Best Air-Purifying Plants
Do houseplants clean the air? What the 1989 NASA report tested, what a 2020 review and the EPA concluded, and ten easy houseplants worth growing anyway - with the ASPCA's verdict on each for pets.
Houseplants do not clean the air of a normal room in any amount that matters. The US Environmental Protection Agency says so directly: there is currently no evidence that a reasonable number of houseplants remove significant quantities of pollutants in homes and offices. Grow them because they are good to live with. For cleaner air, open a window.
The idea that a few plants will “detox” a home goes back to one experiment. Here is what it found, what later researchers made of it, and ten undemanding plants that usually appear on “air-purifying” lists - worth having for their own sake.
The NASA Report - What It Actually Tested
In 1989 NASA published a report by B. C. Wolverton and colleagues, Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement. It looked at whether plants - leaves, roots, soil and the microbes living in it - could reduce contaminants in the air of a sealed space, and proposed combining plants with an activated carbon filter. In sealed test chambers, the plants did take up chemicals.
A room is not a sealed chamber. In 2020 two engineers went back over twelve published chamber studies and worked out what the results would mean in a building. Their conclusion is in the title of the paper: potted plants do not improve indoor air quality. By their calculation it would take 10 to 1,000 plants per square metre of floor to match what ordinary air exchange with the outdoors already does.
So:
- True: in a small sealed chamber, a plant and its soil remove some airborne chemicals over hours or days.
- Not true: that a few plants - or a few dozen - change the air you breathe in a ventilated home.
Ten Easy Plants From the “Air” Lists
No ranking - none of these cleans the air better than the others in any way you would notice. They are on this page because they are easy to grow and widely sold. The pet verdicts link to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s entry for each plant.
| Plant | Light | For homes with cats or dogs |
|---|---|---|
| Snake plant | Low to bright | On the ASPCA toxic list |
| Peace lily | Low to medium | On the ASPCA toxic list |
| Spider plant | Medium to bright | Listed as non-toxic |
| Areca palm | Bright indirect | Listed as non-toxic |
| Boston fern | Medium, humid | Listed as non-toxic |
| Pothos | Low to bright | On the ASPCA toxic list |
| Rubber plant | Bright indirect | A fig - figs are on the ASPCA toxic list |
| Dracaena | Medium | On the ASPCA toxic list |
| English ivy | Medium, cool | On the ASPCA toxic list |
| Aloe vera | Bright, sunny | On the ASPCA toxic list |
Snake Plant (Dracaena trifasciata)
→ Shop live Snake Plant plants on Amazon The snake plant puts up with low light, dry air and long gaps between waterings, which is why it turns up in bedrooms and offices. The ASPCA lists it as toxic to cats and dogs.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
→ Shop live Peace Lily plants on Amazon The peace lily flowers in modest light and droops visibly when it wants water, which makes it hard to neglect by accident. It is on the ASPCA’s toxic list for cats and dogs - keep it out of reach of pets and small children.
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
→ Shop live Spider Plant plants on Amazon Easy, fast, and generous with baby plants. The ASPCA lists the spider plant as non-toxic to cats and dogs. Cats like to chew it, so hang it if you want it to keep its looks.
Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)
→ Shop live Areca Palm plants on Amazon A soft, feathery palm for a bright spot out of direct sun. It likes evenly moist soil. The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
→ Shop live Boston Fern plants on Amazon The Boston fern wants damp soil and humid air, which is why it does well in a bright bathroom and sulks beside a radiator. The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
→ Shop live Pothos plants on Amazon A trailing vine that grows almost anywhere indoors and roots from cuttings in a glass of water. The ASPCA lists golden pothos as toxic to cats and dogs.
Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)
→ Shop live Rubber Plant plants on Amazon Large glossy leaves on a plant that tolerates ordinary rooms and grows into a small tree. It is a fig, and the ASPCA’s fig entry - which also carries the name Indian rubber plant - is on its toxic list for cats and dogs. Wear gloves when pruning; the milky sap can irritate skin.
Dracaena (Dracaena spp.)
→ Shop live Dracaena plants on Amazon Tall, upright and slow, for a corner with medium light. The ASPCA lists dracaena as toxic to cats and dogs.
English Ivy (Hedera helix)
→ Shop live English Ivy plants on Amazon A climber or trailer that prefers a cool room. The ASPCA lists English ivy as toxic to cats and dogs.
Aloe Vera
→ Shop live Aloe Vera plants on Amazon A succulent for a sunny windowsill that needs little water. The ASPCA lists aloe as toxic to cats and dogs.
How to Actually Improve Indoor Air
The EPA’s three strategies:
- Control the source. The EPA calls this usually the most effective approach: remove the source of pollution or cut its emissions.
- Ventilate. Bring in more outdoor air - open windows, run extractor fans that vent outside.
- Clean the air. An air cleaner with a suitable filter, sized for the room.
Then add plants, for the reasons people have always kept them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best plants for air purification?
None stands out, because no houseplant cleans the air of a ventilated room in any amount that matters (EPA). The ten above appear on most lists because they are easy to grow, and air plants (Tillandsia) are named for growing without soil, not for cleaning air.
Do air-purifying plants really work?
Not in a normal room. They remove chemicals in small sealed chambers; the EPA says there is no evidence that a reasonable number of houseplants removes significant pollutants in homes and offices.
What about the NASA study?
It was a 1989 report on sealed-chamber experiments, aimed at closed environments. A 2020 review calculated that matching ordinary ventilation would take 10 to 1,000 plants per square metre of floor.
How many plants do I need to clean a room’s air?
More than will fit. Use ventilation and, if you need it, an air cleaner.
Which of these plants are safe for pets?
Of the ten here, the ASPCA lists spider plant, areca palm and Boston fern as non-toxic to cats and dogs. The other seven are on its toxic list. More choices in our pet-safe houseplants guide.
Can houseplants make indoor air worse?
The EPA’s caution is about overwatering: constantly wet soil can encourage microbial growth, which may affect people with allergies.
Recommended Gear on Amazon
- Snake plant (live) - browse current options and reviews on Amazon.
- Golden pothos (live) - browse current options and reviews on Amazon.
- Peace lily (live) - browse current options and reviews on Amazon.
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