Those of us that have several houseplants spend time watering, fertilizing, trimming, repotting and even worrying about their welfare when we find pests or when they are not thriving.
We need to find plant sitters when we go away for a few days, and must research to make sure our plants are not dangerous for our pets or small children. Is all this work really worth it?
Houseplants do have several benefits besides giving us the pleasure of watching them grow and bloom.
It can be relaxing to look at them and tend them, and it has been shown that being in a room with plants can lower your heart rate and blood pressure. Surprisingly, they can also improve concentration and learning.
Although the indoor air in winter is dry and the plants benefit from efforts to increase the humidity around them, they actually increase the humidity in any room that contains them. The air is not as dry in a room with plants as it would be in the same room without plants.
Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen during the day. At night the process is reversed, except for a few special plants like orchids, succulents and some bromeliads. With the right selection of plants, you can keep oxygen production going day and night.
But did you know that your English ivy and spider plant actually remove indoor pollutants? Research by NASA has shown that plants remove trace levels of toxins with both their leaves and roots.
Other plants that remove toxins are aloe, gerbera daisy, snake plant (Mother-in-law tongue), golden pothos, chrysanthemum, red-edged dracaena, weeping fig, azalea, warneck dracaena, Chinese evergreen, bamboo palm, heart leaf philodendron and peace lily.
Toxins removed are formaldehyde, benzene, trichlorethylene, xylene, and others. These chemicals can be found in household cleaners, dry cleaning, varnishes, paints, plywood, foam insulation and other products.
With all these benefits, both psychological and physical, houseplants will always be welcome in my home.
Horticulturalist Mary Wright has lived in Denare Beach for over 20 years. She shares her passion for gardening with Flin Flon readers in The Reminder.
