This guide follows the NASA Clean Air Study, later research reviews and ASPCA pet-safety listings. Plant care tips are general; check the label of your own plant.
Walk into any plant shop and the tags promise the same thing: this one purifies your air. It is a lovely idea. Plants take in carbon dioxide, give out oxygen and soak up a few gases through their leaves and soil. So the 9 plants below are worth growing. Just not for the reason on the tag.
Here is the straight story first, then the plants, then how to use them well.
Table of Contents
Do Plants Really Clean Indoor Air?
The idea comes from a 1989 NASA study. Researchers put plants in small sealed chambers and showed they pulled formaldehyde, benzene and similar gases out of the air. That part is true. A real home is different. It is bigger, it leaks air and the air changes several times an hour.
A 2019 review of a dozen later studies came to a plain conclusion: in real rooms, the clean air a plant delivers is tiny next to what an open window or a basic purifier does. By their math, you would need somewhere between 10 and 1,000 plants per square meter of floor to match normal ventilation. The American Lung Association says much the same.
Plants can also make air worse if they are cared for badly. Wet soil grows bacteria and mold, and mold spores float into the room.
So what are plants good for? Mood, stress and looks. People simply feel better around greenery, and that matters. Treat the air-cleaning part as a small bonus. To actually clean the air, ventilate, remove the source (see our guide on removing formaldehyde from the air) and run a purifier with a verified CADR. Our guide to boosting indoor air quality has the full list.
Looking ahead, indoor plants are not going away. Living walls, smart planters with sensors and grow lights are moving into homes and offices, and researchers are testing plant-and-soil filter systems that pull air through the roots. The catch is that the best results so far come from systems with a fan, not from a single plant on a shelf.
9 Best Indoor Plants for Your Home
These nine are easy to find and easy to grow. Care notes are general; check the tag on your own plant.
1. Aloe (Aloe Vera)
Aloe is a succulent with thick, fleshy leaves. There are over 500 species, and Aloe vera, often called true aloe, is the best known. Aloe can grow up to three feet tall, and smaller types suit a small sunny spot.
Care. Aloe likes lots of light, but too much hot sun dries it out and browns the leaves. Water deeply, then let the soil dry 1 to 2 inches down before the next watering.
Tip. The jelly inside the leaf is used in gels and lotions. Keep it off broken skin if you are not sure, and do not eat it. Aloe is mildly toxic to cats and dogs.
2. Pothos (Golden Pothos, Devil’s Vine)
Pothos is one of the toughest houseplants there is. In the NASA chamber tests it was one of the plants that pulled out formaldehyde. Its heart-shaped leaves are green or marked with white, yellow or lighter green, and the vines can reach 30 feet indoors.
Care. Pothos does not need much light or water. Let the soil dry out between waterings, and water when the leaves start to droop, before they shrivel. If gnats show up, touch them with an alcohol-moistened cotton swab.
Tip. Let it hang from a basket, trail along a bookcase or climb on hooks and a wall. Pothos is toxic to cats and dogs, so keep it out of reach.
3. Spider Plant (Spider Ivy, Ribbon Plant)
The spider plant is popular and easy to grow, and it is one of the few on this list that is safe for pets. Little plantlets hang from the mother plant like spiders on a web. It looks great in a hanging basket.
Care. Water well, but never let the roots sit wet, since that causes root rot. Let the soil dry out a bit between waterings. Room temperatures from 40 to 85°F suit it. An east, west or north windowsill works year-round.
Tip. Young plants may send out small white flowers in summer. A spider plant on a desk is a nice, easy companion.
4. English Ivy (Hedera)
English ivy grows long and lush and brings a bit of the outdoors inside. One small study found it reduced airborne mold and fecal particles in a chamber, but results in real homes are not proven.
Care. Ivy needs bright light, or it turns leggy and sickly. It prefers the dry side, so let the soil dry before watering. Wipe the leaves to remove dust and pests. Cool temperatures suit it: 68 to 72°F by day and 50 to 55°F at night.
Tip. Ivy climbs, and it can damage some walls. It is also invasive outdoors, so do not plant it outside. English ivy is toxic to cats and dogs.
5. Jade Plant (Friendship Plant, Money Plant)
Jade has a shrub-like shape with thick stems and flat, oval leaves, and indoors it grows to about 24 inches. Many people keep one as a lucky plant.
Care. Give it several hours of medium light a day. Let it dry between waterings, and water less in winter without letting it dry out completely.
Tip. To encourage flowers, grow it in a small pot, hold back on water and give it cool winter nights. Watch for mealybugs under the leaves; a spray of water or insecticidal soap removes them. Jade is toxic to cats and dogs.
6. Rubber Tree (Rubber Plant)
The rubber tree has big, thick, shiny green leaves, with a rosy cover on new growth. It can grow very tall, so give it room.
Care. It needs bright light but prefers indirect light. A window with a sheer curtain is ideal. Water until it runs from the base, then let the soil dry before watering again. Keep it above 55°F.
Tip. Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth, since they collect dust. Re-pot into a container only a few inches wider and deeper when it outgrows the old one. The sap can irritate skin and is toxic to pets.
7. Peace Lily (Spathe Flower, White Sails)
Peace lilies have dark green leaves and pure white flowers. They are easy to maintain and grow to around 16 inches or more.
Care. Place it near a window in a warm room, out of direct sun. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. If it will not flower, try a spot with a bit more light.
