Indoor Green Buddies
We love it when social media help pave the way for new trends to bloom, especially when it brings more benefits not only to the one adopting the trend but also to Mother Nature. Yay! Double the happiness.
The trend we are speaking about is of course the rave over indoor plants. More than ever now we are seeing youngsters redecorating their rooms with their green buddies. It does give you a sense of reaching adulthood to be honest. Like, there this feel of finally having your life in order for no absolute reason.
Maybe because there is a holistic impact to your life when you decorate your room with plants. A study by the Journal of Physiological Anthropology in 2015 states that interacting with indoor plants can reduce both physiological and psychological stress. So in a way.. you kind of have more control in your life. LOL. Plus, plants are great at purifying the air in your home by filtering out everyday pollutants too!
So without further adieu, let’s have a look at the kind of indoor plants that can call your room their new home.
# 1 Snake Plant
The thin, upright leaves does give you a an image of a snake doesn’t it? Snake plant is a low-maintenance plant that has been known to survive droughts, thus making it perfect for almost any environment. Although maybe you can try your best to place in an area with bright lights as the plants would prefer that over low lights. However it does amazing under the latter environment as well so no frets over that.
While it is not the most pet friendly plants as it is mildly toxic to pets, Snake plants have been shown to filter out nasty chemicals, like benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene, so you would likely sense a breath of fresher air with these guys in your house.
#2 Pothos
You might know this one by its more familiar name, the money plant because it’s leaves are round, flat, heart-shaped, dark green, and plump which resemble coins. Like the Snake plant, Pothos filters out benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene as well. It can even survive indoors where lower light and dry air make conditions less than ideal, it’s trailing vines can grow to over 10 feet long OMG.
On another note, Feng Shui experts recommend keeping one plant near each computer, television, or WiFi router also at any sharp corner angle. By placing a Pothos at these areas, it can reduces anxiety and stress. It will also help avoiding arguments and sleep disorders. Money plant? More like magic plant!
This one is to be kept away from your pets too as when ingested, it may cause vomiting, oral irritation and difficulty swallowing.
#3 Dracaena
Dracaena Lisa is certainly the most resilient and hardiest of of the Dracaena group with thicker stalks that can be solid green or blended green and tan as compared to its weaker counterpart, Dracaena Janet Craig. Dracaena Lisa generally can deal with indoor temperature and season changes better than others. When it comes to purifying the air, Dracaena Marginata Plant does a better job but Lisa removes benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene as well.
This too is not a pet-friendly plant unfortunately.
#4 ZZ Plant
Cute name isn’t it? It has nothing to do with dozing off to sleep though. Its the acronym of its botanic name Zamioculcas zamiifolia hence, ZZ. It also known as the Zanzibar Gem or Welcome Plant. It is originated from a drought-prone Africa (where it thrives outdoors).
ZZ plant is drought tolerant, and accepts low-light conditions without throwing a fit. It's waxy, smooth leaves reflect sunlight and brighten rooms thus making it one of the most sought out indoor plants. ZZ plant also is an air purifier and in a NASA study, researchers found it is specifically adept at removing copious amounts of toxins such as xylene, toluene, and benzene from the air.
#5 Spider Plant
For a more jungle vibe, this is definitely the plant to go for! And they're super easy to care for too. The spider plant is so named because of its spider-like leaves, or spiderettes, which dangle down from the mother plant like spiders on a web. The plant starts out as a small white flower before it blooms into it’s adult state. Spider plants need bright light, but no direct sun, so they're perfect to put in a room with big windows. Just don’t keep it too close to the windowsill.
For Spider plants, don't allow the plants to become too soggy by over watering, which can lead to root rot. In fact, spider plants prefer to dry out some between waterings. It's also a strong air purifier, removing both formaldehyde and xylene.
Pet friendly? YES finally. In fact, cats are mainly attracted to spider plants because they are mildly hallucinogenic. Similar in nature to the effects of catnip. But don’t worry its not toxic at all!
So did you find anything that fascinated you? We suggest that you do make that purchase especially considering that we are still under the CMCO enforcement and most of us still need to work from home.
Your eyes can get really strained from looking at the screen all day and some more with the inability to distinguish proper working hours, it could be tormenting to your eyesight. With plants lying in your houses, you can take a break by looking at your plants. It is proven to reduce work place stress and increase productivity.
Once you got your cute plants, check out this episode of Hello I Have Issues to know more on other ways to help mother earth by leading a zero waste lifetsyle!