Houseplants Can Reduce Stress, Fight Toxins, and Even Boost Creativity
Interior decorators know that a potted plant can add life to a room, but they're more than accent pieces--they can make you healthier.
We dug through decades of research to find the feel-good effects of houseplants, from boosting your creativity to beating the sniffles.
Experts say you should have as much green as possible. Scroll through for the best plants to have in every room--and exactly what to do to reap the health benefits. Blooms away!
Plants to Fight Stress
Bamboo Palm
Researchers believe that just seeing greenery calms us down (it's an evolutionary response). This Bamboo Palm mini tree maximizes that effect by reaching heights up to 50 inches.
Chinese Evergreen
In one study from Washington State University, people in a room of plants including this Chinese Evergreen had a 4-point drop in their systolic blood pressure after taking a stressful test, compared with only a 2-point drop in a group that had no exposure to plants.
Arrowhead Vine
In one study, the Arrowhead Vine helped induce a 4-point drop in systolic blood pressure among stressed-out test subjects.
Snake Plant
Try a Snake Plant to bust stress in a window-free room, like an
office, it thrives in low light.
Devil's Ivy
People who put Devil's Ivy (also called golden pothos) in their offices described the space as more natural, personal, and refreshing, and said they felt much less job-related stress, according to German researchers.
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Plants to Fight Colds
English Ivy
Small openings on the underside of a plant's leaves release moisture into the air, boosting humidity to alleviate cold symptoms. Because of English Ivy's high volume of leaves, horticulturists recommend it as one of the most effective cold-fighting plants.
Heart-Leaf Philodendron
In one study from the Agricultural University of Norway, people with office plants including the Heart-Leaf Philodendron reported 37% less coughing and 25% less hoarseness after 3 months than when they left their offices plant-free.
Fragrant Dracaena
This Fragrant Dracaena variety reduced workers' sore throat symptoms and helped cut complaints of fatigue by 30%, in a Norwegian study.
Peace Lily
Peace Lilies paired with a few other plants, including the heart-leaf
philodendron, can boost a room's humidity by up to 5%, finds a study from the
Bavarian State Institute of Viticulture and Horticulture. In the dry winter months,
this small increase is enough to relieve dry throats and noses.
African Violet
An African Violet works well with other plants to add moisture to the air and kick cold symptoms.
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Plants to Cut Toxins
Janet Craig
When plants take in oxygen and carbon dioxide, they also
pull in VOCs, toxins that are released by cleaning supplies,
printers, and other household items. Three Janet Craigs cut
VOCs in a 130-square-foot room by up to 70%, finds
research from the University of Technology in Australia.
Sweet Chico
Six Sweet Chicos, a smaller table-size peace lily, have the same toxin-reducing effect as floor-standing Janet Craig plants, according to Australian research. Try tucking two into one larger pot.
Kentia Palm
The Kentia Palm breathes in toxins effectively, cutting VOC levels--toxins that are released by cleaning supplies, printers, and other household items--from a home, according to a study from the University of Technology.
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Plants to Boost Creativity
Strawberry Begonia
In a study from Texas A&M University, women who worked in a room decorated with two potted plants and a bouquet of flowers generated 13% more ideas than women in a room with abstract sculptures. Studies show that plants are a mood booster, and good moods are associated with higher levels of dopamine, the hormone that controls the flow of information throughout the brain. The type of plant doesn't matter as much as the fact that you have a plant, says Dr. Jerry Williams, a horticulture professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute who specializes in houseplant studies. Try a Strawberry Begonia, which has beautiful leaves.
Spider Plant
One of the easiest houseplants to care for is the Spider Plant. Add one to your home office to spark that creative energy.
Corn Plant
Women who took a creative word-matching test in a room with greenery including a Corn Plant performed better than women in a plant-free room, finds a study from the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology.
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