20 Best Air Purifying Indoor Plants(+Basic Care Guide)

Most of our household materials, including furniture, appliances, and cleaning supplies, emit a wide range of harmful gases in the air.

Some of the most harmful ones include ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, carbon monoxide, xylene, and many others.

These gases need to be filtered out from the air, and some indoor plants do this job very efficiently. In addition, research has found that some of these plants can absorb these harmful chemicals from the air and help improve air quality and air circulation in our homes.

But which indoor plants are the best air purifier? I researched and picked the 20 best Air Purifying Indoor Plants that can improve the air quality and make your home aesthetically pleasing.

Barberton Daisy

Barberton daisy has bright colored flowers from white to red. They can grow at any time of the year, and they are efficient cleansers of toxins. 

They clean toxins such as formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and purify air to a large extent. These toxins are majorly found in household materials like paints, synthetic cleansers, etc.

Sunlight: Barberton daisy loves direct and bright light and will do great near bright window sills. Place them indoors or outdoors in full sun.

Watering: Keep the soil of Barberton daisy evenly moist all the time. Water them when the soil is dry to touch, making sure the excess water has drained out.

Fertilizer: Fertilize Barberton daisy every two weeks when flowering. Fertilize with a balanced houseplant fertilizer.

General Care: Barberton daisy-like average to high humidity level around them. Plant them in a well-aerated potting medium. Average temperature levels between 55°F-75°F are ideal for them.

Buy Barberton Daisy: Buy a Healthy Barberton Daisy From Etsy.com

English Ivy

English ivy is a low-maintenance abiding vine with glossy leaves and effectively reduces fecal particles in the air. 

They even help combat fungus in the home. They can grow up to 8 feet in height. They are an evergreen foliage plant and dynamic grower. You can keep them in the bathroom, bedroom, or any space you like.

Sunlight: English ivy likes partial to full shade to grow healthy. They like indirect bright light all day long and cannot tolerate direct light for long hours. 

Watering: English ivy likes their soil to be dry between watering. You can touch or dig your finger in the soil to check soil moistness. If the soil sticks to the finger after taking it out of the soil, then the soil is still moist.

Fertilizer: Fertilize your English ivy with balanced houseplant food in the growing season. Dilute the fertilizer to half the strength and avoid fertilizing if the plant is stressed.

General Care: Keep your English ivy in average temperature level and high humidity. They don’t like cold drafts and summer heat, so protect them from such conditions.

Buy English Ivy: Buy a Healthy English Ivy From Plants.com

Snake Plant

Snake plants are sturdy plants with dignified leaves shooting upwards with twists and have stripes. 

If you keep them in your bedroom, you will indeed have a calm sleep. The snake plant is one of the most effective plants to filter toxins from the air. 

In addition, they release oxygen at night, helping you to have a better sleep. 

Sunlight: Snake plant prefers filtered bright light but can survive in some direct light too. They are very forgiving and can forgive some neglect. 

Watering: It is best to water your snake plant once a week ideally. The soil should be dry between waterings. You can check the soil by digging fingers a few inches in the soil to avoid overwatering them.

Fertilizer: Fertilize your snake plant with a mild cactus fertilizer in the growing period and avoid fertilizing in the dormant period. You can also use a balanced houseplant food to feed them.

General Care: Snake plant thrives in high-temperature levels and may slow growth in temperatures below 55°F. Keep the plant in a spot to avoid cold drafts and dry air.

Buy Snake Plant: Buy a Healthy Snake Plant From Plants.com

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum blooms in a wide array of brilliant colors, sizes, and shapes. There are more than 100 species of Chrysanthemum. 

These plants also filter a multitude of toxins from the air, which also include ammonia and benzene. These toxins are primarily found in detergents, paints, plastics, etc.

Sunlight: Chrysanthemum likes indirect bright sun, and some hours of direct sun is also good. They will thrive in the right light and near sunbathed windows.

Watering: Water chrysanthemum to keep the soil evenly moist all the time. Water them with warm water and water the soil from the base and not the foliage. Reduce watering in the colder months and let the soil stay dry more. 

