Beautiful Plants for Your Home That are Also Good for Your Health

Written by Kelsey W.

One of the lessons we learn in school is that plants give us oxygen in return for all the carbon dioxide we give them, which makes them a vital part of our lives. But did you know that it’s not just the oxygen that plants give us that makes them so important and valuable? 

Many plants also offer health benefits simply by existing in your home or growing in your yard. Also, you don’t necessarily need to chop and dice and process a plant to turn it into some sort of capsule-based supplement to enjoy its benefits.

Let’s explore some of the truly simple ways some plants can have a positive impact on your health. The best part is that for many of these benefits, all you need to do is keep up with the regular watering and feeding of the plants for them to deliver their benefits to you.

Improve Your Mood with Plants in Your Home

Sometimes, responsibilities can feel like a hassle, but the opposite may be true when it comes to caring for houseplants. Many people start gardens when they reach retirement age as a hobby or as something to fill a few hours each day, but it’s an activity that may benefit anyone who spends more than a few minutes with their plants.

An article published in the Royal College of Physicians of London took a look at several studies that indicated spending time caring for plants delivered a whole host of benefits related to mental health. However, reaping these benefits doesn’t necessarily require hours spent gardening.

In fact, one study cited in the paper indicated that simply viewing nature could improve mood by reducing feelings of sadness, fear, stress, and anger. The researchers even indicated that study participants saw their blood pressure go down and reduced muscle tension.

There are efforts in some countries to improve the mental health of citizens by encouraging them to participate in community gardening efforts. Referred to as “therapeutic horticulture projects,” these gardens are designed to help people dealing with mental health issues or impairments.

However, the benefits of gardening on the mood don’t require that you have preexisting conditions. Surveys and studies conducted over the decades have shown measurable benefits of gardening, being around plants, and simply being near green spaces.

As residents of Southern California, many green spaces exist around the Southland for getting close to nature, but it’s also really easy to bring some greenery into your home with some houseplants. If you’ve never had a houseplant before, don’t be afraid to start with a small and easy plant.

One of the easiest plants that also happens to offer some superior health benefits is the snake plant, which you can purchase as a very small plant and grow in a small pot for a few years. It’s easy to grow and is a great starter plant for anyone interested in starting their gardening journey.

Here are some other plants to boost your mood in your home and around your house:

1. Jasmine: Has a wonderful aroma for the home and garden.
2. Calandiva: Offers beautiful, long-lasting blooms.
3. Lavender: A science-backed stress reliever.

Clean the Air Inside and Around Your Home

One of the best reasons to stick with real plants inside your home rather than plastic is the air-purifying effect of plants. There’s a famous study by NASA that was conducted in the late 1980s that found houseplants were capable of removing harmful cancer-causing chemicals from the air.

Another lesser-known study found that the soil in potted plants was also capable of cleaning the air. The tiny microorganisms naturally present in healthy soil apparently have the ability to clean the air, just like the plants that grow out of their soil.

To receive the biggest benefit from your indoor plants, you’ll want to choose plants that have large leaves, as they are apparently the most adept at cleaning the air inside your house. One excellent option is the peace lily, which has rather voluptuous leaves and also produces gorgeous flowers.

If you have the space for a rather large row of bamboo plants in your home, installing a bamboo palm in a brightly-lit area of your home could have a significant impact on the air quality. As a bonus, they also act as a natural humidifier for your home, which is nice if you’re prone to dry skin.

The most important thing to remember about using plants to clean the air in your home is that you need to allow the plants to grow as large as possible to get the greatest impact. So, you’ll want to allow your philodendron to grow with wild abandon into a long, lush chain across a shelf or down a wall.

You can also try an elephant ear philodendron plant for giant air-purifying leaves that you can grow to a healthy size. The plant can actually grow up to ten feet tall, but it’s super easy to grow (like all philodendrons), and you can pretty much just let it sit in its pot and do its thing with occasional watering.

These are some other great air-purifying plants you may consider for your home:

1. Areca Palm: Excellent when you have a lot of room for a big plant.
2. Pothos: Known to filter air toxins exceedingly well.
3. Weeping Fig: Lush green plant that will produce loads of leaves.

Improve Your Health With the Fun Activity of Gardening

Simply gazing upon the nice greenery in your home or around your yard is enough to lift your spirits, but those plants can also provide a service to you by encouraging you to move around each day. If you’re stuck at a desk, or you’re usually seated at work, gardening is an excellent way to move around.

One of the best parts about gardening is that it’s a low-impact option for remaining active, so it’s usually pretty easy to get into the habit of caring for your plants each day. It’s not like you’re walking up a mountain and huffing and puffing for an hour to reach your philodendron.

Simply walking around your yard or even standing up around the house at each plant to trim its dead leaves, water it, and turn it around every so often can help you increase the amount of time you spend moving each day.

If you’re working from home and find yourself seated for hours and hours each day, spending your 15-minute breaks with your plants is the perfect way to boost your mood and keep active, even if it’s just a few minutes of movement each hour.

You can also use more intensive gardening activities as opportunities for exercise. Putting vegetable seeds or seedlings into the ground for a vegetable garden takes some work and time, and the mental reward of seeing your vegetables grow more than makes up for the work you put into it.

If you’re curious, gardening can actually burn a fair amount of calories per hour, but it does depend on the amount of effort you put into it. If you’re just wandering around with a watering can and doing some light weeding, you might burn 150 calories in an hour. But you may burn up to 500 if you’re really working with the soil and digging around.

Here are a few easy plants to get you started on your healthy gardening journey:

1. Sunflowers: Exceptionally easy to grow for big, beautiful sunny rewards.
2. Peppers: Delicious for cooking and absolutely fool-proof to grow for new gardeners.
3. Zinnias: Love the Southern California weather and add happiness to your yard.

Benefiting from Plants Doesn’t Need to Be Complicated

Don’t assume that you need a degree in botany or need to know all the scientific names of plants to benefit from having them around your home. Truly, just the presence of a few plants in your home can have such a warming and calming effect.

Even if none of the plants listed here have piqued your interest, that’s fine! Just visiting a garden center and taking a look at the plants may help you find one that you might want to take home. Just start with a single plant to see how things go.

Get a Start on Your New Healthy Garden with Help from Green Thumb Nursery

Filling your yard with happy, friendly plants is a wonderful way to brighten your home, and Green Thumb Nursery is here to help you choose the plants that will suit your garden best. Whether you’re searching for a new houseplant for your windowsill or you’re thinking about some new garden plants, Green Thumb Nursery can help you create a wonderful plant-filled garden. Drop by one of our Southern California garden centers today for inspiration.

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