I feel I should start this piece with an apology. Spring has well and truly arrived here in the UK and I fully intended to write about the beauty of the world around us. With my computer fired up and a hot cup of tea to help my thoughts coalesce, my attention was caught by an article.
“Houseplants That Banish Condensation – And How to Care for Them”
A bold claim…
I was intrigued. Plants that banish condensation? That doesn’t sound entirely right somehow…
There are plants- ‘air plants’- that take in some moisture through their leaves (mainly as rain or dew rather than just humidity), but even these respire and give away some of that water back to the air. All plants take in water and also lose water.
Some plants, cacti and succulents in particular, are adapted to take in large amounts of water and reduce the speed at which it is lost, allowing them to store water for long periods of drought. But, and here’s the thing, they still lose water; if they didn’t then the dessicated cactus on my windowsill wouldn’t have dried out…
Plant Science
Generally speaking, education in plant sciences is woefully poor.
When I was at secondary school (high school) here in the UK it was made abundantly clear that biology lessons wouldn’t be bothering with the trivial world of plants, and would be focussed instead on animal biology. After all society respects veterinarians and medical doctors much more than botanists.
Carnivorous plants are endlessly fascinating
The little input there was on plants was very much framed against the world of animals. I’ve since learned about the incredible green world and I’m left wondering why biology lessons were so dull.
Where were the orchids that mimic bees as part of their pollination strategy? Where were the carnivorous plants that supplement their diet by eating bugs? Where were the aroids that produce heat to disperse their scent and attract pollinators? Where were the infinitely fascinating cacti, the climbing plants that ‘see’ shadows to help them find support, or the water lilies in central Australia adapted to take advantage of periodic flooding?
Schools are the perfect place to expose young minds to the wonder of plants.
Do Plants Reduce Moisture And/Or Clean The Air?
In short, no.
Some bold claims are made in the article
Plants will always give off moisture, and while the plants listed in the article might release less moisture than others they will still respire. It’s interesting to note that while the article tells us that these plants will act as natural dehumidifiers, at the bottom of the piece it talks about the need to provide moisture around plants using trays of water and pebbles, and also the importance of using actual dehumidifiers in the home.
Yes the article casts doubt over its own claims!
Wait… what?!
And what about toxins? Well toxins are a bit more difficult; much depends on what the toxin actually is. If you have anything but the tiniest amounts of formaldehyde, xylene and carbon monoxide in your air (three specific toxins mentioned in the article) then you should leave your home immediately and call 911 if there’s a lot, or just ventilate the house if it’s less. The fire department or an open window will be much more helpful than any number of spider plants.
The other thing is that the actual amount of any given pollutant absorbed by a plant will be remarkably small, so you’d need a lot of houseplants to have an effect.
Fear Mongering And Poor Journalism
One of the great things about the 21st century is that anyone can achieve their goals, and that seems to include people contributing to magazine articles without a clue about what they’re writing about.
I’m not saying that the founder of ‘A1 Garage Door Service’ isn’t an upstanding human being, but I am willing to suggest that his grasp of the plant world is probably as scant as my grasp of the garage door industry. Likewise the nutritionist who suggests placing your houseplants near windows to intercept moisture coming in from outside… you’d hope a nutritionist would know about moisture coming from people and pets breathing?
This pretty begonia will release moisture from its leaves
This is an advertising piece disguised as journalism. That’s the truth of it. It’s no more a reflection of the reality of the world than childrens’ cartoons are. However unlike cartoons this sort of article looks convincing, and people will be duped.
Why Does It Matter?
Misinformation helps no-one, and while a matter like household humidity might seem trivial in the grand scheme of things it isn’t. Excess moisture in the home can lead to health problems, and with energy costs so high it’s not unfair to suggest that a lot of people will be less inclined to ventilate their homes and lose that precious heat.
The idea that a few plants will make a home healthier is a little dangerous. Psychologically speaking plants do help us relax but they are not a wonder cure for what can be major problems.
These articles are at best misguided and sloppy, but they have far-reaching consequences. When they’re published by sources trusted by the public there is an assumption, and not an unfair one, that the contents will have undergone rigorous journalistic scrutiny. Not everyone goes through life questioning what they read, and quite frankly they shouldn’t have to.
It’s important not to make dubious claims
The article I stumbled on was first published in 2023, and a cursory search reveals that the claims have been duplicated over and over by various sources, some of which are quite respectable. In fact I found only one trusted source that was refuting the claims.
The onus should be on publications to ensure that their content is accurate and truthful. When it comes to the idea of plants acting as natural dehumidifiers I suspect that high school students could pick holes in the claims.
Amazing how fast misinformation travels. The old advice of ‘consult multiple sources’ seems to have disappeared, Like the myth of putting your houseplants on trays of stones and water improves humidity. It does but only about an inch above the tray making it totally useless for plants. Common sense and better information needs to prevail. We need more myth busters. Keep up the good work Ben.
Yes! The tray method is flawed to say the least.
Excellent analysis. Thank you. In my dry climate I place plants that want humid air down low among a mass of other plants, because that is where the humidity is highest.
The internet, and most especially “social media” has become of sewer (in both senses of the word) of misinformation.
It’s depressing isn’t it.
Sometimes feels like people choose a narrative and then try to find facts to fit.
“It’s a sad, sad situation, and it’s getting more and more absurd.”
I can’t tell if it’s accidental regurgitation of the same outdated material or deliberate misinformation but it’s SO annoying. And it’s in every freaking magazine!
Another one is plants that ‘thrive’ in low light. True low light plants are finicky divas and are extremely picky about things like water quality and humidity. Plants like Pothos and snake plants are just hardy plants condemned to crappy existence.
Gee, misinformation is proliferating in our modern world. Everywhere! I’ve always been a houseplant lover, but I’m paring down my collection. We’ll soon be spending winters in Florida, and there’s no one to care for them while we’re gone.
Thank you for your keen discussion of a faulty article. This bring another question then. How and where do I find accurate information? Since AI has highjacked my google searches (I googled how to increase humidity around plants and the tray and pebble trick was on every list), where do you suggest we go to find our answers? Ahem, I know books are amazing and I read a ton, but for the random, need a quick answer cause I dunno where would you go? Also, having used the pebble and tray trick with my plants, what are some alternative options? Thank you for your rant! Happy spring! 🙂
Really interesting read! Many people underestimate how much certain houseplants can help with indoor humidity. We’ve seen great results using peace lilies and Boston ferns in interior landscaping projects — they not only improve air quality but also help balance moisture levels naturally. It’s a smart, low-maintenance way to enhance indoor spaces while being eco-conscious. Thanks for sharing this!
Did you read the article? They absolutely do NOT improve air quality or have much impact on humidity.