There are a few things that can take your home to the next level and that also show your environment that you have become a real adult: a bookcase, a drinks cabinet, and perhaps most importantly one or more house plants. But let’s be honest and realistic: most people are unfortunately not experts in the field of plants and so often have no idea where to start (although we must of course also admit that this is the first step).
Fortunately, experts in the field Erin Marino, director of brand marketing at The Sill, and Juliette Vassilkioti, co-founder and president of My City Plants, are on hand to help you out. To start with, Marino recommends choosing a plant based on the situation the plant will be in. So, if you are looking for a plant that will grow on a windowsill and thus endure bright and direct sunlight all day long, you will have to choose one that will thrive in such dry conditions. a sunny spot, such as an echeveria or a haworthia (two popular types of succulents). ”
By the way, putting a plant in your house does more than just give you the feeling that you are extremely mature. A study dating back to 2015, published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, has shown that interaction with indoor plants can reduce not only physiological but also psychological stress. Above all, plants are excellent purifiers of the air in the house because they filter out the pollutants every day.
So what’s stopping you from hunting for houseplants to buy? Place one or more of the following house plants in your home and you so that you can start benefiting from all their health benefits as soon as possible.
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Snake plant
Don’t be fooled (or even scared) by the name of the plant. Marino explains that the snake plant simply gets its name from its thin, upright leaves adorned with “irregular green stripes” that look a bit like, you guessed it, the skin of a snake.
As well as looking cool, the plant is also a low maintenance plant known for surviving in a dry environment, making these plants ideal for indoor plant novices and those who tend to be the most diverse; the current area will have found housing. “Although the snake plant prefers bright light, it can also survive in less bright places,” she adds.
Snake plants have also been shown to filter bad airborne chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene, so you can breathe with peace of mind when you’re in the house. However, the plants are not pet-friendly, an aspect that could be considered a minor drawback, especially if you also love the presence of animals around you.
Dragon ivy
“Sometimes referred to as the” bedding plant, “the dragon ivy is a good choice if you know you have ‘black fingers,’ says Marino. (To be clear, “black fingers” is the opposite of having ‘green fingers.) And although this plant starts small, the trailing tendrils can grow over three meters long, even when placed indoors, so, in a place where it gets less light and dry air and as a result, the plant has to survive under less ideal conditions.
As an extra plus point, it can be said about this plant that growing it is very easy, Marino adds and it spreads (read: growing it easily with cuttings in a little water). Although you must first learn how to propagate a dragon blood tree, in principle you can get as many plants as you want, and for the price of just the first specimen you purchase. And just like the snake plant, the dragon ivy also filters benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from the air in the house, but this plant cannot be labeled as pet-friendly either.
Dragon blood tree
If you live a low-maintenance life, you’re always on the go, then you preferably need an “ easy, low-maintenance houseplant like the Dragon Blood Tree, ” says Vassilkioti. This plant is fantastic, she explains, because it can easily adapt to a variety of light spots, even though it will always be best to keep the Dragon Blood Tree out of the direct sun.
“The strongest of the group Draacena (the scientific name of the Dragon Blood Tree) is the Dracaena Lisa,” she explains. “This plant can handle the temperature in the house and seasonal changes better than the other members of this plant family.” However, when it comes to purifying the air, the Dracaena Marginata is the best choice you can make as it can remove benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene from the air. Unfortunately, this houseplant cannot be regarded as pet-friendly either.
Chamber palm
If your low-light environments live, Marino proposes to buy a potted palm because this plant drought resistant and can also require very little maintenance. You may notice that the indoor palm has large potato-like rhizomes (also called horizontal stems) that will continue to grow beneath the surface of the soil.
Marino explains that these rhizomes store water and help the plant survive drought in its natural environment. That is to say, “they will also help the plant to survive the irregular waterings in your home.” You can think of watering the plant once a month in situations where the plant is placed in average indirect sunlight. In addition, Marino adds, people in many cultures believe that a room palm is the “ symbol of prosperity and friendship.‘, making it a fantastic gift to give at a housewarming party, for example. However, you have to take into account that the recipient does not have any pets because the honeysuckle palm is also not pet-friendly.
