5 Indoor Plants to Spruce Up the Winter Months
These plants will look great in your home and improve your air quality, too
Plants and flowers serve multiple purposes. They are great for decorating your space and creating a natural feel. It’s also been proven that caring for and just being around plants can help reduce stress. Plants can also be used to improve air quality in a small space, provide a pleasant aroma that will fill your home, infuse your sanctuary with nature, or just make your space look pretty. And as foliage dwindles during the winter months, a little greenery indoors could do wonders for your decor (and your mood).
Here are five plants that will look great in your home and improve your air quality, too.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) (above)
Diffused light and once-a-week watering are all the peace lily needs to survive and produce its signature white blooms. It topped NASA’s list for removing all three of the most common VOCs—formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. It can also combat toluene and xylene.
Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii)
This petite palm thrives in shady indoor spaces and can produce flowers and small berries. It tops the list of plants best for filtering out both benzene and trichloroethylene. They’re also a good choice for placing around furniture.
Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata 'Laurentii’)
Also known as “mother-in-law’s tongue,” this plant is one of the best for filtering out formaldehyde, which is common in cleaning products, toilet paper, tissues, and personal care products. Put one in your bathroom—it’ll thrive with low light and steamy humid conditions while helping filter out air pollutants.
Warneck Dracaena (Dracaena deremensis 'Warneckii')
One of the more visually striking plants on this list, the Dracaena Warneckii and Warneckii twist are very effective at combating pollutants associated with varnishes and oils. The Warneckii grows inside easily, even without direct sunlight.
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Even if you tend to neglect houseplants, you’ll have a hard time killing this resilient plant. With lots of rich foliage and tiny white flowers, the spider plant battles benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and xylene, a solvent used in the leather, rubber, and printing industries. As an added bonus, this plant is also considered a safe houseplant if you have pets in the house.
Azalea (Rhododendron)
Azalea are a beautiful flowering shrub that will clear the air of formaldehyde from plywood and insulation. Azalea are best suited for cool conditions between 60 to 65 degrees but need light to encourage flowering. An indoor-outdoor space might be the perfect spot for this plant.
Daniel Lim is a florist on BloomNation and owner of Boulder Gardens Florist in Boulder.
