Sibe,

I am trying to be more health conscious and I read somewhere that the right plants can help to purify the air in your home and help raise the humidity levels to counteract the drying effects of central heating. Could you advise as to what greenery will do this!

Many thanks,

Gloria

Our Gardening Expert replies:

Hi Gloria,

Yes, you are quite right - growing plants indoors can increase humidity levels by virtue of the water evaporated from plants' leaves and from the compost they grow in, as well as being quite effective in removing pollutants from the air.

The process of photosynthesis involves an exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen from and to the plant's leaves. When NASA were looking for potential ways of purifying air on moon bases and during trips to Mars etc, they established that a number of plants could also remove chemical pollutants from air in closed environments.

Many substances used in modern housing give off chemical pollutants. Some people have an extreme reaction to this and suffer from 'Sick Building Syndrome' though this is usually associated with large office buildings which are air conditioned and have less fresh air introduced than in normal housing. The chemical pollutants that do the damage are solvents which leak from ink, paint, detergents, dyes and include formaldehyde which is given off by foam insulation or pressed wood products such as much of modern house furniture.

Of course, ventilating rooms to the outside air is even more effective in removing pollutants, though this isn't always desirable in cold conditions! What will certainly help is using the right plants. NASA proved that certain plants were very efficient at converting these damaging pollutants into harmless compounds as part of their growing process. The compost and plant roots were also efficient at removing pollutants - especially microbes living in the soil, which use them as a food source.

Some of the most efficient and also easily obtainable and easy to grow plants included Ficus benjamina, Ivy, The Boston Fern, The Peace Lily, Dieffenbachia picta, The Spider Plant, Gerbera and Christmas Cactus. These are all commonly used as house plants and are easy to look after.

Of course, the effect on pollutant removal and humidity works better the more house plants you use, so don't expect one small plant to clean and humidify the whole room!

Stay healthy,

Sibe.

For ideas on brightening up your home with some great greenery see Houseplant Heaven and Indoor Garden.