Clean Plants

Areca Palm - Areca triandra

2010-09-02T01:21:00.000-07:00

The Areca Palm, scientific name Dypsis lutescens (synonym: Chrysalidocarpus Lutescens) is a beautiful palm tree from Madagascar. This plant is also known as Butterfly Palm, Yellow Palm, Golden Cane Palm, Madagascar palm and Areca Lutescens. It is a common ornamental in subtropical and tropical regions around the world found in humid tropical forests from Malaysia to the Solomon Islands. Probably it is the most cultivated nursery palm tree. However, it is endangered and very rare in its natural habitat Madagascar.

Areca Palm (Full grown tree)

The Areca palm is a low maintenance plant and a fast grower. You can grow this exotic plant as a house plant. It will bring a tropical touch into your home and purify the air. The Areca is consistently rated among the best houseplants for removing all indoor air toxins. It can remove Xylene (654 micrograms per hour) and Formaldehyde (938 micrograms per hour).

The graceful Areca Palm tends to grow in clumps. The adult plant looks like a large bush that can reach 20 feet or more in height with a spread of 5-10 feet. As a houseplant it is usually grown much smaller.

The Areca Palm germinates easily and rapidly from fresh seeds and by divisions of clumps.

Areca Palm as a houseplant

The adult palm has several smooth, bamboo-like trunks that gently lean away from each other. Young plant has reedy stems. The multi-trunked specimen plant has attractive long gracefully arching feather-shaped fronds. The shrub-like plant bears small yellowish white flowers in spring and summer and forms small orange-yellow fruits.

These plants grow well in the sun. They need year-round warmth and ample humidity.

Non Poisonous Plants for Dogs and Cats

2010-08-31T00:59:00.000-07:00

Plants that are 'Non' Poisonous to Dogs and Cats Below is a list of plants that are not poisonious to dogs and cats.

This list was put together by the Animal Poison Control Center. More information can be found by visiting ASPCA's web site. Should your dog or cat eat one of these plants and have a reaction; take your pet and a sample of the plant to your local vet immediately.

A
Achira
Acorn squash
African violet
Algaroba
Aluminum plant
Alumroot
American rubber
Anthericum comosum
Antirrhinum multiflorum
Arabian gentian
Aregelia
Artillery plant
Aspidium falcatum
Aubepine
Autumn olive

B
Bachelors buttons
Ball fern
Bamboo
Bamboo palm
Bamboo vine
Banana
Banana squash
Begonia species
Belmore sentry palm
Big shellbark hickory
Bitter pecan
Bitternut
Black haw
Black hawthorn
Blaspheme vine
Bloodleaf
Blooming sally
Bluebottle
Blue bead
Blue daisy
Blue echeveria
Blue-dicks
Blue-eyed daisy
Blunt leaf peperomia
Blushing bromeliad
Bold sword fern
Boston fern
Bottlebrush
Bottle Palm
Brazilian orchid
Bride's bonnet
Bristly greenbrier
Broom hickory
Brodiaea pulchella
Butterfly ginger
Butterfly iris
Bullbrier
Bur gourd
Burro's tail
Buttercup squash
Butterfly squash

C
Caeroba
Calathea insignis
Calthea lancifolia
California pitcher plant
Callistemon bradyandrus
Callistemon viminalis
Callistemon citrinus
Calochortus nuttalli
Camellia
Canada hemlock
Canary date palm
Candle plant
Candycorn plant
Canna lily
Cantebury-bell
Cape jasmine
Cape primrose
Carob
Carob tree
Caroba
Carobinha
Carolina hemlock
Carrion flower
Carrot flower
Carrot fern
Casaba melon
Cast Iron plant
Cat brier
Cat ear
Cattleya labiata
Celosia globosa
Celosia plumosa
Celosia spicata
Chamaedorean
Chaparral
Chenille plant
Chestnut
Chicken-gizzard
Chickens and hens
Chin-lao-shu
China aster
China root
Chinese plumbago
Chlorophytum
Chlorophytum bechetii
Chocolate soldier
Christmas dagger
Christmas palm
Christmas orchid
Cinnamon
Cinquefoil
Cirrhopetalum
Clearweed
Cliff brake
Cocks comb
Cocktail orchid
Collinia elegans
Color-band
Columnar
Common camellia
Common catbrier
Common garden canna
Common greenbrier
Common snapdragon
Common staghorn fern
Confederate jasmine
Coolwort
Copperlead
Copper rose
Coralardisia
Coral bells
Coralberry
Cornflower
Crape myrtle
Crataegus phaenopyrum
Crataegus spp.
Creeping charlie
Creeping gloxinia
Creeping mahonia
Creeping pilea
Creeping rubus
Creeping zinnia
Crepe myrtle
Crimson bottlebush
Crimson cup
Crisped feather fern
Crossandra
Cucumber
Cushon aloe
Cushion moss
Cyrtudeira reptans

