Since leaving your windows open year-round is not an option for most of us, here’s something else to try: indoor herb gardening.

These herbs are not just limited to teas or your favorite pasta dishes; they can also help clean and detox your air.

Volatile organic compounds are present in almost every home. They are toxic and can cause a range of respiratory and health problems. Burning fuel, such as gas on a stove or to heat water, and using solvents in the home like glue, paint, cleaning supplies, etc. all release VOCs into your air.

The following herbs can eliminate up to 90% of the VOCs from your air without electronic air filtration systems. Keeping them in your home can improve respiration, decrease anxiety, and help keep your home feeling fragrant, fresh, and bright all year round.

Detoxifying Herbs to Grow in Your Home

• Jasmine – Jasmine is a great air purifier, and it’s also relatively low-maintenance. You can use its petals for tea by boiling them for 10 minutes.
• Honeysuckle – This plant gives off a sweet scent and doesn’t require much light, so it can be used to brighten shadowy corners of your home. It will remove VOCs from the air and can be grown from a seed.
• Geranium – Geraniums purify the air, repel mosquitoes, and look lovely when blooming. They are great plants for beginners, as they can go for up to about two weeks without being watered.
• Rosemary – Not only will rosemary purify the air, but it will also add some of its essential oils to the room, increasing cognitive function and helping to protect the brain.
• Mint – While removing VOCs, mint gives off a pleasant aroma and can be used in teas and cooking. It can kill off parasites from other plants in the home.
• Lavender – Lavender filters out VOCs and repels insects, all while relaxing the respiratory system and helping to ease anxiety.
• Coffee Plant – The white blooms and refreshing scent of this plant will make you happy to have it in your home. It takes several years to grow and bloom, but it will spend that time removing VOCs from your air.
• English Ivy – This small plant is easy to care for and is most adept at eliminating formaldehyde from the air. Formaldehyde is the most prevalent indoor pollutant.
• Boston Fern – Ferns are especially popular in indoor hanging baskets. They can also remove formaldehyde from the air, and things like mercury and arsenic from the soil.
• Wax Begonia – A succulent, this plant only requires lots of sunlight. It’s great at filtering out benzene, which is found in many adhesives.

*Jasmine is in Fleur Sauvage.
*Mint and Lavender is in Misaki.