‘It definitely works’ – Chris Evans can’t stop singing the praises of this affordable, air-purifying indoor plant

When it comes to finding advice on the best indoor plants for your home where or who do you normally turn to? Your local garden centre, the website of the Royal Horticultural Society or recommendations from green-fingered family and friends?

Related: Best house plants – our top picks for low light, clean air, bathrooms and easy care

Well it may be time to add another of invaluable source of information to your list – celebrities. And the one in question on this occasion is radio presenter Chris Evans.

The 53-year-old took to the airwaves on his Virgin Radio Breakfast Show to reveal the indoor plant he is banking on to transform his bedroom space.

Talking about an article he had read outlining the 10 gadgets that help people sleep, Chris said: ‘Positive ions feel heavy, so what you need is negative ions...

'There's the snake plant, also known as the mother-in-law's tongue. These are 10 quid, I'm going to get one today.

'If you're banning technology from the bedroom, which you should be, entirely, then this plant is a Nasa-approved air purifier.’

Mother in law tongue

NASA did indeed include mother-in-law's tongue in its 1989 study Interior landscape plants for indoor abatement, revealing that this plant successfully removed a number of pollutants.

Continuing to extol the virtues of the plant – also commonly referred to as a snake plant and sitting centre of the picture below – Chris added:

'It definitely works. Who doesn't want this in their life in the bedroom.

‘It's very tolerant of low light and doesn't need much attention, it's the plant that keeps on giving and will keep CO2 levels in check.’

Explaining why this plant is so special, Ciara Sheridan, Houseplants Buyer at Wyevale Garden Centre said:

‘The snake plant, also known as mother-in-law's tongue or Sansevieria, is one of the most popular air purifying plants – it’s easy to see why.

‘The yellow-tipped succulent not only complements any interior setting, it also has the added benefit of cleaning the air in your home, offering a natural, cost effective and therapeutic means to tackling indoor air pollution compared to an electric purifier. It releases oxygen at night – an ideal choice for the bedroom – and filters the air of formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, toluene, and trichloroethylene.’

Continuing she added: ‘Other popular varieties of air-purifying plants include spider plants, peace lilies, fiddle-leaf fig, ferns and aloe vera.’

More plant power: The new Homebase launch that could hold the secret to keeping your plants alive for longer

Will you add a mother-in-law's tongue to your collection of indoor plants?