Houseplants Happily Clean Your Indoor Air In the late 1990s, when I interviewed B.C. Wolverton about his new book, How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office, indoor gardeners everywhere cheered. Finally, houseplants were getting the recognition they deserved. Wolverton's book proved what many indoor gardeners suspected all along. In addition to beautifying your home, houseplants clean the air, making the indoors a healthier place to be. Now we know that not only does an indoor garden make your home more beautiful, the plants work 24/7 to scour the air of harmful chemicals, so you can breathe easier. Wolverton knows what he's talking about. When his book came out in 1997, he had worked for nearly 20 years for NASA developing technology that would enable humans to live in closed environments on the moon or Mars. His research showed that houseplants act as the lungs and the kidneys of buildings. They are the quickest and most effective filters of dangerous, common air pollutants, such as ammonia, xylene, benzene and formaldehyde.

Such chemicals cause everything from allergy and asthma symptoms to sick building syndrome. Houseplants clean indoor air in two ways. They absorb pollutants into their foliage and the dangerous chemicals make their way to their roots where the houseplant transforms them into useable food for the plant. costco com air purifierThey also emit water vapors that create a pumping action that pulls dirty air to the roots where it is also converted into plant food.air purifier fortress And for those with allergies and asthma (like me), there is more good news. homedics air purifier 100Despite the advice by doctors to not have plants and their soil indoors, the opposite is actually true. According to Wolverton's research, it's not plants that give off mold and mildew spores, but the soil.

As a matter of fact, plants actually reduce molds and mildews in the air. "Our research shows that plant-filled rooms contain 50% to 60% fewer airborne molds and bacteria than rooms without plants," Wolverton says. Because of the obvious benefits of having houseplants to clean the air, Wolverton suggests growing as many houseplants as possible (hooray!), especially within what he calls your "personal breathing zone." This is a 6 to 8 cubic foot area where you spend several hours each day—such as your desk and bed. "The closer the plant is to you, the better," says Wolverton. "Even in large, open rooms, a plant within your personal breathing zone really improves the air you breathe." In his book, Wolverton identifies 50 of the best houseplants for cleaning the indoor air. The plants are rated on various capabilities, including how well they remove chemical vapors, their transpiration rate and how easy they are to grow, including pest resistant. Here's a few of the indoor plants mentioned in Wolverton's book to improve indoor air quality.

Many are common house plants. Aloe veraAnthuriumArrowhead vineBoston fernChinese evergreenChristmas and Easter cactusCrotonDieffenbachiaDracaena ('Janet Craig,' corn plant, 'Warneckei,' marginata)English IvyFicus (alii, benjamina)Norfolk Island pineOrchids (dendrobium, phaleanopsis)Palms (areca, lady, bamboo, dwarf date, parlor)Peace lilyPeacock plantPhilodendronPothosPrayer plantRubber plantSansevieriaScheffleraSpider plant Large & Tall HouseplantsCroton, More About This Colorful Creature Croton is an extraordinary beauty for the indoors bringing with it a large spectrum of color not usually found on interior plant foliage. Most people do not know this plant by it's name, but do know it by it's predominant characteristic, it is often just referred to, and recognized as "the colorful plant". Color variation in plant foliage is referred to as variegation, there are many houseplants with variegated leaves but few have as much a vivid range of coloration as the Croton. Croton is most often used as a table top or accent plant in arrangements in interior settings.

It is readily available at most houseplant retailers at an average price for houseplants in it's pot size and design category. Croton is easy to care for as long as you are familiar with it's needs. There are some things to know about the Croton that will make the difference between having a nice full colorful plant, or a straggly dull plant. Indoors it does have environmental needs, preventative care preferences, and enemies that seek to destroy its beauty. Placing a Croton Indoors Finding a good place in your home or workplace to keep your Croton is the primary key to keeping it vibrant and full. A Croton will not thrive in just any interior setting, Croton like most variegated plants needs a good amount of light to continue to produce the colorful pigments in its plant cells. Ideally a Croton should be placed in bright diffused light, moderate light conditions can work as well. Natural sunlight is best, but Croton have also been known to do well when placed directly beneath fluorescents.

