Houseplants are good for your health and generally tend to make people happier. That seems like an easy fix, right? If you want to spruce up your living room and put everyone in a better mood, just get a plant!
It might sound almost funny at first thought, but it is actually true. Plants are good for you, and you should get one. This blog will take a look at the real reasons that having plants in your home is beneficial, the best plants for you to keep, and even cover a few tips on how to best care for your new plant friends.
5 Real Benefits of Having Houseplants
Many people enjoy having greener spaces for working and living. Plus, adding plants to your decor is a serious trend in design right now. Here are five reasons that you should grab hold of this trend:
1. Plants Reduce Stress
In a small study of young men, researchers found that indoor gardening does, in fact, reduce stress. Later on, in a larger study, researchers at Texas A&M University found that people who grow houseplants have less overall stress in their lives. So, with science on your side, it is safe to say that raising a plant or two in your living room really will help reduce your stress levels.
2. Live Plants Make You More Attentive
There isn’t as much science behind this one, but the practical application makes sense. For example, if you have a live plant, you will have to pay some level of attention to it to keep it alive. Learning to pay attention to the plant regularly teaches your brain to automatically catch certain clues like dry dirt or wilting leaves.
3. Plants Boost Your Immune System
Plants can help you heal from injuries or illness faster. There could be many reasons for this, but two of the most likely reasons are because of the added oxygen in the room from the plant and the decrease in stress experienced by people who have plants in their homes.
4. Plants Make You More Productive
Maybe it’s being in a better mood or maybe it’s reducing stress, but either way, having a plant will make you more productive. This is one reason that you see so many offices incorporate plants into their decor.
5. Plants Improve Indoor Air Quality
Plants can clean and freshen the air in a room. It happens through a process called phytoremediation, which NASA first studied in the 1980s. If you decide this is a good reason to get a plant for your home, there are some kinds of plants that work better for this purpose than others.
5 Best Plants for Your Living Room
Now that you know the top reasons why you should have a plant, let’s talk about the best plants to have. You will likely want to put the plant in your living room because this is where you will be around it the most to get the most joy and take the best care of it.
So, if you are looking for a plant to go in your living room, here are five of the best picks:
1. Fiddle Leaf Fig
The Fiddle Leaf Fig (ficus lyrata) is popular in homes across North America. It is a small tree that usually grows to around six to 10 feet tall, depending on the container it is grown in. It has big, glossy leaves that make for gorgeous foliage.
The Fiddle Leaf Fig is fairly easy to care for and grows fast, making it a good plant for most people. Remember, though, that this plant is poisonous to cats, so if you are a cat owner, this is not a good choice for you.
2. Golden Pothos
You have probably heard it called Devil’s Ivy. Golden Pothos has bright ornamental leaves with white or yellow variegation, depending on the exact type of plant that you get. Its aerial root system allows it to grow quickly. It can be trained to grow up a coir pole and grow as long as ten feet with three feet leaves in good indoor conditions.
3. Rubber Tree
Another type of ficus, a ficus elastica, the rubber tree, is common to find indoors as a houseplant. These trees are fairly easy to care for, but you will find that you have better results if you start with a younger tree. This is because that will give it time to become accustomed to an indoor environment.
Generally speaking, the Rubber tree doesn’t like to be too hot or too cold, and it takes a moderate amount of watering to stay healthy.
4. ZZ Plant
The ZZ plant or the Zanzibar Gem is a plant that is native to eastern Africa but can be found in living rooms across Europe and the United States. The ZZ plant has large and beautiful leaves, but it is also a very tough plant that can handle a few missed waterings. If you haven’t had much luck with house plants in the past, this one is great to start with.
5. Snake Plant
The Snake Plant (Sansevieria) is just as hardy, if not more so, than the ZZ Plant, which is just one of the reasons that it would make such a great choice for your living room. Snake plants can tolerate almost anything, including things they shouldn’t have to tolerate, like missing watering and general forgetfulness. The best part is, your plant will still look great anyway.
Quick Tips for Keeping Plants in Your Living Room
- Pay attention to how big the plant will get in the future, not just how big it is now.
- If you are enamored with the flowers, find out how often and how easily it blooms.
- Make sure you understand how to care for your plant.
- If you have plants make sure the plant will not be poisonous to your pet.
- Water on a schedule; it makes it much easier to remember and not over or underwater your new plant.
Liven Your Home
You absolutely should get a plant for your living room. It will help add a vibrance to the room and make you happier and healthier. With just a bit of time and effort, you can have a lively home filled with greenery throughout.
It can seem complicated at first if you don’t know what you’re doing, but it’s really not that difficult if you’re willing to learn. Also, don’t worry if you don’t have a green thumb; you can always develop one over time!
