GARDENING FACT SHEET
Click to View Printable PDF file: “Health Benefits of Houseplants”
Adding houseplants to our home offers many mental, emotional, physical, and even spiritual benefits to our health. Many of us might not need more reasons to acquire more plants, but it’s sure nice to know that one of our favorite hobbies is a healthy one!
Here are just some of the potential benefits of having houseplants in your home:
- Plants improve mood. Microbes in garden soil can also boost your mood due to the cytokines they release.
- Plants may help give a better healing experience. Hospital patients with plants in their rooms have been shown to experience better healing and less stress. (gardeningknowhow.com)
- Plants can help with sleep quality. Adding a plant to your bedroom may result in improved quality of sleep and the ability to sleep for longer periods.
- Plants can be great mold, mildew, bacteria, and dust cleaners. In rooms that held plants, researchers found 50 to 60 percent fewer bacteria and spores of mold than in rooms that lacked plant life.
- Plants can improve memory and concentration. Several studies have shown that overall mental health and cognitive function improve after adding plants to your learning environment. Health and well-being benefits of plants (tamu.edu)
- Plants clean air! According to NASA’s Clean Air Study, which was designed to find ways to clean the air in sealed space stations, plants can be effective to absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen into the air, and remove pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene. NASA recommends 1 plant for every 100 square feet of space to help purify air. NASA Clean Air Study – Wikipedia
These 5 houseplants not only made NASA’s list of Top Air Filtering Houseplants, but they also have some surprising additional benefits!
- Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata): Sansevieria is a great addition to bedrooms because of its ability to release oxygen at night, improving your quality of sleep.
- English Ivy (Hedera helix): A study presented to the American College of Allergy; Asthma & Immunology found that English ivy is particularly good at purifying mold in the environment. (allergyandair.com)
- Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum ‘Mauna Loa’): According to research by the University of Vermont, the Peace Lily can help remove acetone from electronics and adhesives.
- Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema modestum): Aglaonema has a high transpiration rate which helps to make the air around it more humid. As an added benefit they are valued in Feng Shui and are thought to bring financial prosperity.
- Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina): It is said that Buddha sat under the Weeping Fig tree for 49 days before gaining enlightenment and it is considered the symbol of peace and spirituality. In addition to possible enlightenment, a 2014 study from Chemical Central Journal suggested that Weeping figs are rich in antimicrobial properties that ward off disease-causing microorganisms. PubMed (nih.gov)
Click to View Printable PDF file: “Health Benefits of Houseplants”
