Houseplants are one such indoor plants that can add color and life to your homes. Colour and fragrance are two such attributes that are linked to houseplants as they are just like living sculptures. They can add warmth to any coffee table and drama to the dull house decors. However, do you know these plants can be affecting the quality of the lives of your pets? In this article, we give a detailed overview of the non-toxic air purifying indoor plants that are safe for your pets.
With proper ventilation, plants can also help in removing various kinds of chemicals such as benzene, and formaldehyde. According to NASA, these chemicals are mostly found in building materials that are synthetic. These plants help in relieving burning eyes, difficulties in breathing, and any symptoms that are associated with such problems. So how do these air purifying plants work? Plants release water vapors in the air, working like a pump that pulls chemical substances down to the roots of the plants. These chemicals can then be utilized by the plants for the production of food.
Since we spend the majority of our time in our homes along with our pets, therefore owning air purifying plants is an ideal option. However, not all plants can be friendly for your pets. Some of the plants can be toxic for your pets and can result in them getting ill or if ingested, it can cause more problems. Therefore, you need to know about the plants that are not toxic for your pets, plants that should be avoided so that your pets can roam around and breathe in clean air.
Air purifying plants: Benefits
Air purifying plants can have a tremendous number of advantages. Although you will require huge amounts of plants for filling your homes and office spaces, however, the benefit of improved and clean air is guaranteed. Following are the advantages of air purifying plants:
- Reduction in the irritation of eyes, nose and throat
- Prevention against cough and congestion
- Lowering stress levels
- Help in boosting the attention capacity.
Indoor house plants can help in reducing the carbon dioxide levels in your homes and also help in increasing the levels of relative humidity. You can easily get rid of stale air as these plants are more like natural humidifiers. These plants not only improve the quality of indoor air but also help make people feel better. They help you to manage your stress level. Activities like potting plants and watering them will help you get busy and reduce your stress. These plants can help in enhancing your focus especially when you are doing a tiring task such as a university paper or your office work.
Safety concerns
One thing that you must consider when choosing the air purifying plants for your homes is the safety of your pets. Plants can be toxic and harmful for pets therefore you need to do proper research before buying the right one. The ideal situation is to consult the staff present in the greenhouse and nurseries about the options that are safe for pets and do not cause any allergies. Also, you can gather information from online resources.
Moreover, if the number of houseplants increases it can cause increased humidity and promotion in the growth of molds. An ideal way for preventing this is by draining the excess water from your plants using a pan or a tray and make sure this is done on regular basis. Also, you can use sub-irrigation planters. Moreover, the topsoil can be covered with Spanish moss or aquarium gravel for the removal of molds.
Best non-toxic air purifying indoor plants for pets
Following are the best non-toxic air purifying plants that you can use in your homes without the fear that your pets might be getting affected.
1- Bamboo Palm
These plants love indirect sunlight and grow happily indoors. This is a large houseplant and helps in the removal of various chemical substances such as Benzene, and Formaldehyde from the air. The plant has a tall stature and is a very popular indoor houseplant, also known by the name of Reed Palm. Moreover, this plant is a non-toxic air purifying plant and is extremely safe for your pets.
Source: Plant.Pk
2- Boston Fern
This is a beautiful plant with gorgeous fronds of green color just like the sword fern. However, this plant is more compact and thus highly suited for placing them indoors. It is extremely efficient in the removal of air pollutants present in the air. Moreover, it is safe for all those homes which have pets as they pose no harm to them.
Source: Plants Islamabad
3- Spider Plant
This is a very attractive houseplant which you can place in the living room or even in the room of your children. It is extremely efficient in removing chemical substances such as Xylene and Formaldehyde. Moreover, it is a non-toxic air purifying plant that is extremely safe for your pets.
Source: Amazon.com
4- Gerbera Daisy
These daisies are very trendy cut flowers. There are various color variants such as shades of red, peach, and yellow. They are also available in other colors such as pink, pale, orange, and purple. They are extremely safe for your pets and can be grown easily as well.
Source: Lowe’s
5- Areca Palm
This a tall houseplant that is well suited for indoor spaces such as our homes and offices. The plant has beautiful fronds that arches downwards and is in green color with a smooth surface. Moreover, these plants are extremely low maintenance. They help in the elimination of Xylene, and Toluene from the air moreover, they are non-toxic plants for pets.
Source: Plantz.com
6- Money tree
This is one plant that is often associated with good luck and fortune however, it is also extremely efficient in the removal of harmful chemical substances from the air. It needs a warm temperature to grow along with indirect light and air that is humid. Moreover, no need to worry about their toxicity.
Source: Amazon.com
7- Moth Orchid
This houseplant has a very pleasing appearance mainly due to its fragrant and colorful flowers. Moreover, it can efficiently absorb Xylene and Toluene from indoor air making it safe and healthy not only for us but also for our pets. These plants can get adapted to the indoor environment very easily and are extremely safe for pets.
Source: White Flower Farm
8- Dwarf Date Palm
This is a very favorable plant in the removal of chemical toxins such as Formaldehyde and Toluene. It is also known by the name of Pygmy date palm. This plant grows very slowly which makes it ideal to keep indoors. Moreover, it produces edible fruits that are extremely safe for your pets to eat.
Source: Pinterest
9- Australian Sword Fern
This plant is the best plant to be used in hanging baskets and is also called Kimberly Fern. The plant can purify the air by removing chemicals such as Formaldehyde and Xylene as well as particulate matter. It will help you stay healthy and is also non-toxic for your pets.
Source: Flower Power
10- Rubber Plant
This plant has amazing green-colored foliage making it an extremely elegant-looking plant. The Rubber Plant belongs to the Moraceae family and helps in the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemical toxins.
Source: Pinterest
Conclusion
Houseplants are not only known for their beauty and aesthetics but are also extremely efficient in keeping our indoor air clean and pollutant-free. With all such benefits, one concern that comes to our mind is whether these plants are safe for your pets or not. You need to look into those indoor air purifying plants that are non-toxic for your pets keeping them safe and sound. Therefore, we provided complete details regarding indoor air purifying plants and the top ten non-toxic plants that you can have if there are pets around.