Aspen Plants / Clean air plants
Clean air plantsThe species we specify, and why.
The NASA clean air study looked at how common interior plants strip pollutants out of indoor air. This is the working list we choose from, with the light each plant needs and the rooms it suits.
Pothos
Pothos is one of the best clean air plants available. According to the NASA clean air study, it removes benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene from indoor air, and it tolerates mould better than most interior foliage.
It also survives the two things that kill office plants: bad light and long weekends. That is why it appears in almost every scheme we install, trained on a pole as a tree or trailing from height.
Seventeen plants that hold up indoors.
Light requirement is the deciding factor, not preference. A plant in the wrong light will look tired within a season no matter how well it is watered.
| Plant | Light | Removes | Best used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden pothosEpipremnum aureum | Low to bright indirect | Benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, xylene | Offices, low light corners, trailing from height |
| Snake plantSansevieria trifasciata | Low to bright indirect | Formaldehyde, benzene, xylene | Corridors, lobbies, rooms with almost no window |
| Chinese evergreenAglaonema commutatum | Low to medium | Benzene, formaldehyde | Reception desks, interior rooms |
| Areca palmDypsis lutescens | Bright indirect | Xylene, toluene, formaldehyde | Lobbies, atriums, hotel lounges |
| English ivyHedera helix | Medium to bright indirect | Benzene, formaldehyde, airborne mould | Planters, cascading arrangements |
| Spider plantChlorophytum comosum | Bright indirect | Formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, xylene | Shelving, hanging planters, offices |
| Bamboo palmChamaedorea seifrizii | Medium to bright indirect | Benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene | Screening, room dividers |
| Corn plantDracaena fragrans 'Massangeana' | Medium indirect | Formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene | Floor specimen for offices and lobbies |
| Peace lilySpathiphyllum wallisii | Low to medium | Benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, ammonia | Interior rooms, blooming color in low light |
| Dragon treeDracaena marginata | Medium to bright indirect | Benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene | Tall narrow spaces, stairwells |
| Janet CraigDracaena deremensis 'Janet Craig' | Low to medium | Trichloroethylene, benzene, formaldehyde | Low light offices, corridors |
| Rubber plantFicus elastica | Medium to bright indirect | Formaldehyde | Floor specimen, corners with side light |
| PhilodendronPhilodendron species | Low to medium | Formaldehyde | Trailing planters, interior rooms |
| Ficus AliiFicus maclellandii 'Alii' | Bright indirect | Formaldehyde | Interior tree for lobbies and atriums |
| Boston fernNephrolepis exaltata | Medium indirect, humid | Formaldehyde, xylene | Bathrooms, humid interiors, hanging |
| Florist's mumChrysanthemum morifolium | Bright indirect | Benzene, formaldehyde, ammonia | Seasonal color, rotated when in bloom |
| Gerbera daisyGerbera jamesonii | Bright light | Benzene, trichloroethylene | Seasonal color, reception and dining |
Pollutant removal based on the NASA clean air study. Plant performance in any given room still depends on light, temperature and airflow, which is what the free consultation is for.
Tell us about the space and we will tell you what will thrive in it.
A horticulturist walks the space, reads the light, and puts together a plan and a quote. No charge, and no obligation to book the work.