Fertilizer: Chrysanthemum is a heavy feeder in their active growing period. Feed them with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer once a month from spring through summer.

General Care: Chrysanthemum likes high temperature and humidity around them.

Buy Chrysanthemum: Buy a Healthy Chrysanthemum From Etsy.com

Spider Plant

Spider plants have beautiful thin leaves with stripes that fall like a fountain. This low-maintenance houseplant is an excellent option for beginners. 

NASA highlights them to have air-purifying quality. They work against carbon monoxide, xylene, and many others. They can be kept both indoors and outdoors as they are adaptable to environmental conditions.

Sunlight: Light should be indirect and bright for keeping your spider plant healthy and growing easier. You can keep them outdoors to provide them with enough light in the daylight. 

Watering: Water your spider plant moderately to keep the soil evenly moist most of the time. Do not over-water them but keep checking the soil to prevent them from drying too much.

Fertilizer: Fertilize your spider plant with a balanced houseplant fertilizer once a month in the growing season. Don’t fertilize them in the dormant period.

General Care: Spider plants like average room temperature and average humidity. Repot them once every year to promote their growth.

Buy Spider plant: Buy a Healthy Spider plant From Etsy.com

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a must-have charming succulent with healing properties. They can quickly heal sunburns and minor cuts. 

These plants can naturally clean air and remove toxins such as formaldehyde from the air. Therefore, they can survive in almost all situations and bloom in unfavorable conditions too.

Sunlight: Aloe Vera loves light but makes sure to keep them in a sunny window where it can get indirect or filtered light. They don’t like direct light for too long.

Watering: Aloe Vera should be watered once a week or two, and the soil should be allowed to dry. If overwatered, the aloe vera plant can be affected with root rot and even die. 

Fertilizer: Fertilize aloe vera plant once a month with a portion of balanced food. Dilute the fertilizer to half the strength and feed only in the growing season.

General Care: Aloe vera prefers a temperature level between 55°F-80°F. Please do not keep them out at night during cold weather. Report aloe vera when they are root-bound.

Buy Aloe vera: Buy a Healthy Aloe vera From Etsy.com

Broadleaf Lady Palm

Broad Lady Palms are a rare species of fan palms and are pretty pricey to buy entirely grown plants. However, they are easy to grow and are adaptable. 

These plants are exceptionally great when it comes to purifying the air. They work well against carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, xylene, and ammonia found in cleaning agents, detergents, varnishes, etc. 

Sunlight: Broad lady palm likes full bright light but prefers filtered light. The leaves will grow deep green if kept in the shade. However, the leaves may turn yellow in full direct light.

Watering: You should water broad lady palm once a week. The soil should not dry completely between waterings. They can tolerate dry periods, but prolonged dry soil can harm the entire plant.

Fertilizer: Broad lady palm can be fed twice in the growing season with balanced houseplant food. Dilute the fertilizer into half the strength.

General Care: Broad lady palm can thrive in a wide range of temperatures from 25°F-100°F. They like moderate humidity, and occasional misting will help in dry weather.

Buy Broadleaf Lady Palm: Buy a Healthy Broadleaf Lady Palm From Etsy.com

Dragon Tree

The dragon tree is a houseplant with red-edged foliage, low maintenance, and nearly indestructible. 

They are slow-growing plants with tiny white color flowers in the spring. They can fight toxins such as xylene and trichloroethylene and purify the atmosphere, making the space filled with positivity.

Sunlight: Dragon tree likes bright light and can also thrive in partial shade. Keeping them in low light will lead to slow growth and smaller leaves.

Watering: Dagon trees are drought-tolerant, so they can easily survive without water for a specific time limit. Water them in 2-3 weeks, letting the soil dry up to 2-3 inches from the top. Then, water them with distilled water to avoid yellow leaves.

Fertilizer: Dragon tree is a light feeder, or they may even thrive without fertilizing at all. If you wish to feed them, then fertilize with light houseplant food in the early spring. Do not fertilize in winter.

