March 2010

This is the time of year when we find ourselves spending more time indoors ... time to think about adding house plants to improve the indoor air quality of our homes.

For most of us, the shorter days and cooler temperatures of fall and winter mean more time spent indoors. Flowering plants, plants with colorful foliage, intriquing succulents - you know they add life, color and interest to our homes and work spaces. But, did you know ...      

Plants take in carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. That's what we learned in grade school, right?  But actually, plants affect air quality in a variety of complex ways. In recent years we have discovered the value of house plants for removing harmful compounds and contaminants such as benzene and formaldehyde from indoor air. 

Years ago, NASA researched ways to clean the air in space stations and determined that house plants improve the quality of the indoor air we breathe. While most plants photosynthesize in daylight, some plants, including most succulents, orchids and bromeliads, act in the opposite manner, opening their stomata at night. Therefore, with a well-balanced selection of houseplants, it is possible to use living plants as indoor 'air filters' continuously improving our indoor environment - day and night! 

According to NASA findings, Pothos, Spider Plant, Sansevieria and Peace Lily are some of the best plants for purifying the air and are among the easiest housplants easy to grow. English ivy and a number of indoor palms also made the list, but these plants demand more careful attention to light and humidity in order to thrive indoors.   

Recently in the news - a new university study about indoor plants aimed at identifying and quantifying the compounds that plants, potting soils and plastic pots release into the air. There is no final judgement on the effect indoor plants have on air quality and human health ... research continues. Most feel the positive benefits of indoor plants will continue to outweigh any negatives that are in question!