Are you an indoor gardener? Keeping house plants is a hobby that really gives back, making spaces look, feel and even smell fresh.
Certain house plants help purify indoor air, removing harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants, which can improve air quality and give you a cleaner, healthier work environment.
Below, we take a look at five plants that will improve the air quality in your office. Can you recommend any others? Shout out suggestions in the comments.
1. Aloe vera
This short-stemmed succulent has been used in alternative medicines for centuries -- the gel inside aloe vera can help treat cuts and burns. It's also an efficient air cleaner and it requires little water, so it's a good, hard-to-kill choice for your desk.
2. English ivy
Although a more common sight outside, English ivy is a great trailing indoor plant. This evergreen climber will eat up VOCs, leaving your office air fresher and cleaner.
3. Peace lily
Peace lillies don't need a lot of light or watering, so they're ideal for office environments. NASA's Clean Air Study revealed peace lilies can remove benzene, formaldehyde, ammonia and other nasties from stale, indoor air.
This evergreen vine doesn't require the kid glove treatment, and it's an attractive, leafy option. It rids the air of indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde, xylene and benzene. Golden pothos (also known as devil's ivy and silver vine) can grow more than 65 feet tall, so it makes for great foliage.
5. Spider plant
Spider plants are like the honey badgers of the house plant world. They withstand neglect and make little spider plant babies all the time. In NASA's study, they were shown to get rid of formaldehyde, xylene and toluene.