms, they can still grow from 6 to 12 ft tall, given the right environment.
- English Ivy – English ivy is a gorgeous plant with lots of vines. It can be trained to grow along walls or trellises, making it a great plant for smaller spaces. It needs several hours of bright sunlight a day and lots of water.
- Ficus Alii – The Ficus Alii is also known as the banana leaf fig, due to its long slender leaves. It thrives in bright, indirect light and likes to be kept moist.
- Lady Palm – These beautiful palm plants are very popular for their lush foliage. They like humid rooms, so they are often found thriving in sunnier bathrooms.
- Lilyturf – Lilyturf has deep green, grassy leaves. It likes partial sun and needs to be watered weekly.
- Peace Lily – Peace lilies are prized for their dark green foliage and subtle white blooms. They thrive in low to moderate light and are drought tolerant.
- Philodendron – Philodendron is a fast-growing vine plant with heart-shaped leaves. It likes indirect like and needs to be watered every other week.
- Rubber Plant – The rubber plant, also known as the rubber fig and rubber tree, has broad shiny, oval leaves. It likes bright sunlight and is drought tolerant, but thrives in humid environments.
- Snake Plant – Snake plants often have beautifully variegated leaves and make for a striking addition to any room. They are also one of the easiest plants to keep alive. They don’t need very much water, but their roots are prone to rot, so make sure not to overwater them.
- Spider Plant – Spider plants are a great starter plant because they can grow quite large and are low maintenance – they like bright light and are drought-tolerant.
- Weeping Fig – Weeping figs have lovely, lush foliage. They don’t like to be moved around and will thrive in bright, indirect light. They require a moderate amount of water.
Choosing The Best Plants For Your Home
The right plants for your home will vary depending on several factors – namely lighting, your willingness to garden, and price point.
There are no wrong answers here, but it’s important to consider which type of plants you can realistically care for. There’s nothing worse than spending lots of money on greenery just to watch it die or not thrive.
What to consider when choosing a plant for your home:
- Areas with the most and least light – do you have north-facing windows or bright areas in your home? If not, make sure to get low-light plants.
- How often you are willing to water your plants – are you willing to water multiple times a week, once a week, or only a few times a month? If you’re not up for heavy watering, you need a drought-resistant plant.
- How much you are willing to spend on purchasing plants – also remember you’ll need to purchase pots, soil, and possibly fertilizer. If you’re nervous about the price, don’t buy a large plant, start with a smaller version and let it grow!
- Which plants do you think are the most beautiful – if you love a plant, you’re more willing to put in the work to keep it alive.
More Suggested Plant Reading
If you are interested in learning more about plants or want to choose the best plants for your space, check out these articles:
- The 8 Essential House Plants
- The 10 Easiest Succulent Plants to Keep Alive
- 9 Houseplants You Won’t Kill
What are your favorite house plants? Let us know in the comments below.