8 Incredible Indoor Plants That Release Oxygen Night and Day
Today’s eco-conscious society is discovering that the air we breathe indoors is not always the healthiest. But why not try a more natural approach and add a few houseplants to help you add more oxygen to your home while at the same time removing toxins?
During the day, when there is natural light, houseplants actually release oxygen through a process called photosynthesis. However, this process stops when light is absent. Therefore, having plants in your home will contribute to improving the air quality throughout the day. But, this is not the case for the list of plants in this article!
So, if you are thinking of adding some plants to your home to improve your air quality and oxygen levels both day and night, these are the best ones you can choose.
Spider Plant
Let’s start by growing one of the most straightforward plants, even for someone without any green thumb experience. A spot that gets a bit of sunlight, has well-drained soil, and keeps the soil cool are all you need to keep a spider plant alive and thriving.
Despite the spider plant producing small white flowers, it is more of a foliage plant, with bright green and yellow striped leaves.
Hanging baskets with its long, slim leaves look beautiful, and the plants will grow long tendrils with “baby” plants attached at the end. To propagate new plants, you can snip them off.
It only takes a couple of minutes to press the root end of the plantlet into moist soil, and you’ll have a new spider plant in no time. If your spider plant gets too big, you can easily split them in half. Spider plants are known to fill in empty spaces with oxygen and also help with air quality by filtering carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and benzene out of the air.
Snake Plant
Another striking houseplant with bold upright leaves, the snake plant is another plant with striped foliage. There are a number of species on the market for houseplants commonly known as mother-in-law’s tongue. There are those that will grow about a foot tall, while some can even grow more than 3 feet high.
Regardless of whether it’s in a sunny window or a spot that only has indirect light, it’s easy to care for. You don’t have to water it as much as it will survive just fine in dry soil. Getting snake plants over-watered is the number one problem snake plants have.
A snake plant is an excellent choice for any room in the house and will help remove formaldehyde from the air.
The plant will sprout new leaves from the underground rhizome, so it can outgrow the pot if you are not watching. Repot the plant in a bigger container, or cut away the growing sections, until it is as large as you wish.
Peace Lily
Peace lilies are not only air-cleaning plants, but they also have silky, white blooms and thick, dark green leaves. The plants are also easy to maintain. As soon as the leaves start to droop, you know to give it a drink (usually just once a week).
Their best performance comes with indirect, rather than direct light, making them an excellent choice for rooms with little sunlight. Your lily may only flower once a year, in the spring, but with a little extra fertilizer, you might even get a second flowering in the fall too.
In the air, peace lilies will help remove a wide range of volatile organic compounds, including benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde.
Pets have been known to be poisoned by lilies, but the peace lily isn’t actually a true lily. It won’t taste very good when chewed, and it might make a dog or cat froth at the mouth a bit, but the health risks aren’t drastic.
Pothos
A pothos vine is a good choice if you are a certified black thumb. It’s a tough houseplant that almost anyone can keep alive, and it has long yellow and green leaves that trail on trailing vines.
Choose a location that gets enough light, but does not have too much direct sunlight, or a place that does not get as much light if that is what works best.
If the plants are placed in a shady spot, their variegated leaves will become greener. You can water your pothos plant occasionally but don’t worry if the soil dries out. Better a little too dry rather than too wet.
Getting rid of formaldehyde from the air and bringing in additional oxygen to your environment is important. Got pets? It’s toxic if eaten or chewed. Make sure your pothos is in a hanging basket.
Weeping Fig
As an indoor plant, this one is more like a tree than a potted plant, and is thus not a good choice for the novice indoor gardener. Also known as a ficus, these indoor trees will help reduce levels of formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and benzene in your home. Ficus can be a nice houseplant if you’re looking for something a little bigger than the average.
The weeping fig requires a bit more care to be healthy and flourishing. Once established, it does not require more effort than other plants. They require a steady supply of bright, yet indirect light and they cannot survive in rooms that have a strong draft.
High humidity will also make a ficus happy, and this can be added with misting or by placing the plant on or near a shallow tray with stones. However, that doesn’t mean you should keep the soil wet because that won’t do any good.
After locating your air scrubber fig tree and taking the right steps to look after it, you can expect it to stay healthy for many years.
Philodendrons
Like pothos vines, philodendrons are toxic and you should not keep these in places where kids or pets can get at the plants. Philodendrons for houseplants are available in several varieties with the commonest variety being the heartleaf variety.
The vine has similar characteristics to the pothos, but more upright types like the lacy leaf philodendron are also available. You can grow them easily and they can reduce formaldehyde and other VOCs in the air.
Even if you have a spot with great light or a spot with weak light, a philodendron will thrive as long as it does not overheat. Give it a drink when the soil is dry to the touch.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is our last air-cleaning plant. It targets formaldehyde and benzene, and grows well in any sunny window.
Aloe vera is a succulent, which enables it to belong to the cactus family. Their leaves are thick and fleshy, and their growth is quite slow. Soil should be allowed to completely dry out between waterings, so dry conditions are the best.
If possible, find a window that faces south if you can. Give it a thorough soaking, and just leave it on its own until dry. Their favorite spot is in lots of sun.
You can snip off a spear of aloe vera, and the clear gel inside is a fantastic (and natural) way to treat burns and minor cuts. Every home needs one.
Chrysanthemum
So here’s one choice that provides both a pop of blooming color and benzene-cleaning benefits.
Chrysanthemums come in a variety of bright colors, and may require some regular fertilizing to keep their blooms coming indoors. Water your plants enough to make sure they never dry out. Find a place in the sun and make sure you water them consistently.
Heat does not do well for them, nor do they do well in cool weather. To make sure you have the sweet spot for your plants, you might want to move them around a little.
No matter if your mum doesn’t have flowers all the time, the leaves are still where the air-purifying occurs anyway. As long as your plant has healthy foliage, it’s doing a good job.