It’s a bit scary thinking about how we’ve gone from thinking of plants and nature as our primary resource to thinking of it as something that is decoration or that looks pretty. And luckily, it does look pretty, because cities are becoming less and less green, as concrete starts to take over most of the surface, and the only reason we keep trees around is that the greenery looks good, not because of some small, insignificant reason such as giving us oxygen. 
Aloe Vera and snake plant
The plants that rule all plants. Don’t let the prickly leaves fool you, aloe vera is as good as it gets with household, potted plants. It will not just produce a lot of oxygen, but it will take in carbon dioxide, making the air even better. If that’s not reason enough for you, the leaves can be cut open and the aloe vera gel that is inside can be as valuable as gold, and you can use it for everything from treating sunburns to making relaxing face masks. The snake plant is not far behind it, filtering a lot of air through the large leaf surface. It will do something that most other houseplants don’t (palm trees being the most notable exception to this rule), and that’s filtering formaldehyde, a common ingredient in cleaning products and known allergen.
Choose the plant’s sex
Girls are your best friends. Male asthma plants produce a lot more pollen, which can only make your asthma worse as the tiny particles enter your airways. Female plants, on the other hand, take in all of the excess pollen, cleaning out the air around you. This is true for taller plants like trees, but also for shorter ones like shrubs, flowers and even grass. If you need another reason to want some girl plants on your side, they require much less maintenance, since female grass doesn’t grow as tall as male grass.
Careful how you treat them
Plants can be our best friend, but if not tended to, they can develop into something harmful to you, making your problem worse than it was before you got them. If you’re not sure whether you can take care of them regularly, you can find local plants for hire, where professionals will not only come to set up the plants but regularly visit them, care for them and replace them if need be. If you over-water your plants, you can make them develop mould, which will make it into the air, polluting it. Additionally, if the plant isn’t used to the climate you live in, it is more likely to attract insects and get sick, so stick to shopping local.
Stay organic
It can be so easy to just grab a can of pesticide and spray it all across any infested plants but know that all of the chemicals you put on the plant will come right back to you. No matter how safe your pesticide claims to be, it will end up in the air and in your lungs. There are always different, organic ways to protect your plants and yourself, so don’t expose yourself to threatening substances.
Many people with asthma think that all plants are allergens and that the best way to protect themselves is to just stay away from plants as a whole. But by doing that, you are just declining yourself fresh air and plant life, which influences not only your physical health but your mental health as well. It’s true that most plants are allergens and will make your asthma worse, but by following these rules and choosing your plants strategically, you can be breathing good-quality air without sacrificing your comfort. Remember that plants aren’t just for your garden. They should be in your office, your home and everywhere you spend a lot of time because that is where the quality of the air matters most.
