Some people don’t know that plants inside of their houses are more than just simple accent pieces; they can foster positive feelings, better health, and positively impact the way you study and work.
The following are some of the biggest benefits of having indoor plants can bring you and what are the plants best suited to take maximum advantage out of each of those benefits.
Remember, however, that some plants require more care and effort than others, so read up on them further before bringing them home!
Plants improve the air quality of your house
Believe it or not, the air quality inside of a home can be not much better than the air in the middle of a city. It depends on some of the factors, but the main reason is that pollutants get in, but they don’t get out so easily, and the same applies to airborne viruses and bacteria.
Plants release phytoncides, along with some other airborne chemicals, which tackle the pollutants hanging around the room and balancing the composition of the air. All of this on top of the carbon dioxide to oxygen tradeoff. It goes without saying that this brings many benefits to your overall health, and a boost to your immune system as well.
They help you work better
It might come as a surprise, but research shows that studying and working in the presence of plants improves your concentration and productivity in a dramatic way. Memory retention can even shoot up 20% when doing these activities near plants, according to a University of Michigan study.
Ornamental plants help you perform better, too. A study conducted in Norway suggests that results of work done close to plants is not only of a higher quality but is completed with much higher accuracy than without them.
They add more humidity
Plants will release almost all of the water that they take in, humidifying the air around them. So placing them around the house is an excellent natural solution to having a dehumidifier and avoiding sore throats, infections and a decreased immune response, which are classic symptoms of the air being too dry inside of your house.
The Areca Palm has one of the highest transpiration rates of any houseplant, with a 6-foot plant being able to transpire 1 quart of water every 24 hours. Another good option to add humidity to your house is a Rubber plant (also known as Rubber fig), which also has a high transpiration air, and is pretty hardy to boot. Be sure to place them apart, however, as they both have pretty different necessities from each other.
They help your physical health
As we mentioned above, plants release many airborne chemicals and increase the oxygen levels in your home, and this gives the immune system a much-needed boost, especially when it’s close to flu season. This can be seen as a combination of different factors, such as sleeping better because of the improved air quality and such, but so far you can tell why indoor plants are good.
They improve your mental health
While it’s easy to just say “plants make you feel calm,” there is actual scientific backing behind this idea. UK researchers discovered that people who live around nature are much happier than those who don’t; and we’re not talking about having a cabin in the woods, because the results showed that just looking at some greenery would help you in the long run.
One of the main theories around this effect is that plants make you think about the outdoors, and therefore about open spaces, helping you feel less confined, especially when you live in the inner city. Scents are also a good way to improve your mood, so Begonias, Gardenias, and Lavender are perfect for this.
Like we mentioned above, different houseplants require different levels of care, sunlight, and water, so make sure you know how to properly care for your new leafy friend before bringing it home. Also, depending on the plants that you have, you will have to clean the space around them at different intervals, but the rewards are well worth it!
