10 Best Houseplants for Improving the Air Quality in Your Home

Who doesn’t love houseplants? Something about crisp, green, growing leaves seems to brighten up any room. But did you know that houseplants can elevate mood, enhance creativity, and promote a sense of wellbeing — and that, according to early studies by NASA, the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, and the American Society for Horticultural Science, they may even help filter indoor air?

A quick, honest note before the list: those famous studies were run in sealed laboratory chambers, not real rooms. More recent analysis (Cummings & Waring, 2019) found that in an actual home, normal air exchange — a cracked window, your HVAC, an open door — does far more to clear pollutants than plants do, and you’d need dozens of plants per room to measurably move the numbers. So think of houseplants as a lovely, low-waste, mood-boosting layer of a healthy home, not as your main air-cleaning tool. For measurable particulate and chemical removal, ventilation and a HEPA air purifier do the heavy lifting — and an air quality monitor will show you what’s actually in your air. The pollutant notes below come from those controlled studies; enjoy these plants for the greenery and the calm, with cleaner air as a small bonus.

Do houseplants really clean indoor air? A little — and mostly in ways that help how a room feels rather than measurably scrubbing pollutants. In a real home, opening a window or running a HEPA purifier removes far more than plants can. Where plants genuinely deliver is the low-effort, low-waste, stress-lowering side of a healthy home. The easiest, hardest-to-kill picks below: snake plant, pothos, spider plant, and peace lily.

Our modern-day homes are rife with pollutants that can cause a host of health problems. Chemicals from furniture, floor coverings, paints, detergents, air fresheners, and household cleaners can hover inside poorly ventilated homes, as well as those with good airflow. Many houseplants can filter small amounts of these chemicals — though, as noted above, ventilation does most of the work — while brightening up your living space.

Below is a list of the best houseplants for adding a little natural filtration (and a lot of green) to your home:

1. English Ivy

This charming evergreen vine grows happily in low or indirect light conditions. The leaves are poisonous, so keep them away from pets and kids. Fortunately, English Ivy enjoys containers and hanging baskets. It also brightens up shelves and dark corners beautifully. In lab studies, English Ivy was shown to absorb benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene, along with allergens such as mold spores. Hang one near your pet’s litter box, or in the bathroom.

2. Peace Lily

The beautiful broad green leaves and cupped white blooms of the peace lily made it a favorite in the NASA study, where it absorbed three of the most common pollutants: formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. Peace lilies will thrive and flower in bright light. They can handle low light conditions, though they may not produce blooms. Keep the foliage and flowers clear of dust. The plant is poisonous, so keep it out of reach of kids and pets.

3. Bamboo Palm

This sturdy palm can grow tall, between 3 and 6 feet, and is an elegant plant in any room. In testing it was effective at absorbing the formaldehyde often used in furniture, so arrange it next to chairs, couches, and end tables, in indirect light. During dryer winter months, the bamboo palm can also add a bit of welcome moisture to the air.

4. Ficus

Ficus is a tropical-looking evergreen with twisting roots and bright green, shiny leaves. In studies it absorbed pollutants associated with furniture and carpets, though it can be a bit temperamental to grow. Keep the leaves clear of dust and water moderately.

5. Dracaena

The sword-shaped leaves of the Dracaena plant come in a variety of colors and variations, and can easily reach ceiling height when cared for properly. This plant was noted for absorbing chemicals found in lacquers, varnishes, and gasoline. Also known as a Corn Plant, the Dracaena is a dramatic but fairly easy plant to maintain.

6. Chrysanthemum

You’re probably already familiar with these colorful flowers. Mums are popular in bouquets, but as a potted plant they performed well at filtering chemicals found in glues, paints, detergents, and plastics. Chrysanthemums love bright light and add a gorgeous pop of color to any room.

7. Golden Pothos

Pothos is excellent for beginners and stays green even if kept in the dark, which makes it ideal for basements and garages. In studies it absorbed formaldehyde. A proficient grower, Pothos is great in containers and hanging pots where its trailing vines can tumble over the pot’s edge.

8. Snake Plant

A common, if slightly unkind, nickname for this blade-like plant is mother-in-law’s-tongue. In testing it absorbed chemicals found in toilet paper, tissues, and other toiletry products. It enjoys low light and humid conditions, which makes it ideal for bathrooms — and it’s about as hard to kill as a houseplant gets.

9. Spider Plant

Often considered a gift plant, since the Spider Plant produces runners with ‘babies’ that can easily be transplanted. In studies it absorbed chemicals emitted from leather and rubber. This resilient plant takes very little maintenance and can get by happily with infrequent watering. It will tell you it’s thirsty when the green of the long, skinny, striped leaves fades. A little water will perk it right back up!

10. Aloe

Aloe is an excellent low-maintenance plant for sunny locations. In studies it absorbed chemicals from paints and cleaning products, and the gel inside its succulent spiked leaves is a popular traditional home remedy for minor skin irritation. Aloe is a slow grower, but it can get quite large.

Want to start your own indoor garden?

Here are the few supplies that make keeping these plants alive almost foolproof — especially if you’ve killed a houseplant or two before:

• Self-watering planters — a reservoir base makes overwatering (the most common way houseplants die) nearly impossible.
• Organic indoor potting mix — a light, peat-free mix gives roots the drainage most of these plants want.
• A soil moisture meter — takes the guesswork out of “is it time to water?” — the single best tool for nervous beginners.
• A full-spectrum grow light — for north-facing rooms and dim corners where even low-light plants struggle in winter.

The old rule of thumb was one potted houseplant per 100 square feet, but realistically, plants alone won’t replace good ventilation. Group a few together anyway — it looks lovely, adds a little humidity and calm to a room, and pairs perfectly with an open window. And then…breathe easy!

Related Content:

• 3 Best Natural Air Purifiers for a Healthy Home in 2026
• Best Air Quality Monitors for 2026
• Yes, You Can Eat These Houseplants
• 10 Beginner Indoor Plants to Enliven and Purify Your Home

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This article is general information, not medical advice. Houseplants can Support a pleasant, lower-stress home but are not a treatment for any medical condition and are not a substitute for proper ventilation, a HEPA air purifier, or professional advice on indoor air quality.