Generally we spend most of the day inside, whether you work in an office, are a stay at home mom, or spend your time binge watching Netflix you only spend a small portion of time outside. Although you may not realize it, there are countless things around you that are polluting the air and being indoors all day exposes you to this indoor pollution. These things include your furnishings, carpets, upholstery, paint, cleaning products, and many more. Plants are known for their ability to reduce the toxins in your home, reduce stress, and create a happy home environment. The thing is, many people have a hard time keeping plants alive, (trust me I understand!!) so I have picked my top five plants to share with you that not only will improve your quality of life, but are easy to work with and keep alive!!
Philodendron: Many people are attracted to this plant because of its beautiful big green leaves. As a tropical plant, philodendrons are great for improving the air quality in your home. These plants are particularly good at absorbing xylene (a chemical that is found in paints, varnishes, household cleaning products and markers). Philodendrons are also extremely easy to care for and generally last a very long time. These plants adapt to various lighting and water conditions, and thrive indoors. They do not mind being moved around though and can be placed outdoors for a few weeks at a time. For best results, ensure that the soil feels moist like a damp sponge!
Ivy: Ivy is the common name of an entire species of plants called Hedera. These plants grow along the ground until they find something sturdy to climb up (such as a tree or a wall) at which point their growth rate increases as they can get more sunlight. The ivy has an immense amount of health benefits such as anti-inflammatory effects, detoxing effects, skin care improvement, antibacterial properties and relieves congestion. Ivy especially helps with relaxing a person’s airways. It is recommended that people with allergies or asthma get ivy. The interesting thing is that the leaves can be consumed or applied topically. Ivy’s tend to thrive in hanging baskets, or in the base of other house plants. Make sure to keep the soil moist, especially during the winter!
Dracena: This is one of the most sought after houseplants in the world as it is the most effective houseplant in air purification. It helps to remove formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene and carbon dioxide from the air which are linked to several health issues such as headaches, respiratory issues and more. They also release almost all of the water that they intake as moisture into the air. This increase in humidity especially helps with respiratory issues! They are found to increase your mental health by helping you feel calm, relaxed and optimistic as well as increasing your cognitive thinking. Along with all the health benefits, Dracaena’s are easy to care for. They don’t require much sunlight and you only have to water them once a week! They do benefit from a light misting every couple of days, especially in the winter.
Golden Pothos: This may be one of the easiest plants to maintain and grow! The pothos plant actually thrives on low light and neglect. For best results place your plant in bright indirect sunlight and only water when the soil is dry to the touch. Along with being easy to care for, the pothos plant is known to purify the air of formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxides as well as eliminate any odors in the air. This plant releases moisture into the air to increase humidity in your home, helping keep your skin hydrated and keep the viruses away! Another bonus to the pothos is you can train it to grow in any way that you want it to, making it a versatile decoration for your home.
Peace Lily: The peace lily is not only beautiful with its lovely white blossoms, but it reduces the toxins in the air, and is safe around pets! Peace lilys love to reside in humid conditions, so placing it in the bathroom will not only make your plant happy, it will also absorb the extra moisture in the air preventing mold and mildew from growing. Along with that, they also absorb toxins such as benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, xylene, carbon monoxide and acetone effectively and are equally as effective as the golden pothos in absorbing toxins. The peace lily is also great placed in a bedroom as it is known to help you get a good night’s sleep! This is also an extremely easy plant to care for, just make sure to keep the soil moist. With all these benefits, the peace lily is a lovely addition to your home.
Art Knapps (@artknapps_pg) has a great selection and online curbside pick up program and have a very knowledgeable staff for all your questions. Always nice to support local.
Love this post, obviously haha huge fan of art knapps, and have grown into a plant mom of over 30! great information, I love that you included health benefits of these plants! great post!