5 Houseplants for Health
5 Houseplants to help you be healthy.
Handy Andy’s Nursery
We all know that plants offer us many health benefits. From trees, to shrubs, flowers to vegetables they help to clean the air of toxic carbon dioxide and convert it back into breathable oxygen that we need. Some may be familiar with the study performed by NASA in the 80’s on office buildings and the results of their findings.
A NEW study has been done by a man named Meattle in India. He found that there were three plants in particular that were extremely valuable for converting carbon dioxide back into oxygen. Watch a video on YouTube of his findings HERE.
POTHOS
Meattle’s Top Three:
Meattle’s findings from his study included three plants that were known oxygen powerhouses. He’s known for saying that if you collected these three plants and chose to live in a bottle with them, you would never run out of good breathable air. I don’t know how interested I would be at sealing myself in a bottle, but the idea of good breathable air is appealing to all of us I think.
#1: Areca Palm
Areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens) are one of the most widely used palms for bright interiors. It features feathery, arching fronds, each with up to 100 leaflets. These big, bold plants command attention. Keep reading to find out more about growing areca palm in the home. Areca Palm Houseplant Info A full-grown areca palm houseplant is quite expensive, so they are usually purchased as small, tabletop plants.
They add 6 to 10 inches of growth per year until they reach a mature height of 6 or 7 feet. Areca palm is one of the few palms that can tolerate trimming without serious harm, making it possible to keep mature plants indoors for their full lifespan of up to 10 years.
A key factor in successfully growing areca palm trees indoors is providing just the right amount of light. They need bright, indirect light from a south- or west-facing window. The leaves turn yellowish-green in direct sunlight.
4 shoulder high plants per person (Source: Meattle)
Read more at Gardening Know How: Growing Areca Palm: Care Of Areca Palms
SNAKE PLANT
Sansevieria trifasciata
#2: Snake Plant (Mother-in-laws Tongue)
The second plant in Meattle’s findings was the extremely popular Mother in laws Tongue. Often known as Sansevieria. This highly popular plant is one of THE most tenacious and difficult houseplants to kill. It is tolerable of almost ANY indoor light levels and also tolerant of both over watering and under watering. If someone kills a snake plant, we usually ask them “How? What did you do?”
One of the primary benefits of this plant is that while all plants NEED sunlight to carry out the process of producing oxygen from carbon dioxide, the Snake plant continues to store some of the sun’s rays in its leaves late into the evening, continuing to release healthy Oxygen at bedtime, making this plant along with Aloe Vera a great “bedroom” plant.
#3 “Money Plant” (Pothos)
The third plant in Meattle’s study was the Money Plant, known here in the United States as the Pothos, or Devil’s Ivy. This plant is also tolerant of almost any indoor light level. It has been grown in bright sunny windows or in dimly lit bathrooms. Wherever you choose to have this one, remember that the more light a plant receives, the better it can help improve the air.
#4 Peace Lily
Known as the “Peace Lily” because it is one of the most common plants given in sympathy arrangements, this bulletproof plant not only converts carbon dioxide into oxygen it also help to improve indoor air quality by removing Benzene from indoor air. Benzene is a chemical produced when our furnaces burn natural gas to help keep us warm during winter months. Benzene levels can rise in indoor environments where there is not sufficient air circulation. A few Peace Lilies can bring be used to bring “peace” in more ways than just being a gift.
#5 Kimberly Queen Fern
The Kimberly Queen is not quite as well known as it’s cousin the Boston Fern. However it’s more upright growth habit makes it an easier plant for indoor environments. Fern can be a somewhat messy houseplant as they do tend to drop leaflets when they experience drought or drafts. What this plant suffers from in uncleanliness, it makes up for in is abilities. Another common indoor pollutant is Formaldehyde. Some may remember that chemical name from their high school science days. Formaldehyde is a preservative chemical found in many hair care products. Kimberly Queen would be a great plant choice for in or near bathrooms where it can help to filter out these toxins from your air and keep you feeling healthy.
There you have it! Five plants that can dramatically help you to feel and breathe better in your homes. Stop in and visit us for more help selecting plants that can help you improve the look of your home inside OR out!