D
Dainty
Dainty rabbits-foot fern
Dallas fern
Dancing doll orchid
Davallia bullata mariessi
Davallia trichomanoides
Desert trumpet
Dichelostemma
Dichorisandra reginae
Dinteranthus vanzylii
Duffii fern
Duffy fern
Dwarf date palm
Dwarf feather fern
Dwarf palm
Dwarf Rose-Stripe Star
Dwarf royal palm
Dwarf whitman fern

E
Earth star
Easter cattleya
Easter daisy
Easter lily cactus
Easter orchid
Edible banana
Elephant-Ear Begonia
Emerald ripple peperomia
English hawthorn
Epidendrum atropurpeum
Epidendrum ibaguense
Epidendrum
Episcia spp.

F
False aralia
Fairy fountain
Fan tufted palm
Feather fern
Feathered amaranth
Fiery reed orchid
Fig leaf gourd
Figleaf palm
Fingernail plant
Fire weed
Fish tail fern
Flame african violet
Flame of the woods
Flame violet
Florida butter-fly orchid
Fluffy ruffles
Forster sentry palm
Fortunes palm
Freckle face
Friendship plant
Frosty

G
Garden marigold
Garden snapdragon
German violet
Gherkins
Ghost leafless orchid
Ghost plant
Giant aster
Giant holly fern
Giant white inch plant
Gibasis geniculata
Globe thistle
Gloxinia
Gold bloom
Gold-fish plant
Golden bells
Golden lace orchid
Golden shower orchid
Good luck palm
Grape hyacinth
Grape Ivy
Great willow herb
Green ripple peperomia
Greenbrier

H
Hagbrier
Hardy baby tears
Hardy gloxinia
Haws
Haws apple
Haworthia
Hawthorn
Hedgehog gourd
Hellfetter
Hemlock tree
Hen and chickens fern
Hens and chickens
Hickory
Hindu rope plant
Holligold
Holly fern
Hollyhock
Honey locust
Honey plant
Honeydew melons
Honeysuckle fuchsia
Hookera pulchella
Horse brier
Hoya carnosa 'exotica'
Hoya carnosa 'krinkle'
Hoya carnosa 'variegata'
Hoya 'Mauna Loa'
Hubbard squash
Hypocyrta spp.

I
Ice plant
Imbricata sword fern
Irish moss
Iron cross begonia
Iron tree
Ivy peperomia
Ivy-leaf peperomia

J
Jackson brier
Jacob's ladder
Japanese aralia
Japanese holly fern
Japanese moss
Japanese pittosporum
Jasmine
Jewel orchid
Joseph's coat
Jungle geranium
K
Kaempferis
Kahali ginger
Kenilworth ivy
Kentia palm
Kenya palm
Kenya violet
Kharoub
King nut
King of the forest
King and queen fern
Kuang-yen- pa-hsieh

L
Lace flower vine
Lace orchid
Ladies ear drops
Lady lou
Lady palm
Lagerstroemia indica
Lance Pleumele
Large
Lady Palm
Laurel-leaved greenbrier
Leather peperomia
Leng-fen tu'an
Leopard lily
Leopard orchid
Lesser snapdragon
Lily of the valley orchid
Linden
Lipstick plant
Little zebra plant
Little fantasy peperomia
Living rock cactus
Living stones
Locust pods
Lou-lang-t'ou
Luther

M
Madagascar jasmine
Magnolia bush
Mahonia aquifolium
Malabar gourd
Malaysian dracaema
Manila palm
Mapleleaf begonia
Maranta
Marbled fingernail
Mariposa lily
Maroon
Mary-bud
Measles plant
Melons
Metallic peperomia
Metallic leaf begonia
Mexican firecracker
Mexican rosettes
Mexican snowballs
Miniature date palm
Minature fish tail
Minature maranta
Minature marble plant
Mistletoe cactus
Mockernut hickory
Mosaic plant
Mosiac vase
Moss agate
Moss campion
Moss fern
Moss phlox
Moss rose
Mossy campion
Mother fern
Mother spleenwort
Mother of pearl
Mountain camellia
Mountain grape
Mulberry bush greenbrier
Mulberry tree
Musa paradisiaca
Muscari armeniacum
Muscari spp.
Muskmellon

