New plants, a Paris-based startup, aims to harness the natural air-filtering properties of plants and turn them up to 11. The plant builds off the natural purifying properties that houseplants already offer. So, while it adds some color to whatever room you put it in, it’s also actively keeping the air cleaner than 30 houseplants can together.
The company, called Neoplants, modified both a pothos plant and its root microbiome to boost the plant’s natural air-cleaning properties quite a bit. Called Neo P1, the genetically engineered houseplant recently hit the market, and you can purchase it right now.
Plants can add quite a bit to your home. Not only can they boost your mood and help reduce anxiety, according to researchers, but they can also clean the air thanks to their natural air-purifying properties. With this genetically engineered houseplant, though, you’re getting more than that basic level of purification. New plants say that the Neo P1 is 30 times more effective than the top NASA plants.
Plants are better equipped to handle volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are highly reactive chemicals found in cleaning supplies, building materials, paints, and so on. VOCs are notoriously terrible for human health and can irritate the human body.
While air purifiers can help, they don’t typically tend to completely neutralize these harmful compounds, which means they aren’t ever truly removed from the air. See the problem? But plants like this genetically engineered houseplant are better equipped to neutralize VOCs, which is why having houseplants in your home can help improve the quality of the air within it.
According to Neoplants, the only thing the company touched was the houseplant’s ability to purify the air. It doesn’t grow faster, and it isn’t anymore resistant to pesticides than normal pothos plants. The genetically engineered houseplant will retail for $179, making it more expensive than most typical houseplants.