General Care: Dragon tree-like warmer temperatures between 65°F-80°F. They can thrive in household humidity, but if the air was very dry, then occasional misting will help.

Buy Dragon Tree: Buy a Healthy Dragon Tree From Etsy.com

Weeping Fig

Weeping fig is a beautiful plant with slim branches and dark glossy green foliage. They can grow up to 6 feet tall indoors. 

They are vigorous growers and need plenty of food. They are considered one of the best plants to improve air quality by removing toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene.

Sunlight: Weeping fig likes bright light that is filtered and some direct light in the morning. Find a bright spot for them and don’t move them in different light conditions too fast.

Watering: keep your weeping fig’s soil evenly moist but do not keep the soil in standing water. The leaves drop due to soggy soil and root rot. Check the soil before watering them.

Fertilizer: Fertilize your weeping fig throughout the growing season with balanced houseplant food. Fertilize by diluting the food into half the strength and feed every month to promote their growth.

General Care: Weeping fig prefers moderate to high temperature around them. You can set a regular thermostat to regulate temperature shifts. 

They may suffer in temperatures below 65°F. Keep them away from air conditioners and heating systems. Keep high humidity around weeping fig and mist occasionally on the leaves.

BuyWeeping Fig: Buy a Healthy Weeping Fig From Etsy.com

Chinese Evergreen

Chinese evergreen is a classic plant with glossy oval-shaped foliage on short stems and blossoms in the growing season. 

They are slow-growing, adaptable plants and can be grown all year round. Along with adding beauty to space, they also clean the toxins from the air, which are found in detergents, cleansers, and cosmetics.

Sunlight: Chinese evergreen can grow in shaded areas, low light to bright light. The variegated varieties need bright indirect light throughout the day to maintain their variegation.

Watering: Chinese evergreen likes their soil evenly moist and should not be kept soggy. Water them and let the soil dry before the next watering but not completely dry.

Fertilizer: You can fertilize Chinese evergreen with balanced houseplant food. Fertilize them once in the early spring and end of the summer to promote their growth.

General Care: Chinese evergreen plants thrive in temperatures above 65°F and can suffer in low-temperature levels. They thrive in high humidity. Keep them in a warmer spot in cooler temperatures away from vents, heating systems.

Buy Chinese Evergreen: Buy a Healthy Chinese Evergreen From Etsy.com

Pothos

Pothos is one of the easiest plants to grow and best for beginners. They have heart-shaped foliage that is variegated in white, yellow, or pale green. 

They grow about 1 foot per month if taken care of properly. They are flexible, forgiving, and clean air making the air pure and breathable.

Sunlight: Pothos like bright but indirect light, especially the variegation, needs light to maintain variegation. Direct light can burn the leaves.

Watering: Pothos like their soil to dry out completely between watering. If the soil is kept moist continuously, then the plant can suffer from root rot. Water when the leaves droop, indicating that they need water.

Fertilizer: Pothos are light feeders. Feed them with light fertilizer in the growing season. Dilute the fertilizer and feed in the early spring and end of the growing season.

General Care: Keep your pothos in temperature above 50°F, and best thrive in medium temperatures. They like high humidity, and you can mist to help increase the moisture in the air.

Buy Pothos plant: Buy a Healthy Pothos plant From Etsy.com

Kentia Palm

Kentia palm is a stylish, eye-catching houseplant that gives a forestry look to space with its arched leaves. 

They are resilient, easy to grow, and purify the air. These plants are adaptable to a wide variety of conditions without complaint. 

Sunlight:  Kentia palm thrives in low to bright light. They grow best in low light. Direct sun can harm the leaves and the plant in the long run. 

Watering: Kentia palm likes their soil to dry out between watering. They don’t like their soil to sit in water. Watering once a week during summer is good enough and during winter, slow down your watering schedule. 

Fertilizer: Fertilize kentia palm throughout the growing season with liquid fertilizer or slow-release fertilizer. You can use a specially formulated palm fertilizer found in the market.

General Care: Kentia palm prefers warmer temperatures and high humidity. They can even survive at a temperature level below 25°F. You can mist around them to add some humidity to the air.

