The houseplant market has seen enormous growth in sales in the past few years. Part of this results from the COVID-19 pandemic, when people spent more time indoors at home. Buyers were interested primarily in learning how to care for their plants, looking to bring nature indoors, and wanting to enjoy the aesthetic benefits of the plants.
Most people know about the benefits of houseplants’ beauty and ability to clean the air. But they bring many other benefits, too, studies show.
Reduced pain, increased health: A 2013 Norwegian study of the effects of indoor plants on office workers showed a significant reduction in the frequency of headaches, cough and fatigue compared to offices without plants. Many studies by environmental psychologist Roger Ulrich have shown that views of outdoors greenery through hospital windows may reduce patients’ recovery time and need for pain medication. While the hospital studies didn’t use houseplants specifically, other studies have shown that houseplants would likely create similar results.
Better concentration: Several studies have shown students’ grade point average increases when houseplants are present in the classroom or when students can see trees from classroom windows. Notably, a 2010 Australian study showed a significant increase in math and science scores on standardized tests for middle schoolers when houseplants were in the classroom. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology showed a significant increase in attention span on a reading comprehension test for a group whose test room had houseplants.
More creativity: A 2012 study in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin showed in four different experiments that having participants look at the color green before working on a creativity assignment greatly increased their score compared to the control groups’. Creativity likely rises in the presence of houseplants because they reduce stress and elevate our mood, which lets us better focus on the task at hand. In short, houseplants create a more comfortable and beautiful environment.
Reduced cortisol levels: Houseplant enthusiasts already know that caring for their plants is truly a labor of love. But caring for plants also reduces both psychological and physiological stress. Gardening in all forms, whether indoors or out, helps us to be more present in the moment. This results in feelings of comfort, reduced stress and reduced levels of cortisol, a hormone that helps regulate the body’s response to stress. (Chronic stress can raise cortisol, which can harm health.) Caring for plants can also remind us to properly care for ourselves as well.
If you are ready to start enjoying the mental and physical benefits of houseplants but are new to them, the following are well-suited to beginners. They’re also pet friendly, but people should still keep plants out of reach of pets who nibble things they shouldn’t.
- Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are among the most popular houseplants of all time, and for good reason: They enjoy being rootbound and are quite drought-tolerant and adaptable.
- Haworthia, such as the zebra plant, is a tough succulent that thrives with infrequent watering and bright light.
- Snake plants (Dracaena, formerly Sansevieria) and ZZ plants (Zamioculcas) are good for areas with low light.
Whichever you choose, you’ll soon be on your way to a new hobby, one that we hope will bring tranquil feelings and renewed focus.
Wild Green Yonder is a recurring monthly feature from the staff of Norfolk Botanical Garden, where Michelle Baudanza is curator of herbaceous plants. Send gardening questions to askaplantquestion@nbgs.org.
