10 Air-Detoxifying Houseplants You Should Have Right Now

Houseplants serve a purpose beyond giving life and warmth to your home. For your indoor spaces, it should be more than interiors, natural light, and airflow. You’ll also need to make every area comfy, cozy, and easy to live in, and you can do so by investing in indoor plants that naturally remove toxins and purify the air. 

Live and breathe easily with these top ten air-detoxifying houseplants you should have right now:

#1: Devil’s Ivy (Epipremnum aureum)

Devil’s Ivy, also known as pothos or golden pothos, is an easy-to-grow indoor plant that combats common household toxins such as xylene, benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene. It brings instant color to any room with waterfalls and thrives in water, pots, and hanging baskets.

#2: Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

The Peace Lily is a plant that removes toxins such as benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene from the air. Their glossy green leaves can also significantly add life to any room. Make them happy in the spring by watering them weekly and fertilizing them with a slow-release fertilizer to promote growth and beautiful white flowers. 

#3: Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum morifolium)

Chrysanthemums, also known as disbuds or mothers, are not only beautiful in a floral arrangement, but they also serve as one of the best air purifiers in removing ammonia, benzene, xylene, and formaldehyde. They are among the more difficult air purifiers to grow, but the payoff is spectacular colorful flowering. They provide good airflow and thrive in bright indirect sunlight and warm water.

#4: Rubber Tree (Ficus elastica)

The Rubber Tree is a stiff plant that requires bright, filtered light and weekly watering in the summer and every two weeks in the winter. Rubber seedlings can grow into a large indoor tree in a small pot, pots, or directly in the ground. This plant removes toxins from the air, such as xylene, benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene.

#5: Areca Palms (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)

Areca Palms work well in larger spaces. They are a toxin-elimination powerhouse, removing benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and are non-toxic pets. Give them plenty of water (a few times per week!) in the summer, but not so much in the winter. 

#6: Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)

Snake Plants are succulent plants that can grow to a height of two meters. It’s a tough, low-maintenance plant that removes formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and benzene from the air. Place them in a bright, even direct light for a few hours each day. They thrive in dry conditions and should not be overwatered.

#7: Flamingo Lily (Anthurium andraeanum)

The Flamingo Lily is the ideal plant to add color to any room, as it blooms 300 days out of the year. She prefers bright indirect sunlight, is watered once or twice weekly, and is incredibly at ease in moist environments like your bathroom and kitchen. Additionally, it removes formaldehyde, ammonia, xylene, and toluene from the air.

#8: Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)

The Chinese Evergreen plant comes in various colors and is one of the simplest indoor plants to grow. They can withstand most conditions but thrive in well-drained soil with humid conditions and medium to low light, but these plants should be fertilized twice a year. It removes formaldehyde and xylene from the air.

#9: Kimberly Queen Ferns (Nephrolepis obliterata)

The Australian native Kimberly Queen Fern grows well outside but also makes excellent indoor plants because of its ability to remove formaldehyde and benzene from the air. They are ideal for beginners due to their unique straight, tight, straight hairs that require little or no attention. Kimberly King Ferns do not need to be pruned or cut, but in the warmer months, keep them moist with plenty of water and fertilize regularly.

#10: Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)

These palms can get quite big (between 4 and 12 feet tall), making them absolute formaldehyde-filtering machines. They make excellent indoor supplements because they are pet-friendly and one of the few air purifiers that thrive in direct sunlight. Other toxins it can remove are trichloroethylene and benzene.

Conclusion

You can choose one or two variants to purchase with this list, or perhaps get all of them! You can never have too many air-detoxifying greens in your living space, but just make sure you will still have room to lounge in! Once you’ve picked out your favorites, allow them to look presentable by matching them with fun and decorative pots. Decorate, enjoy, and breathe easily at home.

To learn more about the best house plants for your growing collection, Houseplant Advisor has got you covered! We’re your one-stop shop for care tips and plant information for your home. Subscribe to our newsletter now and join our plant-loving community!