It’s risky entertaining guests these days. Unless of course, they are green and require a certain mix of air, sun, and water.
(Plants. We’re talking about plants).
Besides ornamenting a space and bringing it to life, there are vast health benefits to keeping indoor plants. They improve air quality, act as humidifiers, produce fresh oxygen, and reduce pollution. Indoor plants have also been proven to reduce stress, from the moment you begin potting them. The act of nurturing and tending to something, on top of the natural microbes in the soil, contribute to a better state of mind. The more you expose yourself to the joyful cytokines being released, the more stable you’ll find yourself in your day-to-day.
With houseplants becoming a trend, it’s easy to find which species are easy or hard to kill, and which ones can stand a little neglect (no judgment here). There is also the option of living walls, which can both beautifully divide a space and provide all the same great features as their potted brothers and sisters. Living walls are unique, impactful features that drastically increase the quality of air (and living) in the home.
And no, you don’t have to be the Jolly Green Giant to keep your plants alive.
Spider Plants
When we say plants can reduce air pollutants, we mean it. Spider plants were once touted by NASA for their incredible ability to purify the air. Just one can make you feel better about the severe uptick in time spent indoors since earlier this year. Spider plants do better in indirect sunlight than direct. Translation: as long as you have one window, it’s getting indirect light. You don’t have to have an extravagant sunroom or huge house in the suburbs to properly care for and grow a Spider plant. Spider plants don’t care, they’re just happy to be doing their job. They grow quickly, so that new-age gluttonous desire for instant gratification is pretty easily satisfied.
Aloe Vera
It’s not surprising that a plant used for treating actual burns can withstand all sorts of indoor living conditions. This means that your skeptical friend who “wants to start buying plants” can kick off their collection with this useful succulent. Besides looking elegant with its long spikes and mottled coloring, Aloe provides fresh oxygen and helps improve air quality. It does this while not requiring detailed care and attention, making its low-maintenance appeal attractive. Aloe Vera loves indirect sun, and would even be content hanging out in the kitchen or another common area where its healing topical gel can be utilized as needed. Imagine opening up one of the plant’s mature leaves to access the juice --in the comfort of your own home!-- rather than getting in the car and running to the pharmacy.
Aloe Vera is essentially a self-growing first aid kit, which is a pretty solid bragging point.
Snake Plants
In case you want an indoor plant in your bedroom, snake plants are the perfect contender. They only require low light and can go weeks without being watered. They’ve also been shown to remove formaldehyde and other impurities from the air. Having a plant in the bedroom can lower blood pressure and facilitate faster healing from physical and mental ailments. (We’re not doctors, but we’ll try anything). The snake plant leaves grow tall and sturdy, making for a beautiful display as well as being hardy in their environment.
Indoor plants, for being silent, do so much to improve daily life. The innate health benefits to humans as well as to their environment are powerful. Plant stores and nurseries can seem overwhelming, but are full of fellow plant lovers and owners wanting to make sure you can provide the best home for the plant you want to buy. There is no special adoption paperwork or stringent regulations when it comes to buying indoor plants; there is only the want to better your living space and air quality.