Snake Plants (Sanseveria)

Rubber plant (Ficus)

Yes, house plants do indeed clean, filter and purify the air of various toxins and pollutants. Back in the 1980’s the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)conducted tests to determine the best house plants that helped purify indoor air in homes and work environments.

If humans were to traveled to inhospitable planets, humans would inhabit biospheres full of plants scrub the air and supply life giving oxygen. NASA proved plants could remove volatile organic chemicals from the air, including formaldehyde, tobacco smoke, and some toxic gases. Some pollutants were shown to be dangerous to human health, including some found to be carcinogenic.

Over 50 species were identified, including some popular gift giving plants like poinsettias and kalanchoes. Below is a list of twenty (20) foliage house plants that people maintain in their home and office environments.

List of 20 House Plants

Bromeliad

1. Philodendron vines (Philodendron)
2. Pothos vines (Epipremnum)
3. Arrowwood vine (Syngonium podophyllum)
4. Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)
5. Rubber Plant (Ficus robusta)
6. Schefflera / Umbrella Plant (Schefflera)
7. Snake plant / Mother-in-Law’s Tongue (Sansevieria)
8. Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia)
9. Corn Plants (Dracaena)
10. Prayer Plant (Maranta)
11. Thanksgiving or Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera)
12. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum)
13. Peacock Plant (Calthea)
14. Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)
15. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis)
16. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
17. Anthurium (Anthurium)
18. Bromeliad (Aechmea)
19. Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis)
20. Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria)