The arrival of winter doesn’t have to bring with it an end to beautiful greenery and pretty foliage; in fact, the winter is a great time to introduce some new plants into your home. Plants serve a variety of purposes when they are indoors – not only will they add some color and pizzazz to your space, but they’ll also clean the air for you. This is important in the winter when homes are often closed up because the amount of fresh air introduced into homes is limited during the season.
Not all plants are suitable for indoor growth, and not every plant is ideal for every home. If you are a pet owner, you must make sure your plants are not toxic, because many of them are poisonous if ingested. Following are five popular plants that are excellent for cleaning your indoor air by filtering out pollutants (like formaldehyde) and beautiful, too:
1. The Eternity Plant
The eternity plant, also called the ZZ plant, is an excellent plant for first-time plant owners. It requires little light and can go long periods of time without water, only needing it about three times per month. This plant almost never attracts insects or pests, but it is toxic to pets.
2. The Spider Plant
The spider plant is a popular choice for an indoor plant – it’s very easy to take care of, and has a unique look to it, and is not toxic to pets. There are several varieties available, doesn’t require a lot of watering, and can also be divided into separate individual plants! Be careful not to confuse the spider plant with the toxic spider lily.
3. The Parlor Palm
The parlor palm, also known commonly as the table palm, is a great choice for filtering your indoor air without having to dedicate a lot of time or effort to it. This little palm tree does just fine with limited light, and can adapt well to almost any type of indoor environment. It does, however, appreciate having its leaves misted with water every once in a while! The parlor palm is also safe to have around pets, too.
4. The Rubber Plant
The rubber plant is a type of ficus that has deep burgundy leaves, which many people enjoy because it’s a break from the everyday green foliage. There are several varieties of the rubber plant available, so you must ensure that you pick a non-toxic variety if you have small children or pets in the home – some are toxic, like the Japanese rubber plant, but others are not toxic, such as the American rubber plant. The rubber plant is one of the best air purifying plants available and is easy to take care of.
5. The Philodendron
Photo courtesy of sitsitso.com
Probably the single most popular and most common house plant is the philodendron. There are actually several beautiful types of this plant available, and all of them are resilient and pretty easy to care for. They tolerate semi-shade very well, and also thrive in very dry air. Be careful with philodendrons that you don’t overwater them; also, they are toxic when ingested, so beware if you have small children and/or pets in the home.
There are some tips you should follow to keep any plant you choose happy and healthy in your home. You’ll want to turn the plants regularly because they will tend to lean toward natural sunlight. Also, misting any plant leaves with water every once in a while is always beneficial to the plant’s health. For more ways you can improve the quality of your indoor air, contact A-1 Guaranteed today!
