16 NASA APPROVED PLANTS TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY

The presence of houseplants can add a calming and peaceful energy to your home, and certain types can also filter the air that you breathe. In 1989 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducted a study on indoor air pollution and found 16 indoor plants can purify the air of pollutants and harmful chemicals, providing you with cleaner air to breathe. The substances that were studied include; ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, toluene, and xylene.

When these chemicals are present in your home, they can cause various symptoms. Fortunately, these plants ‌that you can keep in your home filter out these chemicals. Here are the 16 NASA-approved plants to improve air quality in your home.

The 16 NASA Approved Plants

1. Peace Lily

Peace lilies are highly effective at filtering out each pollutant in NASA’s study. While they remove potential toxins from the air, keep them away from your pets. If animals eat them, it can cause gastrointestinal issues. Peace Lilies love low-light environments, but if you want them to produce more flowers, place them in a sunnier part of your house.

2. Bamboo Palm

A bamboo palm is a unique plant that’s non-toxic for pets and can filter out formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene from the air. It loves low light conditions and only requires water when the top of the soil feels dry to the touch.

3. Weeping Fig

Weeping figs love bright lights and lots of water (but be careful not to over-water them). Sometimes they’re braided while they grow, which gives them an interesting appearance. They filter formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene out of the air but are toxic to pets, so it’s best to keep this plant on an elevated shelf.

4. English Ivy

English Ivy is a beautiful plant, whether it’s hanging or potted, and it will grow as high as you let it. It filters out formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, trichloroethylene, and toluene in the air, effectively removing airborne toxins. However, pets should be kept away from it.

5. Moth Orchid

Moth orchids are non-toxic for pets, filter out toluene and xylene from the air, and are non-toxic to pets. They like water, but you have to let them dry out between waterings, and they love indirect sunlight.

6. Barberton Daisy

Barberton daisies require a bit more care than some of the other houseplants. They need to have their soil moist at all times and require lots of direct sunlight. They filter out benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde.

7. Lilyturf

Lilyturf needs lots of moist soil before they’ll be able to tolerate direct sunlight. They take extra care with filtering out ammonia, toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde from the air and are non-toxic to pets.

8. Spider Plant

Spider plants make excellent hanging plants or potted plants. They have long, pointed leaves and small, white flowers. They filter xylene, toluene, and formaldehyde from the air and need partial sun and consistent moisture.

9. Dracaena

Dracaena has long, striped leaves and can grow up to 10-15 feet high if properly managed. It’s relatively easy to take care of, as long as you don’t over-water it. They like moderate-to-bright light and can filter out benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, toluene, and trichloroethylene but are toxic to pets.

10. Broadleaf Lady Palm

A broadleaf lady plan needs moist soil all year round, but you have to make sure you don’t overwater it and let it get soggy. Don’t worry about your pets because this plant is non-toxic, so it won’t put your animals in any danger.

11. Devil’s Ivy

Devil’s ivy filters out benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene, and it is toxic to pets. It likes moist soil and indirect sunlight to stay healthy and be able to filter out as many harmful chemicals as possible.

12. Flamingo Lily

The flamingo is a beautiful plant that loves bright, indirect sunlight and thorough waterings. It filters out xylene, toluene, formaldehyde, and ammonia from the air.

13. Chinese Evergreen

Chinese evergreen is a super low-maintenance plant and would be a perfect starter plant for those who are inexperienced in caring for plants. It can tolerate low light, dry soil, and air. It gets rid of benzene and formaldehyde from the air.

14. Florist’s Chrysanthemum

A florist chrysanthemum requires bright light and loves to show off its bloom, as long as they don’t have artificial light at night. They filter benzene, xylene, formaldehyde, toluene, ammonia, and trichloroethylene from the air.

15. Variegated Snake Plant

A variegated snake plant is a succulent with long, pointed leaves, which are usually all green but may have yellow edges. They filter out benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde, and are toxic to pets. To avoid rotting, water sparingly.

