We love any excuse to add more plants to our home, and you’ve likely heard they can improve indoor air quality. Before you splurge, let’s look at what plants can realistically do. Below we explain which plants we recommend and the benefits you can actually expect from them.
Plants are often described as natural air filters, so it’s worth digging into the details.
Table of Contents
7 Air Purifying Plants
If you just want a quick list, these are our favorite low-maintenance air-friendly houseplants. Many are attractive and tolerate low light.
- Dracaena (including Corn Plant)
- Snake Plant
- Aglaonema
- English Ivy
- Pothos
- Bamboo Palm
- Spider Plant
There are more options, but we chose species commonly recommended by experts that also look great in most homes.
Do Plants Really Purify The Air?
Yes—plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and can remove some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene and formaldehyde. Early research in controlled laboratory conditions showed these effects clearly. However, real homes are very different from sealed lab chambers.
Homes exchange air constantly through ventilation, doors, windows, and HVAC systems. Those exchanges, along with filtration and source control, do far more to improve indoor air quality than a few houseplants. Recent analyses suggest you would need hundreds or even thousands of plants indoors to match the pollutant removal seen in lab studies.
What Benefits Do Houseplants Have?
Even if plants aren’t a primary air-cleaning solution, they offer meaningful benefits—especially for mental and emotional well-being.
Plants Improve Mood
Spending time near plants can boost positive emotions and reduce negative feelings in as little as 20 minutes. Compared with plant-free rooms, people often report greater happiness, satisfaction, and a more positive outlook when plants are present.
Plants Reduce Stress
Caring for plants and simply viewing them has been linked to reduced stress in multiple studies. Hospital patients exposed to plants or images of plants reported lower stress, and adding plants to windowless offices has reduced stress and improved some measures of productivity.
Plants Improve Productivity & Concentration
Improved mood and lower stress can translate into better focus. Small studies in classrooms and offices show that introducing plants increases attentiveness, comfort, and helps reduce attention fatigue during demanding tasks.
These psychological and performance benefits alone are good reasons to add plants to your home or workspace.
How To Purify Indoor Air
If plants aren’t the main solution, what is? Here are expert-backed, practical steps to improve indoor air quality.
Reduce pollutants coming in
Preventing pollutants is the most effective strategy. Limit or avoid smoking indoors and reduce combustion sources like gas stoves, candles, and fireplaces. Be mindful of VOCs from paints, sprays, furniture, and new textiles—air out new items before bringing them inside.
Open a window
Even 10 minutes of airing out a room daily can lower indoor pollutant levels because outdoor air is often cleaner than indoor air.
Purchase an air purifier
A quality air purifier with a true HEPA filter and activated carbon can remove dust, pollen, and many VOCs more effectively than plants. For rooms where you want consistent filtration, an air purifier is a practical investment.
Keep a clean house
Regular vacuuming, dusting, and washing bedding reduce allergens. Clean damp areas to prevent mold growth.
Change your HVAC filter
Replace HVAC filters on schedule—typically every three months—or sooner if recommended for your system. Keeping spare filters makes the task easier to maintain.
Test for radon & carbon monoxide
Test homes for radon, a naturally occurring gas that can be harmful at high levels, and install carbon monoxide detectors to protect against leaks from fuel-burning appliances.
Slim down your plant collection if needed
Plants are great, but poorly maintained plants can create issues: overwatered pots can grow mold, leaves gather dust, and blooms may trigger allergies. Keep a manageable collection you can care for properly.
Plants For A Healthier Home
Now for the fun part: plant recommendations. These favorites are easy to care for, many tolerate low light, and they add life and comfort to your rooms—even if their air-cleaning effect is modest.
Dracaena
Dracaena species, including the corn plant and dragon tree, were featured in early lab studies. They’re affordable, tolerant, and bring glossy green foliage to a space.
Snake Plant
Snake plants are nearly indestructible and tolerate low light. They are notable for continuing gas exchange at night, which is why many people place them in bedrooms.
Aglaonema
Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen) has bold tropical leaves in many colors and tolerates low light. They’re easy to care for and brighten interiors.
English Ivy
English ivy is a forgiving vining plant that performed well in lab testing and adapts to lower light, making it a good choice for shelves and hanging planters.
Pothos
Golden pothos and its many varieties are nearly indestructible and look great trailing from shelves or climbing supports. They’re versatile and forgiving for beginners.
Bamboo Palm
Bamboo palms are taller indoor palms that add a tropical feel and can grow several feet tall indoors. They work well where you want a larger, leafy presence.
Spider Plant
Spider plants are compact, lush, and easy to care for. They make excellent shelf or hanging plants and are a good alternative if you want something that doesn’t vine aggressively.
More Plant Guides
If you want more plant care resources, explore guides for low-light plants, propagation, pothos varieties, snake plants, and more to help you choose and care for the right species in your home.
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