10 AIR-PURIFYING BEDROOM PLANTS FOR BETTER SLEEP

Indoor plants aren’t just beautiful and good for the soul, they also have the power to remove toxins from the air we breathe.

---

Studies show that plantlife began colonising the land 500 million years ago. They provide resources and habitats for animals and have influenced the climate on a global scale. Their existence is crucial to the planet and all living creatures. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen from their leaves, and even help clean our water!

Here’s a list of must-have bedroom plants that are easy to care for, inexpensive, and best of all, purify the air!



1. SPIDER PLANT (CHLOROPHYTUM)
Proudly South African, this quirky houseplant with green and white foliage is a great air purifier. Its long leaves produce baby spider plants known as plantlets, which can be removed, planted, and given to friends or family. This elegant plant can tolerate low light conditions. Storing water in their tuberous roots, spider plants only need watering when the soil is dry.

2. LAVENDER
A bushy, fragrant perennial, lavender's earthy, sweet scent has a soothing effect and is helpful for purifying the air by lowering carbon dioxide levels and cleansing bad smells. It is a hardy plant, thriving in full sun, only needing to be watered when the soil is dry.

3. REFLEXA DRAGON TREE (DRACAENA)
With straight stems topped by a cluster of rich green leaves, these guys are shapely, low-maintenance air filters. Dragon trees are drought tolerant so they’re excellent for conserving water, and they thrive in most lighting conditions. They can get fairly tall so they make great floor-level plants.

4. FICUS BENJAMINA ‘STARLIGHT’
These are real eye-catchers – attractive as well as hard working. They remove high levels of household toxins, leaving your home smelling jungle fresh. They do love attention but will reward you greatly for doting on them. Give them bright indirect sunlight, and water two to three times a week.

5. PEACE LILY (SPATHIPYLLUM)
Peace lilies are low-maintenance plants suitable for beginners. They have dark, glossy green leaves and beautiful white blooms that reach out of the full foliage. They make a great table-top piece, happily growing in medium to low light conditions. Water when the top of the soil begins to dry, and less during winter months.

6. ROSEMARY
This Mediterranean herb has potent culinary and medicinal uses. Its antimicrobial properties make it a great air purifier that gives off a naturally piney fragrance. Rosemary has been known to improve the stimulation of blood flow to the head, aiding in concentration and memory. To top it all off, it’s a hardy, easy-to-care-for plant. It likes full sun and can tolerate infrequent watering.



Related article: 6 Super herbs that will help boost your health

7. POTHOS – MARBLE QUEEN (EPIPREMNUM)
This highly resilient plant has green and white marbled leaves and looks best in a hanging basket or trailing up a trellis round the windowsill. It thrives in any light condition and needs watering only when the top of the soil is dry. It is a highly effective air filter, removing many common household toxins from the air you breathe.

Related article: How to plant a vertical garden

8. LACE FERN (ASPARAGUS SETACEUS)
With an ethereal, tropical-forest look, this is a creeper that sends out feelers that establish mini-canopies of ‘lace’ at different levels. This amazing plant is water-wise, only needing to be watered when the soil has become dry. It likes bright indirect light – the brighter the better.

9. ALOE VERA
A popular houseplant with thick, succulent leaves growing in a spiral from the centre of the plant, Aloe vera is part of the cactus family. Well known for its numerous medicinal uses, its sap has anti-inflammatory properties and can be used to treat minor burns, cuts and skin rashes. It likes bright indirect light and needs little water to survive.

10. SNAKE PLANT (DRACAENA TRIFASCIATA)
Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, this is one of the most undemanding plants you’ll ever own. It has long green leaves with golden yellow edges and is known to be a fabulous air purifier. It thrives in any light and prefers dry soil. With this plant in your bedroom, you’re in for a great night’s rest as it releases oxygen overnight, helping you breathe better as you snooze.

Related article: 10 Plants that help keep irritating insects at bay in warm weather

By LUKE J DUFFIELD

Sources: pnas.org, plantify.co.za, stodels.com, wellnessmama.com, healthline.com