This post is all about the 9 best air purifying plants for dorm rooms.
Plants are one of my favorite ways to decorate dorm rooms. They immediately brighten up a space and make it feel so much more like home.
Plants are proven to help boost happiness levels, aid in cognitive function, and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. They’re not a cure-all, but they definitely can help your boost your mood!
Another benefit of having plants in your dorm room is that they can actually purify the air. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and toxins in the environment and produce oxygen. This makes them perfect for cleaning up the air in dorm rooms and other small spaces.
If you’re looking for easy houseplants that have air-purifying qualities, look no further! I’ve put together this list of 9 amazing dorm room plants that clean the air.
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Air Purifying Plants for Dorm Rooms
The Best Dorm Plants for Low Light
You may think that your dorm room is too dim to grow plants, but some plants actually thrive in low light!
That’s not to say that you can leave these plants in a dark closet for their whole lives. They will need some indirect sunlight and artificial light if you want them to survive. These plants can hang out in semi-lit corners of your dorm.
Here are the best low light air purifying plants for dorm rooms.
1. Pothos Plant
- Pothos (otherwise known as Devil’s Ivy) purifies common household toxins.
- This plant is super easy to grow and doesn’t need much sunlight.
- Pothos plants work really well as hanging plants because they grow in long, cascading vines.
Pothos plants are my absolute favorite dorm plants because they’re ultra-low maintenance and super pretty. There are lots of varieties of pothos so you can get different colors or leaf shapes. They’re the best option for hanging dorm plants as well because their vines grow very long and cascade down.
How to keep Pothos plants alive in your dorm room:
It’s been said that Pothos Plants are easier to keep alive than they are to kill so they’re perfect plants for college students. This dorm plant will survive in low light conditions but they grow best with some bright, indirect light. Let the soil dry out completely in between waterings.
2. Snake Plant
- Snake Plants (or Mother In Law Tongue plant) removes toxins like formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, benzene and xylene from the air.
- They can grow several feet tall so they’re perfect as floor or table-top plants.
- Snake plants are super low maintenance and are typically happier when you leave them alone.
Snake plants are another top choice for dorm plants because they’re super hardy and very difficult to kill. You can buy them pretty small for your desktop or windowsill or you can find snake plants that are several feet tall.
How to keep a snake plant alive in your dorm room:
Snake plants only need water every 2-4 weeks so you don’t need to worry about them if you’re heading away for Spring Break. Make sure the soil is completely dry in between watering.
Snake plants will do really well with just a small amount of indirect sunlight so they’re perfect for even the darkest dorm rooms.
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3. Chinese Evergreen
- The Chinese Evergreen is one of the most durable indoor plants.
- Acts as a natural air purifier.
- The multicolored leaves add a pop of fun color to your dorm room.
- Chinese Evergreen can tolerate drought and low light, making them perfect for first-time plant parents.
The Chinese Evergreen is definitely a top pick for air purifying dorm plants. It’s not a fussy plant at all, so if you’ve never taken care of a plant this is a good one to start with.
How to keep a Chinese Evergreen alive in your dorm room:
This plant will do really well in low light conditions so you can keep it in just about any corner of your dorm room. Just make sure it gets at least a little bit of indirect light (no dark closets please).
Chinese Evergreens can be watered every 10-14 days, but if you forget for a little bit longer than that it’ll probably do just fine.
4. Peace Lily
- One of the most-recommended plants for air purification.
- Can thrive in very low light conditions and grow well under fluorescent lighting.
- If you find them not flowering as much as you’d like, try moving them to slightly brighter indirect light.
If your heart is set on having flowers in your dorm room, the Peace Lily is a great option. This flowering plant is perfect for dorms and small apartments that don’t get much light. It’s a beautiful plant that that is incredibly low-maintenance.
How to keep a Peace Lily alive in your dorm room:
Peace Lilies can grow in some of the darkest conditions. They actually thrive in fluorescent light environments so your dorm overhead lights should be enough for them.
Water your Peace Lily once a week and spritz their leaves with a bit of water to keep them looking hydrated. The leaves will typically droop a bit when it’s dehydrated so you’ll know when to water it.
The Best Air Purifying Dorm Plants for Bright Light
If you have large windows in your dorm room that let in a lot of light, you have a lot more options when it comes to air purifying dorm plants.
These plants will thrive with direct access to sunlight, or under bright growing lights if you have a darker dorm room.
5. Jade Plant
- Jade plants are succulents, meaning they hold water in their leaves.
- Succulents are super easy to take care of because they don’t require much watering.
- They thrive in bright light so keep them on your windowsill or in a bright, sunny spot in your room.
