The Life-Changing Benefits of Houseplants (with Science and Quick-win Strategies)
Here’s how to optimize your indoor greenery for better health
More and more studies are showing the amazing health benefits of time in nature. Whether you prefer to spend time in the forest, at the beach, out on a frozen lake, or in the heat of the dessert, natural landscapes have the power to help re-set us mentally and physically.
That’s why it makes so much sense to bring some of that nature inside with us. Because like it or not, most of us spend a LOT more time inside than out. Greening your home or office with houseplants has been scientifically shown to have long lasting benefits, some of which may surprise you.
Let’s take a look at 6 key benefits of houseplants and how you can use this knowledge to improve your own indoor landscape for better health.
What are the benefits of indoor plants?
Check out these six science-backed benefits of having houseplants and the “quick-win” strategies you can use right at home.
1. Photosynthesis by houseplants reduces CO2
We breathe in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. In the presence of light, plants do just the opposite. Plants breathe in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They also hold on to that carbon in their bodies as they grow. That’s why trees and long-lived plants are effective carbon sinks. They actively remove carbon from the air and give us back oxygen.
As atmospheric carbon increases, and people spend more time indoors, exposure to high carbon dioxide levels is becoming more common and it carries significant human health risks. Finding ways to mitigate these impacts are particularly important as building become more and more closed and energy efficient, which can also lead to higher CO2 levels inside your home or office.
A study published in the journal Indoor Air (2023) demonstrated that office workers in a room with plants had significantly lower blood serum levels of C02, reduced systolic blood pressure, and lower drowsiness scores than office workers in a comparable room without plants. Workers used either the office with plants, or without plants, for a period of one year (with monthly measurements) and then switched to the opposite condition the following year. Measurements taken on the weekends when no workers were present also confirmed that the room with plants had lower carbon dioxide levels.
Having houseplants can reduce the impacts of carbon dioxide in your home. The more people and the smaller the space, the more important it can be to have houseplants under good light conditions. That last part is key: “GOOD light conditions”. Because light is necessary for photosynthesis. Plants in poor light conditions (and at night) respire the same we do – by taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. That means light-loving plants could make the carbon dioxide levels worse under low light conditions.
What can you do?
It’s important to match the type of plants you have to the light conditions available in your home or office. There are plants that thrive in low light conditions and thriving is key because to consume and hold C02, plants need to grow.
If in doubt, use supplemental lights to get the job done and breathe a lot easier.
Quick Win Strategy
Make sure every window you have has one more plants growing there suited to the type of light. For example, southern exposures can grow more tropical plants, while northern exposures need plants best suited for low light and no direct sunlight conditions. Google the plant to find out its needs or ask for advice at your local garden center.