All plants remove the Carbon Dioxide we emit during breathing and release Oxygen into the air for us to breathe.  This exchange takes place during photosynthesis which most plants perform during daylight hours.

All plants remove impurities from the air to a lesser or greater effect.  They remove the impurities or Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) by absorbing them through their leaves or via their growing medium. 

The VOCs are moved (translocated) to the plant’s roots where micro-organisms living in the root zone (rhizospere), turn the VOCs into food for the plant.  Perfect recycling!
(Dr B Wolverton, NASA)

Night time workers
Epiphytic Bromeliads, orchids and succulents exchange Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide at night rather than as most other plants do during the daytime.  This makes them perfect bedroom plants to refresh the air we breathe during sleep.

Plants which raise humidity levels
As plants return 97% of the water we give them back into the air, water loving plants help to raise humidity levels.  Particularly useful in centrally heated or air conditioned buildings.

Some water loving plants:

• Schefflera
• Bamboos
• Hemp

1. Peace Lily: Spathiphyllum

• Winner of Dutch office plant of the year 2007
• A good all rounder and best at removing all toxins according to Dr Bill Wolverton in his Eco
• Friendly Houseplants book*

2. Boston Fern: Nephrolepis exaltata and obliterata

• Good air cleaner; also good for raising humidity levels and keeping us comfortable
• Particularly useful in centrally heated or air conditioned rooms/spaces

3. Dracaena deremensis, marginata and fragrans

• One of the best plants at removing Trichloroethylene emitted by photocopiers and printers – perfect for the home office!

4. Umbrella plant: Schefflera actinophylla

• Good air purifier and also a water lover which means Schefflera is good for humidifying the air - like Boston ferns

5. Ivy: Hedera helix

• Good at cleaning the air but don’t forget that plants can also help to reduce the physical signs of stress

6. Palms like Areca (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), Bamboo (Chamaedorea seifrizi); Lady (Raphis excelsa), Dwarf Date (Phoenix roebelenii), Kentia (Howea)

• Areca came out tops in Wolverton’s poll for cleaning the air but all of the palms are good at sir cleaning

7. Rubber plant/Weeping fig: Ficus robusta and bejamina

• Hard working and good looking

8. Bromeliads

• Like orchids – see below – these plants work at night absorbing toxins and emitting oxygen to refresh the air
• Perfect for the bedroom!

9. Mother-in-law’s tongue: Sansevieria

• Winner of Dutch office plant of the year 2008
• Won on criteria of purifying air and ease of care

10. Best air cleaning flowering plants

• Chrysanthemum – no 2 in the charts for ridding the air of Formaldehyde
• Gerbera – no 3 in the same charts
• Orchids – clean and refresh the air at night whilst you sleep so perfect for the bedroom
• Anthurium
• Potted Tulips

* Eco-Friendly House Plants by B C Wolverton published by Phoenix Illustrated