N
Narrow leafed pleomele
Natal plum
Neanthe bella palm
Nematanthus spp.
Neanthebella
Neoregelia
Nephrolepsis
Nerve plant
New silver and bronze
Night blooming cereus

O
Odontoglossum spp.
Old man cactus
Old world orchid
Orange star
Oregon grape
Ossifragi vase

P
Paddys wig
Painted lady
Palm lily
Pampus grass
Panamiga
Pansy orchid
Paradise palm
Parlor palm
Parlor plant
Parsley fern
Peace begonia
Peacock plant
Pearl plant
Pearly dots
Peperomia hederifolia
Peperomia peltifolia
Peperomia rotundifolia
Peperomia sandersii
Pepper face
Persian violet
Pheasant plant
Piggy back plant
Pigmy date palm
Pignut

Pignut hickory
Pilea microphylla
Pilea mucosa
Pink Brocade
Pink Pearl
Pink polka dot plant
Pink starlite
Pirliteiro
Pitaya
Plantanus orientalis
Plantanus occidentalis
Platinum peperomia
Platycerium alicicorne
Plumbago larpentiae
Plush plant
Polka dot plant
Polystichum falcatum
Pony tail
Porcelain flower
Pot marigold
Prairie lily
Prairie snowball
Prayer plant
Prickly bottlebrush
Prostrate coleus
Purple baby tears
Purple passion vine
Purple waffle plant
Purpleosier willow

Q
Queen's spiderwort
Queencup
Queens spiderwort
Queensland arrowroot

R
Rabbits foot fern
Rainbow orchid
Red african violet
Red berried greenbrier
Red edge peperomia
Red hawthorne
Red palm lily
Red veined prayer
Reed palm
Resurrection lily
Rex begonia
Rhynchophorum
Ribbon plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Roosevelt fern
Royal velvet plant
Rubber plant, baby
Russian olive

S
Saffron spike zebra
Saint Bernards lily
Sand lily
Sand verbena
Satin pellionia
Sawbrier
Scabious
Scarborough lily
Scarlet orchid
Scarlet sage
Sego lily
Shagbark hickory
Shan ku'ei-lai
Shellbark hickory
Shiny leaf smilax
Shrimp cactus
Silver bell
Silver berry
Silver heart
Silver-leaf peperomia
Silver nerve plant
Silver pink vine
Silver star
Silver table fern
Silver tree anamiga
Slender deutzia
Small fruited hickory
Smilax tamnoides vas
Speckled wood lily
Spice orchid
Spider ivy
Spider plant
Spotted laurel
Squarenut
Squirrels foot fern
Star jasmine
Star lily
Star plant
Star tulip
Star window plant
Strawberry
Striped blushing
Sugar pods
Sulfur flower
Summer hyacinth
Swedish ivy
Sweetheart hoya
Sweetheart peperomia
Sweet william
Sword fern

T
Tahitian bridal veil
Tailed orchid
Tall feather fern
Tall mahonia
Teasel gourd
Texas sage
Thea japonica
Thimble cactus
Thorn apple
Ti hu-ling
Tiger orchid
Toad spotted cactus
Torch lily
Tous-les-mois
Trailing peperomia
Tree cactus
Tree gloxinia
Tropical moss
True cantalope
Tu fu-ling
Tulip poplar
Tulip tree
Turban squash
Turf lily

U
Umbrella plant
Urbinia agavoides
Usambara violet

V
Variegated laurel
Variegated oval leaf peperomia
Variegated philodendron leaf
Variegated wandering jew
Variegated wax plant
Velvet plant
Venus fly trap
Verona fern
Verona lace fern
Vining peperomia
Violet slipper gloxinia

W
Waffle plant
Walking anthericum
Washington hawthorn
Water hickory
Watermelon begonia
Watermelon peperomia
Watermelon pilea
Wax plant
Wax rosette
Weeping bottlebrush
Weeping sergeant hemlock
Weisdornbluten
West indian gherkin
Western sword
White ginger
White edged swedish ivy
White heart hickory
Whitman fern
Wild buckwheat
Wild buckwheat
Wild hyacinth
Wild lantana
Wild sarsaparilla
Wild strawberry
Willow herb
Windmill palm
Winter cattleya
Withered snapdragon
Woolflower

Y
Yellow bloodleaf
Yellow-flowered gourd
Yerba linda

Z
Zebra haworthia
Zebra plant
Zinnia sp.
Zucchini squash

Healthy Plants, Healthy Home And Office!

