During summer, many people spend a great deal of time indoors because it’s too hot to be outside. With the air-conditioning on, you may feel nice and comfortable. But, things could turn around if you’re constantly breathing stale and recycled air.
Don’t set yourself up for getting sick during a season that’s all about having fun! Put some air-filtering flowers inside your home to stay healthy.
While you’re at it, send some to a friend or loved one, as a gift to say “Hi” and to let them know “I’m wishing you health.”
Here are some great flowers to keep indoor air healthy.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Peace Lily is an evergreen that’s easy to take care of. It requires little light or water to thrive, which makes is a perfect inside plant. You can buy Peace Lilies at many garden stores and they’re simple to grow in a garden. NASA analyzed houseplants and found that Peace Lily was the most efficient plant at removing airborne VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
Florist’s Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum moriforlium)
This flower is often called Florist’s daisy and Hardy Garden Mum. It’s a houseplant and popular perennial that many already have in their home. It loves direct sunlight and needs an adequate amount of water, so keep it by a window and watch it’s moisture level. With the right care, Florist’s Chrysanthemum will blossom up in a house or place of business, and help cleanse the air of toxic chemicals.
* Note – These flowers are poisonous to animals, so keep them up high if you have furry companions living with you.
Flamingo Lily (Anthurium andraeanum)
Commonly called Flamingo Lily, Anthurium andraeanum is a stunning evergreen that’s mostly know for it’s beautiful flowers. The NASA Clean Air Study noted that the Flamingo Lily was especially effective at ridding dangerous airborne formaldehyde and ammonia from inside air.
Flowers are perfect companions to humidifiers and electric air purifiers in a home or office, and depending on the circumstances, they can purify air entirely on their own. They sure look pretty doing it, too.
The larkspur is also known as lark’s heel (by Shakespeare, no less), lark’s claw and knight’s spur. The genus name, delphinium, comes from the Latin word delphis, meaning dolphin, which shape the opening flower makes. The larkspur symbolizes an open heart and an ardent attachment, while also conveying feelings of lightness and levity. A word or two about your color selection.
Don’t let your pets snack on these flowers – the larkspur is poisonous, to animals and humans alike. Even today, North American ranchers delay letting cattle range on upper slopes until the late summer, when the flower is less toxic. Tiny quantities are sometimes used for medicinal purposes; in ancient times, drinking the seeds was thought to protect against the sting of scorpions. Too risky for this author!
The alternative flower for July, is the water lily. Water lilies symbolize all that is good, true and beautiful. Good fortune, truth of action and intention, purity of heart, and enlightenment are all signified by the water lily flower. The water lily flower has strong symbolic ties with many Asian religions, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism. In addition, the white water lily is the national flower of Bangladesh and State flower for Andhra Pradesh, India, while the blue waterlily is the national flower of Sri Lanka. 