Here’s Some Natural Plant-based Relief for Your Allergies!

English ivy can grow just as easily indoors.

Anyone with allergies knows the grief that they can put you through.  Antihistamines and nasal sprays can do so much.  In addition, air conditioning and air purifiers also help to clean the air, which is important if you suffer from dust, mold or animal dander from your pet to reduce the airborne irritants.  

Something else that can ease indoor allergy symptoms is using certain plants to filter the air.  For instance, English ivy (Hedera helix) may help with a mold allergy in particular according to one study for how it can reduce the amount of airborne mold.

The secret to growing this plant is placing it in a room with plenty of sunlight.  It can still grow with less, but it does the best with more.  Also, it doesn’t like too much water or dust accumulating on its leaves. When you notice dust, spritz it with a little water or run it under the tap with a light stream of water in your sink to clean it off. Furthermore, the soil needs to feel slightly dry when touched to keep this plant thriving.  

If you do this for your English ivy, it will love you back.  In fact, you can cut a leaf and place in a glass with water to help start a new plant to place in each room.  However, their leaves and berries are poisonous to small children and pets.  So be careful where you place them.

Chysanethemum is another beautiful green purifier.  The only drawback is flowers must be on the plant for it to filter the air.  When it isn’t blooming, the plant is not cleaning so keep that in mind.

Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are also fantastic to help better breathing.  They are strong, don’t need a lot of care and constant watering and are ideal to get if you happen to get new carpeting.  These plants take out toxic formaldehyde and xylene gases that may be released.

Rubber plants (Ficus elastic)  are also environmentally beneficial to you and your home, but not your dog or cat if they start munching it.  These also help get rid of formaldehyde and trichloroethylene that could be present in paints, upholstery and carpet cleaners, paint removers, etc.  

Good luck on selecting the right plants because they can improve the quality of your life without much expense!