Green architecture activist Kamal Meattle recently gave a presentation at TED regarding three plants he would recommend for improved health and air quality. It’s a great video and worth watching — but it got me thinking about adding these plants to our own nursery. After all, as a paranoid father that wants only the best for his kid — and with the full knowledge that indoor air quality during the winter months is often poor — why not try something “organic”?

So, let’s look at the three plants recommended by Kamal Meattle!

Areca Palm: “The Living Room Plant”
These palms release copious amounts of water into the air, and remove chemical toxins too. They are consistently rated among the best houseplants for removing all indoor toxins tested. According to online info, the plant is non-toxic.

Mother-in-law’s Tongue: “The Bedroom Plant”
This is a truly perfect plant for anyone that is really terrible at growing plants. It grows well in low-light and requires little watering (only once or twice during the winter months!) According to the book “Baby Safe Houseplants and Cut Flowers”, the plant is mildly toxic — but only if your kid was eat something like 10% of his/her body weight of it. The general opinion over on GardenWeb is that your kids will be fine. Just teach them not to eat it — probably a good idea in general! This plant specializes in capturing CO2 at night and the converting it to Oxygen in the day.

Money Plant: “The Specialist Plant”
This plant does the job of filtering out removing Formaldehyde and other VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds). It doesn’t require much care. Hardy and extremely tolerant of low light and dryness. Bonus: It is the most popular plant for “feng shui” because it creates positive energy (chi). Your baby will be super happy! (grin.)