Houseplants don’t just look good, they make us feel good too. Not only can plants brighten up our surroundings, but they can also lift our mood. Some studies have shown that in offices where indoor plants are present, work performance increases, staff well-being improves and employees take less sick days, than in offices without plants.

Plants may even make it easier to concentrate on tasks and strengthen our memory. Research has shown that students in classrooms with three potted plants performed better across all areas compared to children in classrooms without any greens.

Being around plants has a calming effect on people. Especially as we spend more time indoors, we are reminded how calming it is to care for our plants, and what their growth can tell us about our own. Learning to nurture a living plant may help lower anxiety, improve attention, and lessen the severity of depression.

We can also improve our indoor air quality with plants. Plants absorb harmful toxins, breaking them down into gentle byproducts, and storing them in their soil to use later for food. Houseplants also help increase indoor humidity by adding moisture to the air. 

Researchers found that rooms with plants have less dust and mould than rooms without any foliage. Leaves and other parts of the plants act as natural filters to catch allergens and other airborne particles.  

Plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. Photosynthesis is the process of how they turn sunlight into food. Some even keep giving off oxygen after the sun goes down. Put a few cheerful pots in your bedroom and the extra oxygen may help you sleep more soundly.

Taking some potted foliage to a loved one in hospital can be more than just a thoughtful gesture. It may actually help them recover more quickly. Researchers found that people who had surgery got better faster if they had plants in their room, or even a view of the nature from their window. They also tolerated pain better and needed fewer medications when surrounded by greenery. 

So the good news is:

• Boost mood, productivity, concentration and creativity
• Reduce stress, fatigue, sore throats and colds
• Help clean indoor air by absorbing toxins, increasing humidity & producing oxygen
• Add life to a sterile space, give privacy and reduce noise levels
• Are therapeutic to care for