Going back to your routine shows up in the air you breathe: windows closed for longer, air conditioning or heating running and many hours in a row at the desk. Air-purifying plants are the easiest way to give those spaces another face, both at home and at the office, and at Losteflor we have them ready at our nursery in Chiclana de la Frontera.

Air-purifying plants change the mood in September

In summer the doors stay open and the indoors breathes by itself. Back at the office or at your desk at home, the air goes still and rooms turn drier. That is where green shows: a well-placed plant adds humidity, breaks that closed-office feeling and gives you something pleasant to look at when you lift your eyes off the screen.

You do not need to fill the house with pots: two or three well-chosen specimens change the character of a room. These five air-purifying plants are the ones we recommend most at the nursery to kick off the new season.

Spider plant: the most rewarding one to start with

The spider plant is the beginner plant par excellence and the first of the air-purifying plants we recommend to anyone who has never owned a pot. Its arching leaves, with that pale stripe down the centre, spill over the edge of the table without stealing any working space. It puts up with forgotten waterings and keeps throwing out little offsets that hang like stars: once they root, you have new plants to give away.

It likes bright light with no direct sun on top of it: it works very well on a high shelf or on the corner of a desk next to a window.

Spathiphyllum or peace lily: white flowers and a calm room

The Spathiphyllum is the quiet elegance of this group: dark, glossy green leaves and those white spathes that stay open for weeks. It is one of the few that flower indoors without asking you for a south-facing window, so it solves a hallway or a corridor with indirect light very nicely.

It has one practical virtue: when it runs short of water, the leaves droop and tell you straight to your face. You water it and it picks itself back up within hours, so it is perfect for anyone who never knows when it is watering time.

Zamioculca zamiifolia: green that forgives forgetfulness

If your week leaves no room even to glance at the pot, the ZZ plant is your plant. It stores water reserves in its rhizomes and in those thick stems, so it tolerates days without watering better than most. Its oval, varnished leaves give any corner a very polished air, and it grows slowly.

If you want to go deeper, on the blog you have the care guide for the zamioculca step by step.

Sansevieria or snake plant: verticality that takes anything

The Sansevieria is pure straight line: stiff leaves, mottled pattern and a yellow edge. It works to add height where there are only flat surfaces, and it is one of the least likely to complain if the corner is short on light or the air is dry. In an open-plan office it looks great on top of a filing cabinet.

Its only weak spot is watering: better to fall short, because its enemy is water sitting at the base.

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum): the shelf climber

The pothos is the most generous of these air-purifying plants: it grows fast, adapts to almost any light and its trails cascade down from a shelf or from the top of a cupboard. You can also train it upwards with a moss pole. We tell you everything about pothos care in another article.

Where to place air-purifying plants in a workspace

The spot matters as much as the species: air-purifying plants only give their best where the light suits them. These are the combinations that work best when we set up a workspace:

• On the desk: spider plant or pothos, because they fall downwards and do not block your screen.
• In an empty corner: Sansevieria or ZZ plant, which add height without taking up floor space.
• In hallways and corridors: peace lily, which appreciates indirect light and brings flowers.
• Next to a window with a sheer curtain: any of the five, since that is where they do best.

Keep them out of the direct blast from the air conditioning or the radiator: nothing dries the leaves faster.

Care these air-purifying plants have in common

They all ask for the same thing, and it is not much: bright but filtered light, watering only when the substrate feels dry to the touch and a saucer with no standing water underneath. Dust the leaves now and then with a damp cloth, because a clean leaf breathes better and looks twice as good. And if you notice dry tips, it is usually dry air or too much direct sun, not a lack of fertiliser.

One important note if you share your home with a dog or a cat: not all of these species are pet-friendly. Drop by the nursery and we will tell you which air-purifying plants you can keep without worrying and which ones are better placed out of reach.

Frequently asked questions about air-purifying plants

How many plants do I need for a room to feel different?

There is no magic number. Start with two or three good-sized specimens rather than lots of small pots: they are easier to look after and the visual effect is bigger.

Do they work the same in an office with artificial light?

The Sansevieria, the ZZ plant and the pothos cope better with spots far from the window. Even so, none of them lives on artificial light alone: they need some natural light, even if it is indirect.

Can they be left alone over a long weekend or a short holiday?

The ZZ plant and the Sansevieria handle a week with no trouble. The spider plant, the pothos and the peace lily prefer a thorough watering before you leave and a spot away from direct sun.

Which one is best as a gift for someone just starting out?

The pothos and the spider plant, no question. They grow fast, forgive beginner mistakes and give that visual reward that gets you hooked on adding more green at home.