Buy Kentia Palm: Buy a Healthy Kentia Palm From Amazon.com

Rubber Plant

The rubber plant is a beautiful houseplant with rubbery, glossy foliage dark green in color. They are low maintenance, adaptable plants and thrive if taken care of properly. 

Along with cheering your living room, bedroom, they also clean toxins from the air. They clean air and increase the humidity of the space too.

Sunlight: Rubber plants like a lot of light that is indirect. Keeping them in a sunny spot by filtering the light with a sheer curtain will reduce the intensity of intense light. However, low light in the long term can lead to leggy rubber plants and dull leaves.

Watering: Rubber water likes its soil to stay moist during warmer months and dry in cooler months. Always check the soil’s moistness before watering it.

Fertilizer: Like most house plants, fertilize rubber plants with houseplant food in a balanced ratio. Fertilizing is required in the growing season only.

General Care: Plant your rubber plant in a well-draining soil mix, check your drainage system. Maintain high humidity and high temperature around them.

Buy Rubber Plant: Buy a Healthy Rubber Plant From Etsy.com

Boston Fern

Boston fern is a species of fern, a very traditional houseplant with sword-shaped evergreen leaves. They grow slowly and are easy to grow houseplants. 

These plants help improve air circulation in the room and clean the toxins from the air. They are very popular among beginners and enthusiasts.

Sunlight: Boston fern likes bright filtered light to grow healthy green fronds. Low light will give you sparse fronds, and direct sun can cause sunburn to the fronds.

Watering: Boston fern likes its soil evenly moist in warmer months. Water them when the top of the soil is dry to touch. 

Keeping the soil dry can lead to the falling of the fronds. Therefore, during winter and fall, reduce watering frequency and water only when the soil dries out.

Fertilizer: Feed your Boston fern with a liquid fertilizer throughout the growing season, once every month. Avoid fertilizing during the dormant period.

General Care: Plant Boston fern in a rich potting soil medium with good drainage. They thrive in temperatures between 65°F-85°F. They prefer a humidity level above 80%, which you can maintain by using a humidifier.

Buy Boston Fern Plant: Buy a Healthy Boston Fern From Etsy.com

The Flamingo Lily

The Flamingo lily produces lustrous heart-shaped leaves. They are complemented by bright, slick, red heart-shaped blooms with yellow spadices, which last for 2-3 months on average. They absorb airborne chemicals present in chemical cleaning products.

Sunlight: The flamingo lily thrives in medium to bright light but never direct light. They need bright light 6-8 hours a day to produce blooms and for better growth.

Watering: The flamingo lily likes its soil to dry out between watering. Water it with filtered water or rainwater when they are partially dry. 

Fertilizer: Fertilize the flamingo lily with a slow-release fertilizer once a month in the growing season. Fertilize 25% of the recommended dosage in the package.

General Care: Maintain high humidity and high temperature around your flamingo lily. Clean the leaves with a damp cloth to help them stay dust-free and healthy.

Buy The Flamingo Lily: Buy a Healthy The Flamingo Lily From Etsy.com

Kimberly Queen Fern

Kimberly queen fern is a fast-growing houseplant with gracefully curving fronds. They can grow up to 3 feet tall indoors. 

They are low maintenance and considered an effective plant in purifying the air. They clear toxins like formaldehyde, benzene found in chemical cleaners. 

Sunlight: Kimberly queen fern prefers low light to bright indirect light. Keep them near a bright window and avoid harsh direct sun. Direct sun can burn the fronds.

Watering: To keep your Kimberly queen fern thriving, water them when the top of the soil is dry to touch. Keep the soil evenly moist and never soggy.  

Fertilizer: Fertilize Kimberly queen fern with a balanced diluted fertilizer from spring through summer. Avoid fertilizing in the dormant period.

General Care: Maintain temperature level between 55°F-75°F. They cannot tolerate frost. Take extra care during cooler months. Don’t keep them near cold windows and heating systems.

