Secret Of Healthy life amidst urban environment: Indoor Plant

If you want plant life around you but don’t have an outdoor space, introduce greenery into your interior. But be careful to choose plants that can tolerate life on the inside.

The difference between an indoor plant and an outdoor plant mainly has to do with a plant's temperature tolerance. All types of plants were originally outdoor plants, of course, but certain plants are now referred to as indoor plants, or houseplants, because of their low tolerance for cool temperatures, their long life span and their ability to thrive in containers.

Plants grown inside are generally species that thrive in temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Most indoor plants that grow well in this temperature range are tropical plants. Tropical plants enjoy warm temperatures and humidity, but they do not require constant sunlight. Outdoor plants can tolerate a wider temperature range.

Beneficial plants include the spider plant, philodendron varieties, Chinese evergreen, bamboo, snake plant and dracaena varieties. English ivy has been proven to remove air-borne molds and formaldehyde from indoor air. The peace lily removes all toxins, including benzene, xylene, toluene and trichloroethylene. Other plants believed to have a filtering effect in the home include the areca palm, reed palm, lady palm and dwarf date palm. Tropical plants produce a secretion that can protect their leaves from mildew and mold. The Boston fern removes formaldehyde from the air. A few other beneficial plants to consider are the Australian sword fern, arrowhead vines, umbrella grass, rubber plants and weeping figs.

Many houseplants, at least 42 varieties, have been said to have an impact on the quality of indoor air. By absorbing toxins, turning them into food and releasing clean air, these plants filter the air and make it cleaner. Plants move chemicals in the air to their roots by absorption through their leaves. The larger the leaves of the plant, the higher the transpiration and level of moisture. Rooms with plants have 50 to 60 percent fewer mold spores and bacteria than those without. Toxins are also broken down when the plant pulls oxygen down to its roots, where they are neutralized by microbes in the soil.