2010-08-27T02:08:00.000-07:00

It is clear that having plenty of healthy houseplants leads to a healthier home. In addition to processing carbon dioxide and harmful chemicals, houseplants improve indoor air quality by:

Helping to maintain humidity levels: Dry indoor air is blamed for a host of respiratory problems, particularly in the winter, and plants emit water vapor during transpiration.

Producing negative ions: Plant leaves produce negative ions, similar to many air purifying machines. Negative ions attach themselves to (and effectively remove) particles such as dust, mold spores, bacteria, and allergens. The presence of negative ions is credited for increasing psychological health, productivity, and overall well-being.

Healthy Soil, Healthy Plants!

2010-08-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

The nutrients in your soil are the final component in building healthy soil. Just like people, plants need certain nutrients to grow and to fend off disease. Organic fertilizers can be made from plant, animal or mineral sources and are basically returning what was taken from the soil. Organic fertilizers are released slowly, which means that plants can feed as they need to. There is no sudden change in the makeup of the soil which might harm the microbial activity.

Building healthy soil is an ongoing process. By making healthy soil a focus at the start of making a garde, you will have a head start on creating a sustainable organic garden.

Examples:

Soil fertility is hard to measure, but you can let your plants tell you if your soil is at least in a good range. Healthy, lush, pest free plants are happy with their soil fertility. Plants that are struggling, lanky, discolored or stunted are asking for better soil fertility.

Or else you should consider fertilizers

"Complete fertilizers" contain all three macronutrients - nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K) - but don't let the name "complete" fool you. It doesn't mean that the fertilizer has all the nutrients that plants need, just that it contains all three of the major ones.

Bags of complete fertilizers contain three numbers, such as 5-3-3, for example. Each number represents a percentage of N-P-K in that bag, as measured by weight. In this case, a bag of 5-3-3 fertilizer contains 5 percent nitrogen, 3 percent phosphorous, and 3 percent potassium. To determine the amount in pounds of each nutrient in the bag, multiply the weight of the bag (say 50 pounds) by the percentage of each nutrient: 50 pounds x .05 = 2.5 pounds of nitrogen. You need to know the actual amount of nutrients in the bag because a soil test often recommends pounds of actual N-P-K to add per square foot of your garden.
Each of these three nutrients plays a critical role in plant growth and development. Here's what they do and their deficiency symptoms to watch for.

Nitrogen (N): This critical element is responsible for the healthy green foliage of the plants, as well as protein and chlorophyll development. Chlorophyll is the pigment that makes plants green and is a vital component in photosynthesis. Nitrogen moves easily in the soil and leaches out rapidly, especially from sandy soils and in high rainfall areas or irrigated gardens. Plants use lots of nitrogen during the growing season, so it's commonly the most deficient element. If you add too much nitrogen, however, plants will have dark green, leafy growth but less root development and delayed flowering and fruiting. Symptoms of nitrogen deficiency include slow growth and yellowing leaves, especially on older foliage. Animal manures, soybean meal, and cottonseed meal provide high levels of nitrogen.

Phosphorous (P): Plants need phosphorous for strong root growth; fruit, stem and seed development; disease resistance; and general plant vigor. Phosphorous doesn't move in the soil as easily as nitrogen does so you don't have to add it as frequently. Depending on where you live in the country, your soil may have plenty of phosphorous, but it may be unavailable to plants. Phosphorous availability depends on warm soil temperatures, pH range, and the levels of other nutrients, such as calcium and potassium, in the soil. Deficiency symptoms include stunted plants with dark green foliage, reddish-purple stems or leaves, and fruits that drop early. Rock phosphate and bone meal are good sources of phosphorous.

