Houseplants can enhance and add visual beauty to interior spaces, but they also do much more! Adding green plants to your home has some amazing benefits when it comes to boosting your overall mood and health. Learn about the benefits of adding plants to your home, including the unique health benefits that different species provide.
The Benefits of Adding Plants in the Home
Visual Stimulation
Plants can alter the appearance of a room and complement existing decor. Take a look over instagram and you’ll see how popular they are these days. Many people particularly like having house plants around during winter, as the pop of green can be refreshing and boost your mood during a traditionally overcast time of the year.
Plants Help You Breathe
Take a walk through the Garfield Park Conservatory or any greenhouse for that matter and you’ll notice a change in the air. It’s so pure and easy to breathe. Humans breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Plants do the opposite during the day. By taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen they’re our natural partner. Place green plants in your kitchen, office, or living room, so you can freshen the air in the rooms you spend the most time in.
Certain types of plants, including orchids and succulents, continue to absorb carbon dioxide at night. These plants can keep the air in your bedroom oxygenated while you sleep.
Combat Dry Skin, Coughs and Respiratory Ailments
Plants release moisture during photosynthesis. At high levels, this can increase the humidity level in the room. To decrease dry skin, coughs, and respiratory ailments in winter, add plants to your home.
Plants Purify the Air and Remove Toxins
In addition to filtering out carbon dioxide, plants also filter toxins from the air. Formaldehydes, benzene and trichloroethylene are common indoor pollutants that come from paints, printed materials, carpeting and other items inside our homes. Plants can filter formaldehydes from rugs and vinyl as well as benzene from printed materials. In a study by NASA on indoor plants reducing indoor pollutants, they actually found that plants removed up to 89.7% of organic toxins like benzene in a 24 hour period. That’s extraordinary!
According to the study, “maximum root-soil exposure should be taken into consideration when placing plants indoors for best air filtration effect”.
Caring For Plants Boosts Your Mood
Caring for any plant involves small daily rituals, from watering the plants to cleaning the leaves or repositioning them so that all sides get sun. While these tasks do not take a lot of time, the simple act of caring for them can boost your mood. Studies have shown that nurturing plants even helps with recovery after an illness or injury.
Enhanced Focus
Consider populating your office or home workspace with a few plants and reap the benefits of some enhanced focus. In an Exeter University study, researchers found that “that allowing staff to make design decisions in a workspace enhanced with office plants can increase well-being by 47%, increase creativity by 45% and increase productivity by 38%”.
How to Place Plants In Your Home For The Best Effects
For a subtle mood boost from plants, place one large plant in a 10-by-10 foot room. For air purification, place one large plant or two small plants (i.e., 4-inch pots) in a 10-by-10 foot room.
What Plants Serve Best in the Home?
Plants that excel at filtering benzene include aloe, gerbera daisy, spider plant, chrysanthemum, weeping fig, bamboo palm, and peace lily.
Plants that remove formaldehyde from the air include aloe, spider plant, snake plant, golden pothos, dracaena, weeping fig, azalea, English ivy, bamboo palm, heart leaf philodendron, and peace lily.
Air Purifying Plant Recommendations for Rooms in Your Home
Living Room Plants: Plants for your living room include the areca palm, spider plant and the coin plant. The areca palm is a classic tropical looking palm that can grow when you give it the room. Spider plants look best hanging in baskets or draping over shelves. If you’re looking for a subtle addition to an end table, consider a coin plant.
Bedroom Plants: Amazing plants for your bedroom include orchids, succulents and the mother-in-laws tongue. If you’re seeking a good night’s sleep, they will deliver. Orchids, succulents and mother-in-laws-tongue all absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen at night and are proven detoxifiers.
Office Plants: The pothos plant has significant air purifying abilities and is able to thrive in the low light and artificial light of the office. Another awesome option for your office is the Chinese evergreen, one of the best low maintenance houseplants.
Bathroom Plants: English Ivy is a great plant for your bathroom and excels at purifying the air and removing airborne fecal particles. The vine does command daily watering and sunlight so make sure you have a good light source. The mother-in-law tongue (snake plant) is another wonderful choice for your bathroom. This one thrives in low light, moisture and excels at removing formaldehyde which is commonly found in bathroom products. Finally if you’re looking for some visual appeal, go with an orchid in your bathroom as they love the steamy warm environment.
Low Maintenance Houseplants That You CAN Forget to Water
Not everyone has a green thumb but don’t be discouraged. If you’d love to get some plants for your home but you know you’ll forget to water them, here’s a few great choices for you! These are some of the hardiest houseplants that purify your air and can survive their share of neglect.
ZZ plants can survive up to a few weeks without water and are a great addition to any living room.
Spider plants can tolerate their share of abuse and are well built detoxifiers. This is a wonderful choice because they actually thrive in cooler to moderate temperatures and prefer to dry out some between waterings.
Philodendron survive year round indoors and prefer to dry out a little between watering. Even the inexperienced plant owner should have no trouble caring for this guy cause it’ll tell you what it needs. When the leaves start to look droopy, it needs water and will recover soon after!
Always Check if the Plant You Bring Home Is Safe
Note, some of these plants may be poisonous to pets or children. Always check that a plant you want to bring home is safe or place a toxic plant high out of reach of your child, cat, or dog.
While these plants are the hardiest filters of volatile organic compounds, any plant can look great in your home as well as improve your mood.
Adding more plants to your home can not only compliment your other room decor but leave you feeling good about the benefits they offer your mind and body. Want to explore more great houseplants? Check out this coffee table read.
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