Indoor house plants
that clean the air you breath

Carpet, vinyl, ceramic, and other common building materials can sometimes give off harmful chemicals that pollute the air in our homes and workplaces.

Here are some common houseplants known to remove indoor air pollutants. They do not remove all pollutants, but they certainly take the edge off.

All these house plants are fairly easy to care for, so they make attractive and affordable and low maintainance air cleaners.

Miniature Ficus Tree from 1-800-Flowers.com

Ficus benjamina - This one is a tree that is commonly used for houseplants. It has shiny dark green leaves and weeping branches. Place them in bright but indirect sun.

Never place them directly in front of a window, since direct sun can burn them. The soil needs to be moist, but never soggy. Use standard potting mix with sand mixed in to provide good drainage and don’t water from the bottom up, since figs don’t like to get their "feets wet".

With fertilizing it every few months with a general all-purpose houseplant food your ficus tree will be great.

English Ivy - English ivys are attractive and common indoor house plants that are available in a variety of leaf shapes, colors and textures. Place your ivy in a north window or provide filtered light for it—such as through sheer curtains.

Ivy does best in a slightly cool spot in the house. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy. You need not worry too much about fertilizing. Ivy tends to do better in nutrient-poor soils than some other plants. But an occasional feeding with an all-purpose, balanced fertilizer for houseplants won’t hurt it.

You can let your ivy grow unchecked or give it occasional trimmings if you like a neater, more compact houseplant. The most common enemy to ivy plants is the red spider mite. To control spider mites, spray all sides of the leaves once a week or so with water or use a commercial insecticide listed for spider mites.

Spider plant - Spider plant is a common centerpiece in hanging baskets because of its long, thin, trailing leaves and attractive white flowers. It does best in bright light and a humid setting.

If your house lacks humidity, you can give your spider plant an occasional treat by placing it in the bathroom while you take a hot shower. Let the soil dry out between watering, but don’t leave it dry for more than a few days. Then water generously. Fertilize monthly with diluted fish emulsion to encourage leaf growth. Spider plant will do just fine in a standard potting mix.

Peace Lily Plant from 1-800-Flowers.com

Peace Lily - Peace lilies have large, shiny green leaves and are pretty care-free. They produce bright white flowers intermittently all year. They prefer a warm room with a little humidity. They will grow without humidity, but flower more when the environment is a little humid.

Use standard potting soil with a little sand mixed in, since peace lilies like well drained soil. You will need to water frequently, but the plants recover well if you forget to water once in a while. If the leaves turn yellowish, you need to fertilize, and an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer is fine.

Boston fern - Prized for their beautiful foliage, ferns are common in hanging baskets. They are lovely when planted or displayed just by themselves or in masses. Place them in bright light, but never in direct sun. They need moist soil, but can take a little less watering during dark winter days. For best results, ferns need a humid environment. You can place your ferns on trays of pebbles with water or use a humidifier. You can also mist your ferns with water once a day, but do not do so at night, because remaining wet overnight can cause disease.

Palm Trees - These dramatic lush plants give your home or office a feel of the tropics(or memories of your last vacation). They need bright light and even moisture. If the leaves turn brown, you probably need to water more. They also like lots of humidity, so you can mist them often to give them a water treat. Palms need large pots when grown as indoor house plants because their roots take up lots of room. You should fertilize them every few months with a slow-release houseplant food.

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