Plants in the kitchen

The Dracaena Marginata has optimal purificative powers. It belongs to the Agavaceae family and is originally from tropical Africa.

Some plants can stand low temperatures and are therefore adaptable for growing outside, others die with the first puff of a cold breeze and so need a warm and sheltered environment.
But which plants should we choose for the kitchen? Among the many possibilities, we can mention the ferns, the Dracaena and the Pothos, plants that need a humid environment are happy in the kitchen where the cooking vapors humidify the air and the temperature stays constantly warm.

The Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata 'Bostoniensis') is a beautiful apartment plant which needs humidity.
It is always green, belongs to the family of Polypodiaceae and has light green saw-tooth fronds.
It generally likes diffuse light, a more or less constant temperature, and little water but often.

The Maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris) is originally from Brasil and grows to 30 - 40 cm.
Its fronds are small, triangular and pallid green.
The variety Fragrantissimum (Adiantum fragrantissimum) emits a pleasant fragrance.
Like all ferns, it likes diffuse light and doesn't like direct sunlight.
It should be kept in a warm environment, so what better place than the kitchen where there is also humidity?
It should be watered abundantly in the summer and more limitedly in the winter; the earth should always remain cool.

Give a gift to your kitchen: a Spathiphyllum (also known as Peace Lilies or White Anthuriums) is a plant with extraordiary purifying powers; it removes acetone, ammonia and formaldehyde from the environment!
The Spathiphyllum is easy to grow.
It's originally from the American tropics and produces some beautiful white flowers.
This plant loves being in a luminous place with the temperature about 18° C and abundant and regular watering. It should be kept in a humid place.
All ferns, and therefore also the Maidenhair fern and the Spathiphyllum, can also flourish in a dim kitchen environment.

The Dracaena Marginata (also known as Red-edge Dracaena or Madagascar dragon tree) has optimal purificative powers.
It belongs to the Agavaceae family and is originally from tropical Africa.
It's a tough plant which is adaptible to apartment life.
It has obvious ornamental qualities, and it hates cold drafts which can cause its' leaves to fall off the lower part of the trunk.
The temperature must never go below 12° C.
This plant is commonly called the trunk of happiness.

The Philodendron and Pothos are among the best environmental formaldehyde purifiers; this ability was demonstrated in a study conducted by NASA on a sample of plants including the above-mentioned.
The Philodendron have long stems with arial roots which can climb a wall or trellis. Being from the tropics, the Philodendron likes high temperatures and humidity.
Also the Pothos is a climbing plant.
It has heart shaped leaves which are often marked with yellow or beige.
This plant comes from Asia and from the Pacific islands.
In general, to prevent the plant's leaning towards the light, you should rotate it a quarter turn every 15 or 20 days.
That way the plant stays balanced and grows well.
You should also remember that the darker your apartment is, the less photosynthesis is done by the plant, and therefore the less water it's going to need.