The Beauty & Benefit of Plants Year Round
Spring is right around the corner! If you, like so many Saskatchewanians love to be outside surrounded by the beauty of nature, you don’t have to wait for the weather to get warmer and the leaves to turn green. You can create your own nature haven, right in the comfort of your home!
Not only are indoor plants nice to look at as a refreshing piece of decor, many come with great benefits for your home. From air purification to medicinal ingredients, the advantages and options are endless!
English Ivy – removing toxins like benzene, formaldehyde, xylene and toluene, English Ivy is one of the top 10 air-purifying indoor plants according to NASA. A few of the lesser-known benefits English Ivy has been said to help with include inflammation when the leaves are steeped as tea or for pain and discomfort when the leaves are applied topically. Who knew!
Bamboo Palm – if you prefer the look of tropical plants for your home, Bamboo Palm is another great option for removing benzene and formaldehyde that also offers the added benefits of removing carbon monoxide and trichloroethylene from the air as well.
Peace Lily – along with removing air toxins, Peace Lillies have been shown to have excellent absorption qualities. Not only can they help absorb acetone and alcohol vapours in your environment, they also reduce excess moisture in the air leading to the prevention of mold spores and mildew.
Rubber Tree – another great tropical plant for indoors, the Rubber Tree plant is exceptional at creating more oxygen in your home. A characteristic of all plants, the large surface area of the Rubber Tree’s leaves allows it to be extra efficient at removing carbon dioxide. Another great benefit? Removing airborne bacteria and mold spores.
Pothos – not only does Pothos remove many air toxins (benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene), it absorbs ozone from the air as well as makes the air around it more humid. If you’re a believer in Feng Shui, experts also consider it a cleanser of negative energy that can help reduce stress and improve sleep quality.
Aloe Vera – if you’ve ever had a sunburn, you’ve probably got a bottle of aloe vera gel somewhere in your home. The aloe plant is a great addition to your kitchen as the soothing benefits you associate with the gel can also be used straight from the plant for minor burns and wounds.
Gotu-Kola – a member of the parsley family, Gotu-Kola is highly regarded as a spiritual herb. It is said to help balance the nervous system, promote memory and mental alertness and its leaves and roots contain key elements to maintain healthy neural function.
It’s important to note that many indoor plants, while great for promoting air quality, can also be toxic if ingested by people and house pets. And of course, many other factors influence what plants will work best for your home; light, water and humidity, to name a few. If you’re new to the indoor plant game or have questions about the plants that work best in your environment, talk to an expert at one of the many florists and garden centres around the province.
No matter the weather, with indoor plants, there’s always a way to keep yourself surrounded by nature!
-Paige Sandvold is the Content Manager on the Brand and Digital Platform Team