The idea of having houseplants or keeping plants indoors has been around since 1000 B.C.E. in ancient China. Back then, people mostly kept them as ornamental pieces as it was a sign of wealth and prosperity. Fast forward a few thousand years to the present, and we still keep plants indoors for decorative purposes. However, science has shown us that there are many reasons to keep houseplants aside from just aesthetics. We’ll cover four benefits in this week’s weekly wave.
Purifies Air
Nasa has conducted in-depth research on air quality in closed environments with positive findings. One such study looked at how foliage plants affect indoor air quality. The key findings include:
Reducing carbon dioxide levels
Increasing humidity
Reducing levels of certain pollutants, such as benzene and nitrogen dioxide
Reducing airborne dust levels
Keeping air temperatures down
For every 100 sq ft, Nasa recommends one potted plant preferably with foliage. The term foliage plant is usually used to describe green plants with ornament-like leaves.
Lower Background Noise
Plants are commonly used to reduce noise from outdoor environments like a busy urban street. However, what’s commonly unknown is that houseplants can also reduce background noise indoors. Studies by Ambius illustrate this effect. This reduction happens as plants and their leaves absorb, refract, and deflect background noise. Furthermore, “Plants absorb sound best in acoustically live spaces, such as those that feature hard surfaces.”
Boost Healing
There’s a reason why you see people bring flowers and other plants when visiting someone in the hospital. A Kansas State University Study confirmed the therapeutic value of plants as a “noninvasive, inexpensive, and effective complementary medicine for surgical patients”. Also, even physically interacting with the indoor plants can reduce stress.
“Watching something grow is good for morale. It helps us believe in life.” Myron S. Kaufman
Improve Productivity
We as humans are always looking for ways to operate at our peak performance. What if we told you that just by having some houseplants you can improve your focus? It’s true. This study by the University of Texas A&M Agricultural and Life Sciences College shows that
“Being around plants helps people concentrate better in the home and workplace. Studies show that tasks performed while under the calming influence of nature are performed better and with greater accuracy, yielding a higher quality result. Work performed under the natural influence of ornamental plants is normally of higher quality and completed with a much higher accuracy rate than work done in environments devoid of nature. Moreover, being outside in a natural environment can improve memory performance and attention span by twenty percent.”
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