Which of these Air & Pollution cleaning plants best fit a window/ balcony in Mumbai Weather?

Question

• Most of the previous threads around such plants are centered/ biased around western nations, so finding ones that fit this Asian/ Indian city is different and key.
• Also, it would help apply to lots of people in polluted Asian cities.

Which of these plants would work best for outlined Mumbai Weather & conditions:

• Better fit for Mumbai Weather
• Pollution cleansing; If needed I can try to post pollutant information for a major crowded Metropolitan city in Asia like Mumbai
• Low Maintenance for an apartment Window/ Balcony
• Current window/ balcony is South facing; so should get enough sunlight except during days in monsoon where there is darker cloud cover
• Tall sliding windows with a 8-12" ledge on outside and 8" ledge on inside of window. Open to suggestions that work for both inside and outside

Please advise on what would be a more fitting shortlist from these.

NASA Clean Air Plants & Reference Answers with recommendations on SE:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Clean_Air_Study
• What are some houseplants that can clean the air, especially chemicals from cigarettes?
• What are some low maintenance plant choices for apartment (indoor) living?
• What houseplants will best filter the air for a retirement home?
• Infographic | Wayback| https://www.lovethegarden.com/uk-en/article/nasa-guide-air-filtering-houseplants |

Mumbai Weather Information:

Sources & More information:
http://www.worldweatheronline.com/mumbai-weather-averages/maharashtra/in.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Mumbai
http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=30034

Answer 1

Based on all three links that you have provided, as well as the availability of the said plants in Mumbai, these plants will not only survive, but thrive, as well as clean the air. They are low maintenance too. I'm already growing them in my south facing window in Mumbai.

Very Important: Remember to remove the plates under the pots of the 'outdoor' plants, or keep them overturned ONLY during monsoon. If you don't, all the plants (ANY, even those beyond this list as well) are susceptible to root rot (death).

Following are the plants I'm growing from your list:

1. Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata 'Bostoniensis')
   (outdoor preferred)

2. English ivy (Hedera helix)

3. Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
   (Indoor preferred)

4. Devil's ivy, Money plant (Epipremnum aureum)

5. Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)

6. Variegated snake plant, mother-in-law's tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata 'Laurentii')
   (Indoor preferred)

7. Heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron cordatum)

8. Selloum philodendron (Philodendron bipinnatifidum)

9. Elephant ear philodendron (Philodendron domesticum)

10. Red-edged dracaena (Dracaena marginata)

11. Cornstalk dracaena (Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana')

12. Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina)
    (outdoor preferred)

13. Dumb canes (Dieffenbachia spp.)

14. Aloe vera (Aloe vera)
    (outdoor preferred)

15. Janet Craig (Dracaena deremensis "Janet Craig")

Commment Udpdate:
Given the oncoming monsoon, I would suggest the following for outdoors (marked above):
Boston fern, English ivy, Money plant, Chinese evergreen, Heartleaf philodendron

Side Note on Palms:

• As a side note, you must have noticed 'palms' missing from the above list, because I'm not a fan of the category and I'm not growing any from the list currently.

• But you can grow ANY PALM in a south facing window

  • Although I would suggest growing them indoors, as during the monsoon, they tend to rot more easily as the large and spread out leaves tend to collect more water.

• But, in my opinion, your 8 inch indoor ledge maybe too small for them in the long run.