10 houseplants that add fresh air and brightness to your home

It’s long been proven that spending time in nature is great for your health. Being outdoors has been shown to decrease stress and anxiety, help you sleep better, improve your overall wellness, and reduce sensory overload. And while spending time outside is great for your health, it’s also been proven that bringing some greenery inside is also healthy. In fact, a NASA study shows that houseplants in your home can clean the air in your home and ensure you have a safe, calming, and fresh space to live in.

One of the design styles that continues to remain popular year after year is Biophilic Design, which is known for bringing the outdoors in. Using plants, organic shapes, and natural light, Biophilic Design encourages you to bring beauty to your spaces to focus on your well-being. An easy way to practice this design is to bring plants into your home that bring warmth and a healthier, more refreshing atmosphere for your entire family. Just don’t forget to keep them in a place where kids and pets can’t get into them. 

Here are 10 houseplants to bring into your home that can help purify and brighten your space.

The snake plant is sometimes known by its other common name, mother-in-law’s tongue. This plant can remove toxins in the air, such as benzene and formaldehyde, which are often found in common household products. Snake plants are great for people who are new to plant care because they are low-maintenance plants that thrive in low-light conditions. Snake plants grow tall, so consider adding a pot with this plant in a bedroom or living room where you spend quiet moments.

Peace lilies are tropical plants, but in the United States, they’re more likely to be found indoors, where they thrive without direct sunlight. This rich green plant blooms twice a year with white flowers and is often seen as a symbol of sympathy, hope, and healing. They also remove toxins like benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene from the air. They’re a great addition to a bathroom or kitchen.

A spider plant is an easy-to-grow plant that produces long-thin foliage with smaller flowering offsets called “pups.” They are incredibly hearty and easy to propagate, and they’re perfect for a hanging basket or high shelf where their shoots can hang as they grow. Spider plants have been shown to clear out toxins like benzene, xylene, and formaldehyde from the air, which makes them a great addition to any room.

Aloe vera plants are succulents that grow easily in bright sunlight inside of a home. They produce thick, fleshy leaves and are known for both their air-purifying properties and their medicinal uses. Aloe plants are known for stripping benzene and formaldehyde from the air. Aloe from a plant can be rubbed directly onto burns to reduce inflammation and prevent bacteria growth on the injury.

English Ivy is a dark green evergreen perennial plant that is known for its rapidly growing trail of leaves. This ivy can tolerate low light and is the perfect plant for hanging baskets and windows. In addition, ivy removes toxins like benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene, leaving you with a clean, beautiful atmosphere.

A golden pothos plant may be one of the easiest plants to grow in your home. This fast-growing, low-maintenance vine climbs and hangs, making it great for baskets and shelves. They’re easily propagated, and as they grow, they strip toxins like benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene from the air. They’re perfect for beginning plant owners as they barely need care to grow successfully.

A ZZ plant, or Zanzibar gem, has waxy leaves that are sometimes mistaken as fake plants because of how perfect they look in a pot in your home. They are slow-growing and low-maintenance plants that just need a bit of light in a home to grow well, and they grow with infrequent watering. The ZZ plant also removes benzene and formaldehyde. And they do well in kitchens and bathrooms.

A dracaena marginata is also known as a dragon tree because of its spiky green, sword-like leaves. It’s a slow-growing palm-like plant that can beautifully add height to your living space. This makes them perfect for end tables and coffee tables. They are also great additions to a home as they remove benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene from the air.

Ficus Benjamina is also known as a weeping fig or rubber plant. It’s a beautiful tree with glossy leaves that grows slowly and fits perfectly in large spaces with bright lights. Its stems often intertwine, giving it a beautiful appearance in your home. Place it near windows and allow it to go to work, removing toxins like benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene from the air.

A Boston fern, or sword fern, is a classic houseplant with small, delicate leaves within its foliage that stand up and lay over on top of itself. It’s a lush and tropical plant, which means it’s ideal for humid locations like bathrooms and kitchens. Ferns also remove toxins like benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene and are a simple plant to care for.

As you consider bringing new greenery into your home, it’s a great way to bring color into your home while creating a comfortable space that’s relaxing to be in. Do you have a favorite plant you have in your home that helps it feel healthy and comfortable? Share your favorites in the comments below.  

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