Purifying with Plants
Originally published in the Spring 2020 issue of SPOKE+BLOSSOM.
Clean breathing means a clearer mind and better sleep. Tap into nature’s healing channels by bringing air-filtering houseplants into your living space.
NASA’s famous 1989 Clean Air Study calls out known carcinogens in the air we breathe — pollutants that include benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene found in carpets and furniture. They recommend an air-purifying plant placed every 100 square feet to cleanse home and work spaces of airborne toxins, dusts and germs.
A closer look at these toxins reveals some scary, negative health effects: benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches and confusion, while formaldehyde irritates the nose, mouth and throat. Perhaps the most menacing, trichloroethylene can spur headaches, nausea and vomiting.
Fortunately, relief is accessible with an easy trip to your local greenhouse or garden center. The NASA study named several no-fuss plants that naturally filter out the nasty stuff and easily grow indoors. Using popular houseplants to convert carbon dioxide and toxins into fresh oxygen — it’s a good housekeeping no-brainer.
Here, president of Mountain Greenery Plantscapes Inc. in Basalt, Jillian Kops, helps us choose the right purifying potted plants.
Call on Mountain Greenery in Basalt for plants sourced from their garden boutique, along with indoor and outdoor gardening services. The family-owned Roaring Fork Valley nursery prides itself on a wealth of healthy annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees and exotics. Find them at 185 Southside Drive, Basalt, or mtngreenplants.com.