Buy The Kimberly Queen fern Plant: Buy a Healthy The Kimberly Queen fern Plant From Amazon.com

Dracaena

Dracaena is an exquisite houseplant reaching up to three feet indoors looking like a tree, giving a forestry look to space. 

The dramatic foliage has colorful patterns and, along with beauty, dracaena also has air-purifying quality. They are visually striking, primarily due to their leaves which are green with yellow stripes.

Sunlight: keep your dracaena near a sunny window shielded by a sheer curtain. They like bright indirect light or semi-shaded light. Avoid direct sun.

Watering: Water your dracaena when the soil is dry up to 2 inches from the top. Keep the soil lightly moist, and never keep the soil sitting in water. This can attract root rot and other issues.

Fertilizer: Fertilize your dracaena with water-soluble houseplant food at half the recommended strength. Feed them during the growing season and avoid feeding in a dormant period.

General Care: Maintain temperature level between 65°F-80°F for dracaena. Keep them away from cold drafts and heating appliances. They prefer high humidity.

Buy Dracaena: Buy a Healthy Dracaena From Etsy.com

Peace Lily

The peace lily is a forest green plant with delicate white flowers. They come in a wide variety and reach up to 3 feet tall. They are in the list of top ten household air-cleaning plants by NASA. 

This resilient, forgiving plant helps cleanse the air we breathe. They are effective in removing all indoor pollutants generated by furniture, electronics, and cleaning products.

Sunlight: Peace lily prefers partial shade and even survives in a room where there is no window. Give them indirect light and never direct light as it can scorch their leaves.

Watering: Water your peace lily once a week in summer and slow down watering in winter. Keep the soil slightly moist between watering. They droop a little when thirsty so that you can take it as a signal for watering.

Fertilizer: Feed peace lily once in spring and once in summer with a houseplant fertilizer. Dilute it to half the strength and avoid feeding in winter and fall.

General Care: Peace lily flourishes in the indoor temperature in which we live and enjoy. Please don’t keep them in temperatures below 45°F and cold drafts.

Buy Peace Lily: Buy a Healthy Peace Lily From Plants.com

Scarlet Star Bromeliad

Scarlet star bromeliad is a beautiful and versatile houseplant that adds beauty and color with its leathery leaves and bright red-colored bracts. 

The flower looks like a star from the top and will take two to three years to form. However, they are effective air cleansers and make the air breathable.

Sunlight: Keep your scarlet star bromeliad in a spot where it can get bright filtered light all year round. They can grow well in fluorescent light, too but avoid direct light.

Watering: Water your scarlet star bromeliad every few days in summer, keeping the soil dry between watering. Do not over-water them and check the soil moistness before watering them irrespective of the season.

Fertilizer: Feeding scarlet star bromeliad once every month with any liquid houseplant food. Dilute the fertilizer at half the strength to promote their growth.

General Care: Scarlet star bromeliad likes temperature ranging between 65°F-90°F. They like humid air to grow properly and don’t like cold drafts and hot drafts.

Buy Scarlet Star Bromeliad: Buy a Healthy Scarlet Star Bromeliad From Etsy.com

Areca Palm

Areca palms are attractive palms with smooth and sometimes golden trunks. Their leaves look like bamboo leaves that are narrow and whole. 

They have a moderate growth rate and are easy to care for. In addition, these plants can clean toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, and toluene from the air. 

They are efficient humidifiers as they clean toxins and lower humidity levels inside.

Sunlight: Areca palm prefers bright indirect light and the best part is they can even tolerate full sun. Aim to give them more indirect light than direct light.

Watering: Areca palm likes their soil to stay moist but never soggy. Let the soil dry out slightly before watering them every time. It’s better to use distilled or fluoride-free water for your areca palm.

Fertilizer: Areca palm is a heavy feeder and should be fed throughout the growing season. Fertilize them once every month by diluting the strength to half. Do not fertilize in winter and fall. 

General Care: Areca palm thrives in temperature levels between 65°F-75°F. Keep them away from cold windows, air conditioners, and heat sources. High humidity will help areca palm thriving.

Buy Areca Palm: Buy a Healthy Areca Palm Plant from Etsy.com

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