Fresh as a Gerbera Jamesonii

Despite my very best efforts, I am a murderer …of plants. My kitchen window sill currently hosts not one but three plants on their way to the big window sill in the sky. I may not have a green thumb, but I do keep trying to fill my home with vegetation. Not only because it adds color and freshness to a room, but because it is vital to good indoor air quality. 

Often unbeknownst to us, our modern homes have awful air quality. Living in cities brings fine particles (inhalable dust), vehicle exhaust and mold in every time we open a window or turn on air conditioning. And objects we voluntarily bring into our home emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) - toxins that release over time and cause long-term health effects as they accumulate. Think you’re safe because you haven’t painted recently? You aren’t. People are surprised to learn that VOCs are emitted not just by paint, but by most household products and home furnishings, including but not limited to: carpet, furniture fabrics, plywood, particleboard, glues, plastics, vinyl, grocery bags, cleaning products and dry-cleaned clothes.

Plants improve indoor air quality by removing carbon dioxide as well as volatile organic compounds such as benzene, formaldehyde and/or trichloroethylene from the air. The helpful geniuses at NASA conducted a study on household plants most effective at filtering the air and came up with a list of the best. The study recommends one potted plant per 100 square feet space and keeping them in 6-8 inch diameter containers.

-Gerbera daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) 

-Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii) 

-Marginata (Dracaena marginata)  

-Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

(I have not listed the varieties that are toxic to pets or children because I love pets or children.)

My friend and I are going to do some experimenting with this list. Hopefully, there will be no more murder. 

PS. Want to know just how fresh the air in your space is? Plug this handy little gadget into your laptop to test air quality of a room. CO2 and VOC levels appear on your screen, allowing you to know when to open a window or (for consistently poor quality in one area) bring in a plant or two.