Nature has a simple, budget-friendly solution—this easy care air purifying indoor plants with names and images guide will help you to choose the perfect one to breathe cleaner air!
List of 10 Air Purifying Indoor Plants
In this guide, I’ll share the 10 best indoor plants for oxygen that are perfect for homes—based on NASA’s Clean Air Study, care tips from top botanists and common mistakes.
Whether you are a house wife, employee, a beginner, or just looking to spruce up your apartment, these plants work like magic. Let’s get started!
#1. Snake Plant
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Snake Plant, Viper’s Rope Plant |
| Scientific Name | Sansevieria trifasciata |
| Air Purifier | Removes toxins like Formaldehyde, Benzene, Xylene (paints) from indoor spaces |
| Low Light Plant | Thrives in shady corners to bright rooms (no direct sun needed) |
| Water Needs | Water only when soil is bone-dry (~once/month) |
| Pet Safety | Toxic to cats/dogs – keep out of reach |
| Benefits | Releases oxygen at night (best bedroom plant!) |
You’ve probably seen this plant in offices or homes – some call it Snake Plant or Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, but that’s not important. What matters: it quietly cleans your air. It grabs nasty chemicals floating around from everyday stuff like window cleaners, that ‘new shower curtain’ smell, or paint fumes.
This low-maintenance warrior survives anywhere from dark corners to sunny offices and only needs water when its soil dries out completely. Make sure keep it away from pets.
You’ll spot these in Indian homes, often near windows or beside sofas!
Fun fact:
This plant survived 3 months without water in NASA’s study!
Pro tip:
Its night-time oxygen boost makes it perfect for bedrooms!
#2. Peace Lily
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Peace Lily |
| Scientific Name | Spathiphyllum Wallisii |
| Air Purifier | Removes ammonia (cleaners), benzene (plastics), formaldehyde (furniture) |
| Light Needs | Thrives in shady spots to bright rooms (avoid direct sun!) |
| Water | Water when soil feels dry (~1-2x/week) – droops when thirsty! |
| Pet Safety | Toxic to cats/dogs – keep out of reach |
| Benefits | Boosts humidity + grows elegant white flowers |
Meet the Peace Lily – you’ve likely seen its beautiful white flowers in homes or offices. Unlike many plants, it actually tells you when it needs water, its leaves droop down. But they stand up straight again in hours after watering!
It quietly cleans bad air by grabbing nasty stuff from everyday things like bathroom cleaners, new furniture smells, or printer ink fumes. Plus, its elegant white flowers (which appear most of the year) make rooms feel fresher.
Great for:
- Bathrooms (loves moisture)
- Offices with printers
- Dark corners where other plants die
- Just keep it away from pets!
Fun Fact:
“NASA found Peace Lilies remove 60% of airborne toxins in 24 hours!”
Pro Tip:
“Place it in bathrooms – its humidity boost prevents dry skin!”
#3. Areca Palm
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Areca Palm, Golden Cane Palm, Butterfly Palm |
| Scientific Name | Dypsis lutescens |
| Air Purifier | Eats bad smells from wet paint, new rugs, strong glues |
| Light | Bright spots near windows (no hot sun!) |
| Water | Keep soil damp (water 2-3x/week) |
| Pet Safety | Safe for pets |
| Benefits | Pumps moisture into dry air |
Meet the Areca Palm – those feathery green leaves you see in fancy lobbies! It’s like a living air cleaner. Give it good light and regular sips of water, and it will:
- Swallow nasty smells from new paint or carpets
- Add jungle moisture to dry rooms (bye-bye, itchy skin!)
Unlike trickier palms, this one won’t die if you miss a watering. Just trim brown tips with scissors. Pets can safely nap under it!
This palm fights ‘new house smell’ – perfect for freshly painted rooms!
Fun Fact:
One Areca Palm can drink 1 liter of water per day in summer!
Pro Tip:
Want more palms? Split its clumps – each stem grows new roots!
Do you love English Ivy Indoor Plant for home?
#4. Money Plant
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Money Plant, Golden Pothos, Devil’s Ivy |
| Scientific Name | Epipremnum aureum |
| Air Purifier | Fights bad air from furniture polish, car exhaust (near windows), paint smells |
| Light | Any light! (Dark bathrooms to sunny balconies) |
| Water | Water when leaves droop (~1x/week) |
| Pet Safety | Toxic to pets |
| Benefits | Grows fast + brings good vibes (Indian tradition!) |
Meet your ₹50 air cleaner – the Money Plant! You’ve seen it in bottles in home, pots or crawling up walls. It’s the ultimate survivor: grows anywhere, fights smells from polishes and paints, and asks only for weekly sips.
In Indian homes, we love it as a lucky charm – its fast-growing vines ‘bring prosperity’. Just hang it high away from pets. Pro trick: Rotate the pot weekly for even leaves!
Fun Fact:
One Money Plant grew 100 feet long in a Kolkata office!
Pro Tip:
Snip a vine, pop in water – you’ll get a new plant in 10 days!
#5. Spider Plant
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Spider Plant, Airplane Plant, Ribbon Plant |
| Scientific Name | Chlorophytum comosum |
| Air Purifier | Cleans your bad air by grabbing nail polish, leather cleaners, wood varnish smells |
| Light | Happy anywhere! (Shady corners to bright kitchens) |
| Water | Water when soil feels dry (~2x/week) |
| Pet Safety | 100% safe for pets |
| Benefits | Grows baby “spiderettes” you can share + removes smells fast |
Spider Plant – that happy green friend with wild, striped leaves! You’ve seen it in parlors or hanging baskets. Its best trick? Growing tiny baby plants on long strings (like little spiders!).
It quietly cleans air from strong smells like nail polish, shoe cleaners, or wood stains. Safe for pets and impossible to kill – even if you forget water for weeks! Indian aunties love passing its babies to neighbors for good luck.
Fun Fact:
One Spider Plant mom can grow 50+ babies in a year!
Pro Tip:
Snip the baby ‘spiderettes’, pot them, and gift friends a clean-air present!
#6. ZZ Plant
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Common Name | ZZ Plant, Zanzibar Gem |
| Scientific Name | Zamioculcas zamiifolia |
| Air Purifier | Fights bad air from: – Paint smells – New plastic items – Glue fumes |
| Light | Any light! (Dark corners to bright rooms) |
| Water | Water every 2-3 weeks (thrives on neglect!) |
| Pet Safety | Toxic to pet animals |
| Benefits | Shiny leaves stay green for months + survives without care |
Meet the unkillable ZZ Plant! Those waxy green leaves can live in near-darkness for months. While it looks plastic, it’s actually cleaning bad smells from paints, new toys, and glue.
Water it just 1-2 times a month. Even if you travel often or forget plants, this warrior stays green. Perfect for Indian bedrooms or offices with no windows. Just keep pets away!
Fun Fact:
ZZ Plants store water in potato-like roots – they can survive 4 months without water!
Pro Tip:
Dust its leaves monthly – they shine brighter when clean!
#7. Aloe Vera
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Aloe Vera, Burn Plant |
| Scientific Name | Aloe barbadensis miller |
| Air Purifier | Fights bad air from: – Paint smells – Floor cleaners – Varnish fumes |
| Light | Sunny windowsills (3-4 hours direct sun) |
| Water | Rare drinks! Water every 2-3 weeks |
| Pet Safety | Toxic to pet animals |
| Benefits | Soothing gel for burns + grows baby “pups” |
Aloe Vera Plant – the healing hero that eats paint fumes while soothing burns!
Aloe Vera is that spiky hero sitting on your kitchen window! You might rub its gel on burns, but it’s also secretly cleaning your air. It munches on nasty smells from fresh paint, strong floor cleaners, and wood varnishes.
Give it sunshine and forget it for weeks – this tough plant loves dry soil. When it grows little baby plants at its base (called “pups”), you can gently pull them off to make new aloes! Just keep pets away – while the gel helps us, eating the leaves hurts them.
Fun Fact:
Ancient Egyptians called Aloe Vera the ‘plant of immortality’!
Pro Tip:
Snip the oldest leaves first – they have the most healing gel!
Discover beautiful 10 Popular Creeper Plants with images.
#8. Rubber Plant
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Rubber Plant, Rubber Tree |
| Scientific Name | Ficus elastica |
| Air Purifier | Fights bad air from: – New furniture smells – Dust and mold – Carpet fumes |
| Light | Bright spots near windows (no hot sun) |
| Water | Water when top soil dries (~1x/week) |
| Pet Safety | Toxic to pet |
| Benefits | Big shiny leaves clean dust + grows tall like indoor tree |
Rubber Plant is that glossy leaved giant making your neighbor’s living room look fancy! Its huge waxy leaves aren’t just pretty – they grab dust and fight smells from new sofas or carpets.
Water it weekly and wipe leaves monthly (they sparkle!). It grows slowly upward like a proper tree – perfect for filling empty corners. Keep away from pets though – its milky sap irritates skin.
Fun Fact:
Rubber Plants were originally grown for actual rubber during WWII!
Pro Tip:
Want bushier growth? Snip the top stem – it’ll sprout two branches!
#9. Boston Fern
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Boston Fern, Sword Fern |
| Scientific Name | Nephrolepis exaltata |
| Air Purifier | Fights bad air from: – New furniture smells – Damp towel odors – Pet smells |
| Light | Bright shade (near east/west windows) |
| Water | Keep soil damp (water every 2-3 days) |
| Pet Safety | Safe for pet animals |
| Benefits | Loves steam rooms/showers + fluffy green look |
Boston Fern – the fluffy air washer that loves your bathroom humidity!
Boston Ferns are nature’s humidifiers! Those feathery green arms thrive in steamy bathrooms where other plants die. They’re busy cleaning musty smells from wet towels, new cabinets, or pet beds.
Unlike fussy ferns, this type forgives mistakes. If leaves turn brown, just snip them off – new fronds will sprout fast. Perfect for Indian bathrooms or kitchens where steam hangs in the air!
Fun Fact:
Victorians grew these in parlors to show off wealth – one plant cost a month’s salary!
Pro Tip:
Place on a tray with wet pebbles – it drinks humidity like chai!
#10. Chinese Evergreen
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Chinese Evergreen |
| Scientific Name | Aglaonema modestum |
| Air Purifier | Fights bad air from: – New books/paper – Stale AC air – Printers |
| Light | Low to medium light (perfect for AC rooms!) |
| Water | Water every 7-10 days (let soil dry halfway) |
| Pet Safety | Toxic to pet animals |
| Benefits | Gorgeous patterned leaves + survives AC drafts |
Spot those painted leaves in fancy offices? That’s Chinese Evergreen! This tough beauty thrives where other plants fail – shady corners, AC rooms, or under fluorescent lights.
Chinese Evergreen cleans your air while looking pretty! It fights bad smells from new books, printers, and stuffy rooms.
Water it weekly. You’ll get cool pink, green, or silver leaves. Perfect for AC rooms or Indian bedrooms or offices where temperature changes kill other plants!
Fun Fact:
NASA ranked this among the TOP 3 air-purifying plants for removing benzene!
Pro Tip:
Dust its leaves weekly – they ‘breathe’ better when clean!
✨ 5 Simple Rules for Thriving Indoor Plants
| Tip | Why It Matters | Plants That Love This |
|---|---|---|
| Dust Leaves Monthly | Dust blocks light + pores = less air cleaning | Rubber Plant, ZZ Plant, Snake Plant |
| Use Room-Temp Water | Cold water shocks roots = yellow leaves | Peace Lily, Ferns, Chinese Evergreen |
| Don’t Overwater! | Wet soil kills roots faster than drought | Snake Plant, ZZ Plant, Cacti |
| Rotate Pots Weekly | Prevents lopsided growth | Money Plant, Areca Palm, Spider Plant |
| Skip Leaf Shine Sprays | Clogs pores – just wipe with wet cloth | All plants! |
🚫 3 Deadly Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Why It’s Bad | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Overwatering | Roots rot → plant suffocates | Finger test: Water only if top 1-inch soil is dry |
| Wrong Spot | Dark-loving plants burn in sun / sun-lovers fade in dark | Check tags: Group plants by light needs |
| Ignoring Pests | Spider mites spread fast → weakens air cleaning | Spray weekly: 1 tsp neem oil + 1L water |
Final Thoughts
These 10 easy air-purifying plants don’t just clean toxins – they bring life to Indian homes! Start with one low-maintenance champ (like Snake Plant or ZZ Plant). Got questions? Ask below! 👇
P.S. Share this guide with that friend who kills every plant!
FAQs
Do air purifying plants actually work?
Yes! NASA studies prove about plants like Snake Plant and Peace Lily remove toxins by up to 87% in 24 hours. Pair them with good ventilation for best results. But remember, they’re only helpers – not replacements for fresh air.
Can I grow Money Plant in water?
Yes! Money Plant and Lucky Bamboo easily thrive in water. Others (like Snake Plant) need soil to avoid rot.
How many plants should a beginner start with?
Start with just 2 plants in your main room – like one tough Snake Plant and a Spider Plant. See how they do before adding more!
Which plants won’t harm pets or kids?
These three are super safe:
– Spider Plant (fun for kids!)
– Areca Palm
– Boston Fern
Keep Snake Plants and Peace Lilies away from curious pets though.
Can I keep these in AC rooms or low light?
Yes! Chinese Evergreen and ZZ Plants thrive in AC rooms. For dark corners, try Snake Plants or ZZ Plants – they survive without sunlight!
Why are my plant’s leaves turning yellow?
Usually overwatering! Let soil dry before watering again.
Do they need special soil or fertilizer?
Nope! Regular potting soil works. Feed liquid fertilizer monthly in monsoon/summer. Skip in winter.
Where to buy these plants in India?
Local nurseries (best for healthy plants) or online: NurseryLive, Ugaoo, Amazon.
Pro tip: Search ‘air purifying plants near me’ for offline buy!
How long do these plants live?
With basic care, most live 5–10 years. Snake Plants can survive for decades—they’re the tortoises of the plant world!