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The six best indoor plants for allergies

Kiera Baron
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Those who experience allergies of any kind know they don’t disappear when you head indoors. Pollen gets tracked in, dust accumulates, and a home environment can be very dry depending on the conditions. By bringing in some of the best indoor plants for allergies, you can attempt to lessen the effects of allergies so long as you avoid flowering plants.

How can a plant be hypoallergenic?

According to Dr. Sanjeev Jain, houseplants can filter the air as they produce oxygen; however, if you’re someone with seasonal or environmental allergies caused pollen, you’ll want to fill your home with non-flowering plants.

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Non-flowering, low-pollen plants are often referred to as hypoallergenic plants since allergies to them are fairly uncommon. There are many, according to experts, which actually help remove harmful toxins from the air and increase humidity in your home.

Peace lily blooms
armifello/Shutterstock

Plants to aid your allergies

Remember hypoallergenic plants won’t cure allergies, but they will help increase the quality of your indoor environment. Many of the ones below have been found to remove traces of toxins from the air (along with converting carbon dioxide to oxygen) and will help you enjoy nature without cause for harm!

Peace lilies

Peace lilies are easy to care for — they start to droop when they’re ready to be watered and thrive best in indirect lighting. They’re known to remove trace amounts of harmful chemicals from the air, including formaldehyde, benzene, and xylene. As with any of the plants on this list, you’ll want more than one (whether it’s multiple peace lilies or a combination of a few different plants) to increase the chances of improving your air quality.

Swedish and English Ivy

Swedish ivy is a great hypoallergenic plant for any home gardener, so long as you have a spot in your house with bright, indirect sunlight where it can thrive. It’s a fairly low-maintenance, fast-growing plant that will do well in a hanging basket or in a pot on the shelf. You’ll want to make sure that the room you put it in never drops below 60°F.

If you don’t have a bright, indirect spot for the Swedish ivy to thrive, you can opt for a low-light counterpart: the English ivy. English ivy can grow in partial to full shade but will thrive more with some lighting. It prefers humid environments, so you can opt to keep it in the bathroom in a hanging basket or in a drier room if you provide intermittent misting.

Dracaena

Dracaena plants, according to some researchers, remove traces of benzene, trichlorethylene, and formaldehyde. Depending on the variety, they can withstand light shade; however, keep in mind that care requirements can vary from type to type, so you’ll want to research your specific dracaena to find out how to provide it with the best conditions possible. The good news is all of them are low-pollen plants, so you can’t go wrong with the variety you choose.

Areca palm

Areca palms prefer slightly higher humidity than many plants since their native habitat is a tropical forest. If you have a dry home but want to bring in an areca palm, you may want to purchase a humidifier. Another option is to fill some trays with pebbles and water, placing them around your plants to help increase the humidity in your space as the water evaporates.

They do OK in lower lighting, too, so don’t worry if you don’t have a spot with really bright lighting. Areca palms are especially beneficial for those who have sinus issues (like ones caused by allergies!) and can remove amounts of formaldehyde from the air.

Pothos plant in gold pot
Zuzana Habekova/Shutterstock

Golden pothos

Golden pothos prefer environments with bright, indirect lighting; however, they can survive in low-light areas, too. Their rate of growth will be impacted by the type of lighting, so keep that in mind when choosing where to keep your pothos plant. They look beautiful in pots or hanging baskets, and they should be watered regularly only when the top of the soil is dry to touch. Golden pothos are good for filtering formaldehyde and increasing the oxygen in your space.

Snake plant

Snake plants are low maintenance and can grow up to 6 feet tall. These native tropical/subtropical succulents are sometimes called mother-in-law tongues and enjoy a more humid environment. Since they’re succulents, you’ll want to be wary of overwatering and follow the soak and dry method (wait until the top inch or two of soil is dry, then soak until water comes out the bottom).

The best houseplants for allergies will almost always be ones that don’t flower or produce a lot of pollen. There are plenty of plants whose beauty mainly comes from their leaves, stretching far beyond this list of six plants. Depending on the type of lighting and environment conditions in your home, you can have a wide variety of houseplants that will improve the air quality of your home.

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