Health Benefits of Houseplants
Enjoying our new houseplant
With our history of upper respiratory infections, breathing issues and allergies, I recently became interested in the benefits of adding live plants to our home. I’ve always been hesitant to spend the money on plants because I lack the necessary green-thumb to keep them alive. But I’m determined to overcome this challenge so we can enjoy the many benefits of houseplants.
So far, it’s been a bit of a challenge to keep them healthy, but I’m enjoying the learning process and the aesthetic value the plants add to our home. Here are a few reasons to add live plants to your décor.
- Plants add oxygen and humidity to our air. Both of these processes make the air healthier and easier to breath.
- More importantly (in my opinion) they clean the air. Houseplants are known to remove toxins from the air including those given off by materials used to build such as formaldehyde and benzene. This one really got my attention since we live in a new home in a new development and all of our breathing issues and allergies were originally magnified when we moved in.
- Plants also reduce air pollutants and dust particles including those released from our stoves and furnaces.
- Plants add asthetic value to our homes enhancing the appearance of a room. Bascially, they’re just nice to look at.
Research shows that one large or two small houseplants per 100 square feet can enhance the air quality in our homes. I’m starting with two large plants while I work on my foliage nurturing skills. Once I’m more confident in my abilities I plan to invest in additional houseplants, especially for our bedrooms.
Here are a few plant varieties that have a reputation for being easy to care for and hard to kill.
- Aloe Vera
- English Ivy
- Peace Lily (we have one of these)
- Boston Fern
- Philodendron
You can also improve your air quality by making a few changes to your cleaning products.
Do you have houseplants? What varieties do you recommend?
I have Philodendron and they can wilted and almost gone and a little water and they come right back up. Very hard to kill. Light has so much to do with having good growing areas. It’s not always easy to put plants in front of your windows. Maybe placing them on a table with a lamp you use on a regular basis might help the lack of natural light–don’t quote me there–I’m not a horticulturist. They definitely make me feel a lot better when I see them as I walk through the rooms. Dracaenas (??) are supposed to be good for the air quality in your home and they aren’t too hard to keep up.
Be careful with your ivy plants if you have pets–they are detrimental if eaten by them. Always check the many lists you can find on the internet for toxic plants to children and pets.
Love your web-site. Was just turned on to it.
Thanks for visiting and for your input on the plants. This is great information.