Potassium (K): This nutrient, sometimes called potash, is essential for vigorous growth, disease resistance, fruit and vegetable flavor and development, and general plant function. Potassium breaks down slowly so you won't have to add it often. Deficiency symptoms include yellow areas along the leaf veins and leaf edges, crinkled and rolled-up leaves, and dead twigs. Fruit trees may develop fruit with poor flavor or stunted fruits.
Certain animal manures and mineral fertilizers, such as greensand, add potassium to the soil.

Aquatic Plants That Purify Water

2010-08-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

Many varieties of plants thrive in very wet sites, but are still defined as "terrestrial," or land, plants Aquatic plants are those that have adapted to grow entirely in water. Their roots either grow in soil submerged in water or on the water's surface. Nearly all the aquatic plants remove nitrates, which are associated with decay, to help purify water.

Anacharis (Egeria densa)

Anacharis is a submerged water plant and is also known as elodea or Brazilian waterweed. It is an oxygenating plant and its main role is to provide oxygen absorb all those nutrients that create algae in the water and make it murky. The plant is a small, fern-like leafy perennial with white flowers at the ends of its thin stems. Anacharis can also be grown in fish tanks, ponds or barrel gardens. They are easy to grow, do not require fertilizer and like to be placed in areas of water receiving full sun. They are usual sold in bunches of stems. Plant by pressing them into containers of soil before placing them in ponds or barrel gardens that do not have sandy bottoms.

Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia)

The water hyacinth is a floating aquatic plant with attractive foliage and spires of orchid-like flowers. Its main purpose is for purification and the plant is often referred to as the "cleanup crew" of water. It grows rapidly and is specifically used in polluted water for its ability to remove pollutants, including sewage, from the water. Many countries use it to clean up waste matter from tanneries, paper mills and from factories producing rubber, photographic chemicals, explosives, and palm oil. The plants also clean out heavy metals from the water as well as chemicals such as chlorine, sodium, cyanide, sulphur, phosphates, ammonia and nitrates.

Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)

The water lettuce has water clean-up properties that closely match the water hyacinth. Botanical name Pistia stratiotes, water lettuce is a floating plant that has bunches of foliage rosettes that resemble loose, 4-inch lettuce heads. The trailing roots of the plant hang several inches below water surface. Water lettuce is also used as a high-level water purification plant given its readiness in absorbing metals, including mercury. However its capacity to absorb nitrates is lower than that of the water hyacinth.

Top 10 Houseplants for Cleaner Air

2010-08-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

Houseplants are our often-overlooked helpers in ridding the air of pollutants and toxins, counteracting outgassing and contributing to balanced internal humidity.

Find out which houseplants are our most effective allies in keeping your household air clean and pure.

It is suggested that one plant should be allowed for approximately 10 square yards of floor space, assuming average ceiling heights of 8 to 9 feet. This means that you need two or three plants to contribute to good air quality in the average domestic living room of about 20 to 25 square yards.

Research has shown that these 10 plants are the most effective all-around in counteracting offgassed chemicals and contributing to balanced internal humidity.

Areca palm
Reed palm
Dwarf date palm
Boston fern
Janet Craig dracaena
English ivy
Australian sword fern
Peace Lil
Rubber plant
Weeping fig

Although many plants like light, they do not all have to be placed near windows. Many indoor plants originated in the dense shade of tropical forests and have a high rate of photosynthesis. These are ideal for the home and can be placed in darker corners. When positioning plants, try to strike a balance between light and ventilation because the effect of plants on indoor air pollution appears to be reduced if they are set in a draft.

House plants that clean the air

2010-08-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

SEVERAL VARIETIES OF COMMON HOUSE PLANTS CAN EFFECTIVELY REMOVE HARMFUL AIR POLLUTION INCLUDING FORMALDEHYDE, BENZENE, TRICHLOROETHYLENE, AND CARBON MONOXIDE, FROM INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS।

Living plants add natural beauty to our homes and workplaces. Among the wide variety of leaf shapes and growth habits, there are plants to enhance almost any decor. But in addition to their beauty, houseplants are also a valuable weapon against indoor air pollution. They can absorb harmful chemicals and improve air quality, making your home or office a more pleasant place to live or work.
The most common harmful airborne chemicals found in the average home or office are formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, and carbon monoxide. Even in low concentrations, these chemicals can cause a variety of health problems.