Spider plant
Plants that give off ‘instant jungle vibes’, such as the spider plant, are completely hip and trendy these days, says Marino. And they are also very easy when it comes to caring, says Vassilkioti. Although these plants need bright light, they should not be exposed to direct sunlight, so they are perfect for placing in a room with large windows, as long as you don’t place them on the windowsill.
Vassilkioti adds that this plant is a lot of fun to have because it starts to form “baby spiders”, which are usually easy to propagate. It is also a plant that can powerfully purify the air in your home and remove not only formaldehyde but also xylene. Another advantage is that the plant can also be placed in a pet-friendly environment as it is pet-friendly.
Rubber tree
If you tend to forget, neglect your plants, or if you are just new to the world of houseplants, it would be wise to purchase a rubber tree. In fact, according to Vassilkioti, these plants are “tolerant of neglect” to a certain extent and “ do even better with too little, than too much, water. ”
If the benefits of the plant sound like music to your ears, then you should still know that a rubber tree needs bright light (but can also thrive in a spot with partial sunlight) and that, above all, there must be sufficient space around it to grow and to remove the carbon dioxide from your home. Furthermore, this plant is not pet-friendly.
Bird’s nest fern
Having a bird’s nest fern in your home often makes for a good conversation piece, thanks to the bright green, wrinkly edges of the plant, this is a very striking houseplant, especially when placed in a hanging pot, as Marino certainly recommends.
This is because the bird’s nest fern can thrive in a spot with average indirect sunlight and a humid environment, says Marino: “For that reason, it would be an extremely suitable plant to place in a bathroom with a shower, provided of course there are enough windows. are those that let in natural light. ”
Above all, ferns have shown that they can filter formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from the air, so that’s certainly another reason to put one in your bathroom. After all, in this part of your home, you most often use household toxins, which can be found in, among other things, most aggressive cleaning products, hairspray, and nail polish remover. Fortunately, the bird’s nest fern is also very suitable in a household with pets.
Peace Lily
If you already have a little more experience and are therefore able to keep a houseplant alive, then it may be high time to add a spoon plant to your houseplant collection. Vassilkioti says this plant does require a bit more attention than the previously mentioned plants. This means, for example, that the plant should remain moist without you giving it a lot of water and that you should find a light but shady spot for it, she continues.
One thing we should note about this plant is, “ The flowers of the Spoon Plant contain pollen, so it won’t be such an ideal choice for allergy sufferers,” said Vassilkioti. But if that’s not a problem for you, she recommends placing a spoon plant in your bedroom as it will create oxygen at night, while most other houseplants will only do so during the day. In addition to oxygen production, this houseplant will also filter ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene from the air. However, the plant cannot be labeled as pet-friendly.
Philodendron
“Under the right conditions, the heart-shaped leaves and trailing tendrils of the philodendron can grow up to ten feet long indoors,” says Marino. This makes it a great plant for those with tall shelves, or if you want to add a hanging planter to your interior (an ultimate aspect of adult life).
Like the dragon ivy, it is “very easy to prune and propagate this plant, if you prefer to have a more compact houseplant in your home.” she adds. It is also one of the easiest houseplants to grow yourself.
Even though it is not the most air-purifying plant, the philodendron still filters formaldehyde from the air. Not bad for a houseplant that is known to be low maintenance and above all extremely suitable for beginners. But again, this plant, and that can be a disadvantage, is not pet-friendly.
Aloe Vera
“Not only is this plant easy when it comes to caring, but it is also known as a healing plant,” says Vassilkioti. “The juice of the aloe vera has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.” So you can not only use this plant to brighten up your home but also use the gel in the leaves to treat wounds and various skin conditions, for example.
However, always put your aloe vera in a bright, sunny place, and don’t worry about keeping it alive. “After all, this plant likes to get the soil in which it stands very, very dry before it needs water again,” she adds. And even if you don’t want to buy aloe vera for its healing properties, you can still enjoy all of its air purification benefits as the plant will remove formaldehyde from the air in your home. Unfortunately, the aloe vera also cannot be classified as pet-friendly.