A Croton in too low of light will begin to lose its color when producing new growth. It may also begin to grow tall and leggy, while losing a significant amount of it's lower foliage, in the end leaving a stringy barren green leafed plant. In low light Conditions over watering symptoms may also begin to appear as brown crunchy tips on the leaves. Conversely a Croton placed in direct high light or heat, is almost guaranteed to crop up with a colony of vigorous Spider Mite which will ultimately destroy the shiny vibrant appearance of your plant. Spider Mite love Croton leaves, and a Croton kept as a houseplant, especially in a hot dry climate, is a prime candidate for a Spider Mite feast. They have even been known to attack Crotons in Moderate lighting and temperatures indoors, read on to learn more about detecting and preventing Spider Mite on Croton plants. Be particular when finding a place for your Croton; not too dark, not too bright, not too hot, but just right... Moderate or high diffused light, is the ideal.

Detecting & Treating Spider Mite Webbing on Houseplant You May Have Spider MiteA beautiful new houseplant, but wait, what's this? What in the world can it be, why does my plant suddenly look like it belongs in a haunted house? If any of this sounds familiar, you may have Spider Mites. Look into the Thoughthole Natural Habitat of Common Indoor Croton Croton & Spider Mite One of the biggest threats to a Croton kept as a houseplant is the ever present threat of the ravenous Spider Mite. Spider Mite absolutely love Croton leaves and have been known to weave a noticiable thriving colony on an unsuspecting Croton in a weeks time. Croton can be a bit tricky when it comes to preventing Mites, as they enjoy the same bright light condidtions that can produce the dry heat, and dry air condidtions that Spider Mite also thrive in. The best way to keep your Croton free of Mites is through preventative maintenance: First and formost keep your Croton watered regulary, a plant placed under undue stress, like that of being neglected, is less likely to have the ability to stand up to a Pest attack of anykind, and in some ways seems to attract danger.

Croton leaves should be hand wiped on a regular basis, with a damp cloth or babay wipe. Both the bottom and top sides of the leaves should be wiped and in suspect cases the stem should also be wiped to the best of your ability. After a good wipe down going back over your croton with a light solution of leaf shine, neem oil, or liquid soap can add a protective barrier to help prevent future outbreaks. It is also a good idea to fully spray or rinse your Croton under cold water from time to time. Spider Mite hate cold water. For more information on detecting and treating Spider Mite check the link to the right. There are other pests that occasionally attack Croton like Mealy Bug, and Aphids, but are much less common in interior circumstances. Watering Croton, and Other Maintenance Tips Croton is a plant that does require regular consistent watering, if a Croton is allowed to go too dry it will have a noticeable reaction in which the leaves will lay down often making the plant look as if it is dead.

This dramatic reaction is due to the loss of turgor pressure in the plant cells that hold the leaf upright, it also serves to help the plant conserve its low resources when there is scarcity by making less of the leaf surface exposed to the sun and therefore reducing transpiration (a plants equivalent of perspiration). Try to avoid allowing your Croton to get to this point, it does like to dry out between watering's but the drying period should be very brief. Watering a Croton all the way through to it's liner is recommended, it is often necessary to leave some excess water in the liner, then reapply water when the soil surface is dry to the touch. Undue leaf loss is typically the consequence of allowing your Croton to be exposed to under watering. Croton is considered a heavy drinking houseplant by professionals and does require regular attention at least once a week, to be sure to keep it in good health. Aside from watering there are some other task's that should be performed on an indoor Croton to assist in its overall health: If a Croton is to bloom indoors cut the bloom off.

There are few indoor plants that produce blooms that are aesthetically pleasing, or helpful to the plants health. Croton blooms in indoor circumstances only serve to add stress to the plant, and they are messy. If you have a nice full Croton and would like to keep it that way, cut back alternating stems to a leaf from time to time to keep the growth compact. Once it grows out and drops undergrowth it will be too late to turn back the clock. Now go and enjoy your Croton, and allow it to enjoy life indoors with proper care and maintenance. More by this AuthorGardeningCaring for Dracaena Reflexa; Song of India, Jamaica, PleomeleReflexa, the intriguing contemporary interior bush. Caring for this houseplant may be easier than you think once you know a little bit about this interesting specimen. Look inside the Thoughthole to learn more about...Find the Point of Origin of Annoying Little Tiny Flying Bugs.Fungus Gnats, the tiny obnoxious flying bugs found in your home or office that have been flying in your face.