Tip. In the NASA tests, the peace lily helped with formaldehyde, benzene and other gases in a sealed chamber. It is not a true lily, but it is toxic to cats and dogs, and the leaves can irritate the mouth.
8. Snake Plant (Mother-in-Law’s Tongue)
The snake plant has long, upright, pointed leaves. It is a succulent, so the leaves store water like a cactus.
Care. Keep it in indirect light. Water every two to three weeks and let the soil dry in between.
Tip. It does well in low light and humid rooms, so it suits a bathroom or a bedroom. It gives off oxygen at night, which is true, but the amount is far too small to notice. Snake plant is mildly toxic to pets.
9. Ficus (Weeping Fig, Benjamin Fig)
Ficus looks like a small tree with a single trunk. The weeping fig is the best-known indoor type, and the rubber plant is its much larger cousin.
Care. It needs bright, indirect light and does not like to be overwatered. Most do well at 60 to 75°F.
Tip. A ficus that drops leaves is usually stressed by low humidity, low light, drafts or pests. Go through the care checklist and fix what you find. The sap is toxic to cats and dogs. For humidity help, see how to monitor your temperature and humidity.
Which of These Plants Are Safe for Pets?
| Plant | Cats and dogs |
|---|---|
| Spider plant | Non-toxic |
| Aloe, pothos, English ivy, jade, rubber tree, peace lily, snake plant, ficus | Toxic; keep out of reach |
This follows the ASPCA’s plant list. If a pet chews a plant, call your vet or an animal poison hotline.
The risk to watch is wet soil. Overwatered pots grow mold and fungus gnats, and mold spores in a bedroom are the opposite of cleaner air. Many popular plants are also poisonous to pets, and the “air purifier” label can talk people into packing a room with plants and skipping real ventilation.
How to Keep Plants From Hurting Your Air
A few simple habits keep a plant from turning into a problem.
- Water less than you think. Most houseplants die from too much water, not too little. Stick a finger in the soil, and water only when the top inch or two is dry.
- Use pots with drainage holes and empty the saucer after watering. Standing water is where mold and gnats start.
- Wipe the leaves every few weeks so dust does not pile up and block light.
- Check for pests when you water. Sticky leaves or tiny flying bugs mean it is time to act early.
- Do not crowd a bedroom. A few plants are fine. A room full of damp soil is not.
Best Plants by Room
- Bedroom: spider plant (pet-safe), snake plant, pothos.
- Bathroom: snake plant, Boston fern, which both like the humidity.
- Living room: rubber tree, ficus, areca palm for height.
- Home office: pothos, jade and aloe on a sunny desk.
What Other Plants Are Good for Indoor Spaces?
- Areca palm. From Madagascar. Likes moist, well-drained soil and can grow up to 10 feet indoors. Pet-safe.
- Boston fern. Likes rich, well-drained soil, higher humidity and indirect light. Small, 1 to 3 feet. Pet-safe.
- Bamboo palm. Likes moist, well-drained soil and shade, and can reach about 12 feet. Pet-safe.
- Philodendron. Likes airy, well-drained soil and indirect light, and can reach 20 feet. Toxic to pets.
- Dracaena. Likes slightly acidic, well-drained soil and bright, indirect light. Up to 10 feet. Toxic to pets.
- Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema). Likes moist, well-drained soil and indirect light, and grows 1 to 2 feet. Toxic to pets.
- Chrysanthemums. Need a sunny spot and well-drained soil, and are harder to keep alive. Toxic to pets.
What People Often Ask About Indoor Plants
What is the best indoor plant for oxygen?
In one sealed-chamber experiment at 77°F, with high humidity and 450 ppm of CO2, pothos produced the most oxygen. The plants lowered CO2 from 450 to somewhere between 330 and 370 ppm. A small closed chamber is very different from a living room, so do not expect this at home. People are the main source of indoor CO2, and fresh air is the fix.
How many plants do you need to clean a room’s air?
There is no number that works in a normal room. Studies suggest plants would need to number in the hundreds to match ordinary ventilation. Two large plants per 100 square feet is a decorating rule, not an air cleaning rule.
What is the best plant for a bedroom?
A spider plant is the safest bet if you have pets, and a snake plant is hard to kill in low light. Pothos, English ivy and a rubber plant also work if pets cannot reach them. Keep soil dry on top, since damp soil near your bed can grow mold. If you sleep badly, read how indoor air quality affects sleep.
Do plants help with dust?
Barely. Large leaves collect dust, and you have to wipe it off. A plant is a dust catcher, not a dust remover.
What Actually Cleans the Air
If your goal is cleaner air, plants are the garnish. The main course is a purifier with a true HEPA filter and the right CADR, plus fresh air and source control. A small, quiet unit like the Levoit Core 300 does more for a bedroom than a jungle of plants. See our air quality testing guide to check the numbers.
Price on Amazon: $89.99 | 4.7 stars from 108,994 ratings (checked October 10, 2026)
Final Word
Indoor plants make a home feel alive and a bit calmer, and that is reason enough to buy one. Pick ones that suit your light, your habits and your pets. Water them with care, wipe the leaves and keep ventilating. Just do not count on them to clean your air.
What happens next: expect more products sold as plant air purifiers. Treat them as decor. If you want cleaner air, ventilate, remove the source and run a purifier with a CADR number. Keep the plants for the mood, and pick pet-safe ones if you share the house with a cat or dog.
Related Guides
Keep going with best air purifiers for home and air purifier buying guide.
