NASA Has Compiled a List of the Best Air-Cleaning Plants for Your Home

NASA House Plants

Many of us spend most of our time indoors, so it’s important to cultivate a space that’s a healthy one. A simple—and beautiful—way to do this is through houseplants; they add some green to your home while being an effective way to purify the air.

NASA hardly seems like the organization that would give us insight into these types of plants, but in the late 1980s, the US government agency collaborated with the Associated Contractors of America (ALCA) to come up with a list of the most beneficial flora for your home. Their informative Clean Air study found that some plants, more than others, could naturally filter harmful chemicals and help mitigate the effects they have on humans.

So, what are the best air-cleaning plants? The Florist’s Mum and Peace Lily took the top spot. According to the study, they are both effective at removing amounts of benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, toluene and ammonia from the air. NASA recommends having at least one plant per 100 square feet of space, which offers the perfect excuse to fill your home with English Ivy, Flamingo Lily, and the popular Varigated Snake Plant. While you’re at it, buy some fun planters for them, too!

Love the Garden created a helpful infographic that will tell you which house plants are best and what chemicals they filter:

NASA House Plants

NASA House Plants

NASA House Plants

With some help from these plants, your air can be cleaner and healthier:

NASA House Plants

via [Lifehacker, Freshome]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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