As air quality in Delhi plunges to hazardous levels each winter, residents across the capital are once again relying heavily on air purifiers and a surge in indoor plants marketed as “air-purifying” to make indoor environments more breathable. Plant nursery owners say this pattern repeats every year as pollution peaks, with demand for specific plant varieties doubling as soon as winter smog sets in.

Nurseries in Connaught Place and other parts of the city report that customers arrive with clear preferences. Popular choices include Snake Plant, Peace Lily, Areca Palm, Money Plant, Spider Plant, Aglaonema, Rubber Plant and Boston Fern. A nursery owner in Connaught Place said daily sales of these plants typically rise from 50–60 in normal months to more than 100 during the pollution season. Buyers often select plants that are believed to trap dust, absorb harmful gases and release oxygen.

Experts cited in the report say certain traditional indoor plants can help improve indoor air by absorbing pollutants such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and ozone through leaf surfaces and stomata. Anand Sonkar of Hansraj College noted that plants like the spider plant, peace lily and areca palm act as natural filters by trapping smoke, dust and particulate matter on their leaves while photosynthesis helps regulate oxygen levels. This process can contribute to reducing the formation of ground-level ozone, a major pollutant.

Prices for these plants vary by size and species. According to one salesperson, Areca Palms start around ₹200 and can go up to ₹400, while Peace Lilies are typically priced from ₹150. Larger indoor plant combinations can cost up to ₹1,500. Purchasing patterns differ by housing size: some residents buy a handful of plants, while those living in bigger homes may purchase between 30 and 40 at once, sometimes spending as much as ₹10,000.

Alongside plants, air purifiers remain in high demand, with most households that can afford them already using at least one device to filter indoor air. Since Diwali, Delhi’s air quality has remained mostly in the “poor” or “very poor” categories, occasionally slipping into the “severe” zone. Under CPCB standards, an AQI of 0–50 is “good”, 51–100 “satisfactory”, 101–200 “moderate”, 201–300 “poor”, 301–400 “very poor” and 401–500 “severe”.

With smog expected to persist through the winter months, Delhi residents continue blending mechanical purifiers, indoor plants and other small-scale measures in an effort to manage increasingly unhealthy indoor and outdoor air.