Best Indoor Plants for Your Green Thumb

In home plants are not only pleasant to the eye, having plants inside your home allows for natural air purifiers and stress relievers as well.

The fact that plants provide for better air quality is old news, but not that many people think that the quality of air inside their homes needs much purifying. Little do they know, indoor air tends to be more polluted than the air from outside.

Indoor air pollution is caused by many factors: ventilation systems, toxins from building materials, tobacco smoke, mold, cooking, and home chemical products that you use in and around your home. All of these toxins get cooped up in a small, enclosed area. So if you did not think that you needed indoor plants to purify your indoor air quality, think again.

Before you run to the nearest nursery for plants, here are the top 10 indoor plants to purchase:

1. English Ivy: This plant is the number one air purifying houseplant and even better, it is easy to maintain. It may not be pretty at sight, but mix it in with a few accenting flowers and you can create an atmosphere that is not only air purified, but pleasing on the eyes as well.

2. Aloe Plant: Aloe is a popular house plant because it does not only purify the air in your home, but the gel that is found inside the plant has several healing properties. If you have small children, you can break a branch open and rub the gel on top of scrapes before applying a Band-Aid, replacing store-bought creams like Neosporin.

3. Rubber Tree: is a great plant for those who like to crank up the AC and have little luck keeping a plant alive. The rubber tree will get the purification job done at little cost on your behalf.

4. Peace Lily: if you want a decorative plant the peace lily is perfect. Like the rubber tree it is low-maintenance yet pleasing on the eyes.

5. Snake Plant: the snake plant is one for the corners of your room. It is not pleasant to look at; however, its unique ability to release oxygen during the night rather than during the day is what makes this plant a great purchase for extra air purification.

6. Bamboo Palm: like Aloe, bamboo is very popular as many relate the gifting of a bamboo plant as a sign of good luck. However, this particular bamboo however looks more like a fern than the typical single-stemmed bamboo. It is great for indoors because it is highly effective at cleaning the air. A little bit on the downside, they do take more care as they need to be well watered and be kept away from direct sunlight.

7. Philodendron: this plant is a popular indoor plant and is low-maintenance and creates elegant vines. Aside from their ability to purify indoor toxins, the philodendron can last for several years if cared for properly.

8. Spider Plants: are also popular indoor plants for decorating. Spider plants are also easy to grow and effectively fight pollutants in your home.

9. Red-Edged Dracaena: this plant is beautifully accented with a vibrant fuchsia that pops against the mainly green plant. The red-edged dracaena can grow to reach the height of your ceiling and makes a great decoration. This beautiful and purifying plant is better when in the spot-light so an open, well lit area is best.

10. Golden Pothos: this plant is a highly recommended plant due to its ability to clear pollutants from the air. In contrast to many of the previously listed plants, hang this plant from above in order to take advantage of its downward, cascading vines, while it grows to its full potential. It is best to hang this plant in a shaded, cool corner of a room for best results.

Depending on what you are looking for; efficiency, results, or decoration, there is an indoor plant for your new home. Just keep in mind what each plant requires in order to thrive inside your home. Keep an eye out for color changes in the plant, which can be an indication that you have poor indoor air quality.

Think twice before deciding to leave your plants behind when moving to Raleigh. If you had air purifying plants in your previous home, be sure to call your Raleigh mover in order to get those plants moved to your new Raleigh home! If this is the first time that you have considered putting a plant inside your home, stop by a local Raleigh nursery and they will be able to provide you with any of these top 10 air purifying indoor plants!