Formaldehyde is found in virtually all indoor environments. It is used in particle board or pressed wood products to make office or household furniture, in many consumer paper products, in carpets, permanent-pressed clothes, water repellents, and fire retardants. Other sources of formaldehyde include natural gas, kerosene, and cigarette smoke. Formaldehyde irritates the membranes of the eyes, nose, and throat and can cause headaches and allergic dermatitis. It is suspected of causing a rare type of lung cancer in cases of long-term exposure.

Benzene is present in inks, oils, paints, plastics, and rubber. It is also used in the manufacturing of detergents, dyes, and some pharmaceuticals. In addition to irritation of the eyes and skin, chronic exposure to even low levels of benzene causes headaches, loss of appetite, drowsiness, psychological disturbances, and disease of the blood system, including anemia.
Trichloroethylene is used by the dry cleaning industry and in printing inks, paints, varnishes, and adhesives.

This chemical is considered to be a potent liver carcinogen. Carbon monoxide is found in cigarette smoke and is produced by the incomplete combustion of fuel. Exposure to low levels can cause drowsiness and headaches.

Researchers have identified several varieties of houseplants that excel in removing these chemical pollutants from the air. The most effective in removing formaldehyde were philodendron, spider plant, and golden pothos. Two common flowering varieties were the most efficient at removing benzene; these were gerbera daisy and chrysanthemum (mum). The peace lily and the chrysanthemum removed the highest percentage of trichoroethylene. Since all plants utilize carbon in the process of producing new growth, all these varieties are effective in removing low levels of carbon monoxide. Other varieties found to be especially effective in cleaning the air were English ivy, Chinese evergreen, bamboo palm, snake plant (mother-in-law’s tongue), and several types of dracaena, including marginata, corn plant, and Janet Craig. All plants produce oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. Thus any plants you choose, in addition to the varieties named here, will increase the concentration of oxygen in their immediate surroundings. In general, one large plant per 100 square feet of space is sufficient to clean the air in an average home or office. A more heavily polluted environment would require a greater concentration of plants.

Most of these houseplants are relatively easy to grow in moderate to bright indirect sunlight or under florescent lighting. Avoid windows or glass doors where sunlight shines directly on the plants, except for flowering mums and gerbera daisy, which thrive in sunlight. Ivy, palm, philodendron, spider plant, and dracaena are all susceptible to spider mites. To prevent infestations, mist often and avoid hot, dry air. The pots may be set in trays of pebbles in water to provide moisture around the plants. Make sure the bottoms of the pots are above the level of the water. Beware of overwatering any plant, the most common cause of houseplant deaths. Golden pothos, Chinese evergreen, and snake plant should not be misted and should be allowed to dry out between watering to keep the roots healthy.

How often you feed your plants depends on the type of food you use. Follow directions on the plant food container. Always water your plants with tepid water. If you use chlorinated water, allow it to sit for at least 24 hours so the chlorine can evaporate. If possible use rainwater or bottled (not demineralized) water.

To beautify your surroundings, and breathe a little easier, add several of these living air cleaners to your home and work spaces. You will feel better and make your indoor environments more pleasant for living and working.

How Indoor Plants Can Help Us to Breathe Easier

2010-08-22T12:07:00.001-07:00

USE HOUSEPLANTS AS AIR PURIFIERS

Winter time is fast approaching and that means no more open windows- no more fresh air. Will you be one to break out air purifiers and place throughout your home or office? Or will you be one to take a lesson from B.C.

Yes, you read that right, you can grow fresh air. How wonderful is that? And why do more of us not do so?

Air purifiers only trap particles whereas plants can absorb thereby destroying airborne impurities.

Three of his fifty recommended plants are:

Snake plant

This plant is practically indestructible, meaning anyone can grow it, even those with a black thumb. Snake plants remove toxins from rooms with no windows. A great basement or bathroom plant. If you work in a cubicle with limited sunlight, this plant will survive in your work space and help you to breathe better air.

Christmas cactus
The Christmas cactus gives off oxygen at night. Most plants only do so during daylight hours making this a wonderful plant to be in a family room or home office. If you work nights, this is the plant for you.

Rubber plant
This plant can be a dear family member as it works best at removing chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene and ammonia. It is also an amazing humidifier. This plant releases moisture into the air, making it easier to breathe as well as purifies the air, making the air we breathe cleaner.

Ferns

These plants also work at removing the chemicals formaldehyde, benzene, and ammonia. Ferns come in a variety. Chose one that will best fit your home and personality.

House plants are cheaper and prettier than air purifiers. Less dust seems to accumulate in a home full of plants.