Plants has become important thing in live since the dawn of the earth. They provide human and animal with food, building material, fiber, fuel, and medicine. Since thousand years ago, human has brought plant in a container and put in inside their home as an effort to decorate the home. Plant decorate the garden outside house and some of them are brought inside the home. They also mark some special occasion such as wedding, anniversary, birthday and even funeral. People has considered that plant which they grown outside or inside will give them benefits physically, mentally and also socially. Even some people has made gardening as their hobby. They feel excited to grow and decorate the garden with numerous kinds of plant.
There are hundreds or even thousand types of indoor plant. Below are the top 10 indoor plants that usually grow inside home :
- Aloe vera, it is a good choice for sunny room
- Spider plant, grow best in bright and indirect light
- Gerbera daisy, this plant like well-drained soil
- Snake plant, can absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen during your sleepGolden photos, must keep this plant way from children and pet cause it poisonous
- Chrysanthemum, has great color to decor your room
- Dracaena, suit to high ceiling room with moderate light
- Azalea, good for increase humidity in your dry room
- Chinese evergreen, grow in low light where other plant cant grow
- Peace lily, it is easy to care with weekly watering
Health Benefits of Indoor Plants
Indoor plants or also known as houseplants has many varieties and people love to grow them in a container such as a pot and put it inside their room.
1. Fight cold and flu
Most cold are caused by particle and virus that comes inside the body through air. Based on a study, indoor plant can reduce cold and related illness by 30%. This is due to the cleaning effect of indoor plant which can purify the air from such particle that may cause cold and flu.
2. Prevent airborne disease
Indoor plant can help to remove airborne contaminant which can cause several health problem such as pollutant including VOCs ( Volatile Organic Compound ) that may cause nausea, headache and other health problem.
3. Cure headache
Headache is annoying and it may decrease our productivity and disturb our activity. Headache usually occur because brain lack of oxygen. Indoor plant provides oxygen which produce through photosynthesis and this oxygen supply may help to cure your headache.
4. Increase your good mood
The green leaves and various color of indoor plants attract our eyes and make us calmer. It also increase our happy feeling by watching them. A study by Ulrich in 1984 reported that patient in hospital will recover faster if they facing hospital garden view rather that the one who just watching the wall.
5. Improve mental health
Same like we care for pet, caring plant may also increase mental health by get rid of the feeling lonely and depressed. It may give you some joy and also give purpose in life
6. Lowering blood pressure
Indoor plant can reduce stress and this may affect to blood pressure. Stress is one of the cause of high blood pressure. By caring and enjoying the esthetic of indoor plant, it give beneficial effect in lower heart pressure and prevent some heart disease
7. Reduce carbon dioxide
Plant has been known for their ability to bind carbon dioxide which later will be processed in photosynthesis to produce oxygen. Carbon dioxide is the waste of respiration process and it may be harmful and causing drowsiness if the level in the air is high enough.
8. Relieve pain
Some indoor plant can give benefits as natural remedy such as aloe vera. Aloe vera is a herbal plant that can reduce inflammation and decrease pain especially on skin.
9. Prevent allergy
Allergy usually occur because your immune system inever exposed to allergen. Some people may develop allergy to plant especcially the pollen. Iif you try to expose your children with allergen earlier, it will help them to build more immune tolerance which can prevent them to suffer allergy in future.
10. Increase brain function
As mentioned before that plant can produce more oxygen which is need to boost the brain and nerve function. Having indoor plant may help you to increase focus and concentration while working.
11. Provide clean air
Plant can filter the air from chemical substance. It may help you to get clean air if you live in an area which is narrow and high in air pollutant such as factory environment or street side. It also will help you if you don’t have any space to make garden outside your home especially if you live in an apartment.
12. Clear congestion
Congestion is a condition of excessive liquid accumulate in the nose or commonly known as runny nose. Some indoor plant such as eucaliptus can give you benefit as anti-congestion natural remedy by its aromatic scent. It also contains some phytochemical that will help you to clear phlegm
13. As natural humidifier
If you live in dry area, instead of buying a electric humidifier you better bought one or two indoor plants. They may help to increase the humidity in air because they do not only release oxygen but also vapour to the air.
14. Improve sleep quality
Some indoor plant prodece oxygen during night time such as Gerbera daisies. Putting such indoor plant in bedroom can improve your sleep and calming your mind.
15. Neutralize cigarette smoke
Cigarette contains many chemicals which released to air when it is burned. We know that passive smokers ( those who don’t smoke but exposed to the cigarette smoke ) have higher risk to suffer some disease such as respiratory disorder and cancer. If you are smoker and often smoke inside room, put some indoor plant to absorb the chemical and neutralize the toxin in tthe air. This will make your family healthier.
16. Increase creativity
According to a study, indoor plant can increase the brain function in generating ideas and improve creativity. The colour that provided by indoor plant give a pleasant feeling to workers and it is great to increase their productivity.
17. Cooling room temperature
Plant has benefits to lower the temperature by releasing vapour and increase humidity. This may help to build a green building which is more nature friendly. It also can decrease your energy consumption.
18. Reduce noise
Maybe you never know that plant has not only have ability to absorb carbon dioxide but it also can absorb noise. Yes, indoor plant can make your room more quiet and it will help you to learn and work better.
How to Select and Care Indoor plant
Its not difficult to grow indoor plants in your home but you must pay attention to some condition about how to care or grow the indoor plants. Nowadays indoor plant is available in store and it will be easier to have it without you need to grow. Follow these tips to how to select and care indoor plants :
- Choose right plant that is suit to your room size. If you have small rooms like in apartment it is better to choose smaller one that is easy to care.
- Indoor plants need light to grow, so if your home doesn’t have enough light its better to choose plants that not require a lot of natural light. Some plants such as snake plant, arrowhead vine, or Chinese evergreen will be great options.
- If you searching for plant that will flower with low light condition you can choose peace lily. If your room has adequate and sunny spots in your home you can choose spider plant, jade, dracaena or rubber plant
- To get inspired what kind of plant that may suit your room, try to browse it on internet or just ask your friends who also grow indoor plants at their home. You can also visit nursery and ask the owner or worker there, what plants will be best to grown inside.
- Bringing indoor plant to your home does not only give you health benefits but also give some artistic touch in your home. Decorate your room with colorful plants such as African violets, azaleas, poinsettias and other colorful indoor plants
- When you decorating your home with indoor plant, don’t forget to choose the right container or pot. You can choose ceramic, copper pot or other types of container that will looks better with the indoor plant.
- Put indoor plant in the right spot of your room and put in place where it wont disturb your activities.
- Indoor plant also require water so don,t forget to water it once a day but some plant like peace lily just need weekly watering.
Those are all the benefits of indoor plants which we never realize. So start to decorate your home and get the benefits.