16. Kimberley Queen Fern

The Kimberley queen fern is a non-toxic plant that filters xylene, toluene, and formaldehyde. It loves bright, indirect sunlight, and may change color to a pale green when it gets too thirsty.

Takeaway

In having these plants in your home, you have a simple way to make your space safer and healthier for you and your friends and family. They can help eliminate toxic chemicals that can irritate your respiratory system, and make you ill. You’re making the right choice by getting one of these NASA-approved plants to improve air quality.

< Older Post Newer Post >

Top 10 reasons why you should start with a professional design.

Get it right the first time!

Buying and placing perennial plants on your property is a big investment of your time and money to begin with, and you often won’t know if you were successful until at least a year or more has passed. Our Designers thoroughly evaluate your property when considering what plants are selected, how they are placed, and how water and people move through the landscape for ongoing growth and abundance.
Plan For Success

Did you know the most common reason homesteads fail is going in without a plan? You wouldn’t build a house without a plan, would you? Having a clear plan will help you develop a budget, phase your implementation, and manage your time so that you can enjoy the fruits of your labor.
We Turn Problems into Solutions!

You don’t have a surplus of Grasshoppers; you have a deficiency of Chickens! You don’t have a drainage problem; you have a water retention opportunity. Permaculture designers are trained to turn limitations into opportunities, creatively using and responding to change and integrating multiple design elements to work together harmoniously.
Obtain a Superior Yield

There is a difference between a tree surviving and THRIVING. Our designs begin with restoring healthy soil as the foundation on which layers of plants are stacked that work together in close proximity, creating ultra-abundant ecosystems. This means we can pack more food into less space, and no yard is too small for us to generate a yield.
We Know Plants…and The Company They Like to Keep!

Not only will we help you select varieties of edible plants that will flourish in your climate, but we will select “companions” to create communities of plants that are stronger together than they would be alone. Pest & Weed deterrence, Nitrogen Fixation (improving soil fertility), Pollinator Attraction, Habitat, Mulch, and Compost Production are just some of the functions happening in these thoughtfully designed systems.
Use Your Resources Wisely!

Your Design is thoughtfully created to eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides; conserve water usage; and be low maintenance. They can also thoughtfully moderate energy usage by being conscious of plant placement in relation to the sun and heat sinks on the property.
Let Your Livestock Work for You

Without a Design, it is all too common for homesteaders to become slaves to their livestock, spending considerable time and money to sustain their animals and leaving their land extracted. This is all backwards; it is the livestock that should providing a yield and leaving the land regenerated! Our Homestead Designs ensure you have the right space, water, pasture, fodder, infrastructure, and strategies in place to seamlessly integrate livestock onto your property and into your lifestyle.
GROW Your Assets

Every fruit begins as a flower, and edible plants can be just as beautiful as ornamental ones! Professional designs carefully consider aesthetics to create landscapes that will boost your curb appeal and property value. Plants can be selected for the color of their flower and the time of year they bloom, water features placed thoughtfully, fences and arbors used as trellises for flowering vines, and captivating living-scenes surrounding
Support, mentoring ...

Our Design Process includes a minimum of 3 consultations to co-create, explain your design, answer questions, and educate you on its successful implementation…but the journey doesn’t stop there! Your designer can help coordinate the installation with our team or offer DIY support and we would love to help you continue your journey to be an example for your community to demonstrate living in freedom and abundance!
Designed for You

Don’t have a lot of time to spend in the garden? No problem. Do you love to live outside and want immersive spaces where you can reconnect to nature? Consider it done. Your design is created for your unique goals, lifestyle, and interests in mind so that it enhances your life. We can include juice & smoothie gardens, tea gardens, outdoor kitchens, livestock, children’s sensory gardens & play areas, medicinal gardens, flower (pollinator) gardens, potagers, apiaries, culinary gardens, and more within your design.