A plant that absorbs pollution from cars has been found - the science explained

By Rhona Shennan
Published 18th Feb 2021, 12:52 BST
Updated 18th Feb 2021, 12:53 BST
The bushy, hairy-leafed cotoneaster is a “super plant” that can soak up pollution of busy roads, according to horticultural experts (Photo: RHS)The bushy, hairy-leafed cotoneaster is a “super plant” that can soak up pollution of busy roads, according to horticultural experts (Photo: RHS)
The bushy, hairy-leafed cotoneaster is a “super plant” that can soak up pollution of busy roads, according to horticultural experts (Photo: RHS)

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The bushy, hairy-leafed cotoneaster is a “super plant” that can soak up pollution of busy roads, according to horticultural experts.

Scientists at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) published a paper that looked at the effectiveness of hedges as air pollution barriers, and found that in traffic hotspots, the cotoneaster is at least 20 per cent more effective at absorbing pollutants compared to other shrubs.

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According to a recent RHS commissioned survey of 2,056 adults, air pollution affects one in three people (33 per cent) in the UK, and poor air quality has been declared as the largest environmental risk to UK public health.