Jade plants, and other succulents, are easier to grow than regular plants because they hold water in their leaves and don’t need to be watered very often.
How to keep a Jade plant alive in your dorm room:
If you have a bright light source, it’ll be incredibly easy to keep a Jade plant alive in your dorm. Set them up by the window and watch them thrive in bright, direct sunlight.
Water your Jade plant when the soil dries out. This will usually be every 2-3 weeks.
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6. Spider Plant
- Spider plants thrive in well-lit environments but are hardy enough to survive in lower light as well.
- If you’re into propagating plants, spider plants grow little baby plants on them that can be removed and planted by themselves.
Spider plants are one of my favorite air purifying plants for dorm rooms. They’re very hard to kill, so they’re perfect for forgetful college students. I also love that they produce little baby plants that you can take off and plant. It’s like getting multiple plants in one!
How to keep spider plants alive in your dorm room:
Spider plants do well in bright, indirect light. If your dorm room gets a crazy amount of sun, don’t put your spider plant right in front of the window or it may burn its leaves.
Keep the soil of your spider plant slightly moist. Water them once or twice a week, depending on the season. It’s recommended to fertilize your spider plant every few weeks but I’ve never found this to be necessary.
7. English Ivy
- English Ivy is a popular vine that grows around buildings, but it’s actually a super hardy houseplant too.
- According to NASA, it’s the number one houseplant when it comes to air purification.
- This plant grows well as a hanging plant, which is so cute for dorm rooms.
I wouldn’t normally think of Ivy as an indoor plant, but apparently it’s a popular houseplant! In a study from NASA, they found English Ivy to be the number one air purifying houseplant.
How to keep English Ivy alive in your dorm room:
English Ivy is super adaptable and will grow in just about any environment. However, it’s recommended to give it moderate to bright indirect light.
Water your Ivy plant when the top 1/2 inch of soil dries out completely. Give them a thorough water but make sure they have drainage in their pots.
8. Money Tree
- I absolutely love my money tree plant because it’s beautiful and easy to care for.
- These plants can grow really tall with good care, so they’re great as floor plants.
- Money trees are believed to bring prosperity and good luck to their owners so keep it close while you’re studying for exams ;).
The beautiful Money Tree plant is a beautiful option for a floor plant for dorm rooms. It’s easy to care for as long as you keep it near a window and it supposedly brings you good luck!
How to keep a Money Tree alive in a dorm room:
Your Money Tree will grow best in a brightly lit room. Keep it near the window but not in direct sunlight.
This plant will thrive when watered every one to two weeks. If your Money Tree plant is getting a lot of sunlight, it may need to be watered more often.
9. Boston Fern
- The Boston Fern is a classic houseplant that thrives in humid environments.
- They’ll thrive with regular misting, moist soil, and bright indirect light.
- Boston Ferns are known for producing lots of oxygen and cleaning the air.
Another great air purifying dorm plant. The Boston Fern is a cute plant that is relatively easy to grow. These plants prefer humidity so make sure you mist the leaves often.
How to keep a Boston Fern alive in your dorm room:
Keep your Boston Fern in bright light but make sure it’s not sitting in direct sunlight.
In addition to regular misting, your Boston Fern will need watering a few times a week in warmer weather. They prefer moist soil so make sure you don’t let it dry out.
Growing Lights for Dorm Room Plants
If you fell in love with one of the bright light dorm plants but live in a dark dorm room, don’t worry! You can still grow most plants under growing lights.
Growing lights mimic natural sunlight and are amazing solutions for keeping plants in dark environments. Here are some great picks for dorm room growing lights:
The Best Plant Pots for Dorm Rooms
If you’re growing plants in your dorm room, you’re going to need some cute plant pots for them to live in. Here are my favorite plant pots for dorm rooms.
- This set of plant pots comes in 5 different sizes (4.5in, 4.8in, 5.5in, 6in, and 7in).
- All of the pots in this set have drainage holes and attached trays.
- These plastic planters are perfect for dorm rooms because they won’t shatter if they’re dropped.
- This set costs $14 for 5 pots.
- This set comes with 3 adorable pastel colored plant pots.
- All of the pots are 5.5in in diameter so they’re the perfect size for smaller dorm plants.
- They come with drainage holes and water catching trays attached.
- This set costs $14 for 3 plant pots.
- If you’re a fan of the classic terracotta plant pot, this adorable set of plant pots will be perfect for you.
- These plastic plant pots also come with drainage holes and water trays.
- They come in a set of 4 different sizes (4in, 5in, 6in, and 7in) for $10.
This post was all about the best air purifying plants for dorm rooms.
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