I enjoy plants and flowers as much as anyone else, but you could say I have a brown thumb. Not only that, but I have a cat who loves munching on house plants, which makes it incredibly difficult to find an out-of-reach area of the house where a plant will get adequate sunlight. And this is all in a house that doesn't have much natural light to begin with.
My first real house plant was a "rubber tree plant", or ficus elastica, which my husband gave me as a Valentine's Day gift. When I first got it, the plant was full and very healthy. Slowly, each of the stalks began to rot and turn black, and I had to re-pot it a few times to remove the dead stalks. I was left with one lonely stalk when I finally learned that I was probably over-watering it. Rubber tree plants require very infrequent watering (as in, once or twice a month), and I was doing so a couple times a week.
I still have that one stalk, and lately it's been blooming really well, alone in that pot. There are even a few new shoots that have sprung up in the past couple months, not to mention a bunch more leaves to accompany the lone leaf that was once on this lonely stalk.
Someone also gave me about seven house plants about a year and a half ago, so I bought some awesome new pots to plant them in. I was doing really well keeping them alive - for a while. Like I said, I don't exactly have a green thumb, so I got really bad about remembering to water them. They were barely hanging on to life when we bought a house and moved this past summer, but at that point, I was struggling to find places where they would get sunlight, while being safe from Loki, the naughty kitty. So, I gave up on them.
And we just recently received a lucky bamboo plant as a housewarming gift which, if you take the time to learn how to care for it, seems to be pretty easy to keep alive. Right now, it is sitting on top of the refrigerator, which is the only place it is safe from Loki.
Anyway, the point I'm (very slowly) getting to is that plants are a great way to purify indoor air, as long as no one in the house is allergic to them. So, I'm trying to keep my plants alive as best I can.
How do plants purify indoor air?
Trees use a process called photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide (which is toxic to humans) into oxygen (which is vital to humans). Indoor air can be even more polluted than that outdoors, which is where house plants come in - especially on cold winter days, when opening up the windows isn't always practical. Studies by NASA, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Georgia, and similar institutions suggest that plants are adept at absorbing gases through pores in their leaves, converting carbon dioxide, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), and other pollutants into chemical energy to fuel growth (livescience).
Most plants are adept at purifying indoor air; however a few are better choices than others.
Best plants to purify indoor air
From the Mother Nature Network, following are the top 15 plants for purifying indoor air:
- Aloe vera
- Spider plant
- Gerber daisy
- Snake plant
- Golden pothos
- Chrysanthemum
- Red-edged dracaena
- Weeping fig (ficus)
- Azalea
- English ivy
- Warneck dracaena
- Chinese evergreen
- Bamboo palm
- Heart leaf philodendron
- Peace lily
Do you currently own one or more of these plants (or have you in the past)? Did you find them easy or difficult to care for?
Plants that require minimal care
For those of us with a brown thumb, a plant requiring minimal care might be best. In doing some research, I found that the easiest plants to care for include the spider plant, Chinese evergreen, peace lily, and the snake plant. I have never owned one of these plants, so I can't verify that information; however, you can do your own research and decide whether your home would be conducive to one of these varieties (with sunlight, pets, etc.). I also read that the aloe vera plant is easy to take care of, since it requires minimal watering, but mine didn't last long....
However, that might have something to do with the fact that my cat really enjoyed uprooting the entire thing. Luckily, she didn't try eating it.
Keeping your plants safe from children and pets
The best way to keep your plants safe from children and/or pets - and keeping the children/pets safe from toxic plants - is to keep the plants out of their reach. You can also try these green tips for keeping cats away from your house plants.
- Sprinkle citrus peels in the soil. Cats have an aversion to the smell of citrus and will avoid the plants; get extra protection by rubbing a citrus peel on the outsides of your pots.
- Lay aluminum foil around your plant. You can either place it on the soil or around the pot to keep your kitty from destroying it.
- Get a cat grass kit (or catnip). You can grow it especially for your cat to munch on, and it may help deter him from eating your plants. Keep it in an accessible place, and keep your plants where they are not as easy to access.
Of course, the best way to keep your children and pets safe from toxic plants is to choose a variety that will not be harmful if they are somehow ingested.
Non-toxic plants for pet lovers
Bamboo, like my "lucky bamboo" plant, will not be harmful if your pet gets into it. Spider plants, a money tree plant, ponytail plant, and the cast iron plant are also safe to have around your pets. And as I previously mentioned, if you would like to get your cat a plant of his or her own, go for grass or catnip.
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| afunkydamsel / http://www.flickr.com/photos/afunkydamsel/ |
FUN FACT: In researching this blog post, I realized that the spider plant made the lists for all three categories: easiest to care for, safest for your pets, and best for purifying indoor air.
Plants are a natural way to purify indoor air and give the home interior a fresh, cozy atmosphere with a splash of nature's greenery. However, some of us are not able to keep plants around, whether we have allergies or simply have no place to keep them away from pets and children. What are some ways you purify your indoor air without/in addition to houseplants?
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Challenge: This week, research some of the numerous indoor plant options, and discover which type would be best for your home (if any).
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**This post is part of a weekly challenge {Go Green in 2014}, during
which the author has challenged herself - and you - to find 52 ways to
lead a greener life in 2014. You can follow the weekly posts on this page.**
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