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While we stay in place, work from home, and attend school online during COVID-19, houseplant sales are skyrocketing. During our confinement, plants seem to provide some serious “green therapy.” Indoor plants are appealing to the eye and  provide some wonderful health benefits as well.

Can Houseplants Be Sustainable?

As with all behaviors and habits, keeping your lifestyle healthy and sustainable means choosing houseplants the same way you would choose food or just about anything else. Consider the source. Did the plants come all the way from The Netherlands, Florida, or Hawaii? If you buy plants locally, they won’t log so many carbon “plant miles.” Mega growers that sell to retail giants like Walmart, Amazon, and Home Depot ship plants from across the country or even overseas and usually use conventional toxic fertilizers and pesticides.

One solution is shopping at local farms that cut out the middleman. Another is growing and propagating plants with friends or garden clubs (succulents are perfect for this). Search out local plant sales (e.g. the Rodgers Ranch Expo and Plant Sale every spring in Pleasant Hill). Some florists will only use flowers and plants certified by VeriFlora. This agricultural sustainability certification and eco-labeling program is recognized as the gold standard in the floriculture and horticulture industries because of its social, environmental, and quality practices.

But even if you purchase a conventionally grown houseplant, you can start caring for it using organic methods. When it’s time to re-pot it, use organic potting soil and maybe mix in some compost. Keep diseases at bay with regular inspection.

The Air Quality Debate

A well-known NASA study in 1989 said houseplants could improve indoor air quality, however, this study was done under strict laboratory conditions with an exorbitant number of plants as opposed to ordinary circumstances in a typical household. (See this article in The Atlantic) Nevertheless, publicity from this study perpetuated the appealing concept that houseplants soak up volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are two to five times higher indoors than outside. We do know that pollutants such as formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, and octane are found in cleaners, cosmetics, paints, upholstery, particleboard, and carpets, not to mention outdoor pollutants and pesticides inadvertently brought indoors. VOCs throughout your home accumulate over time and can irritate your eyes, skin, and throat, making it harder to breathe, especially with respiratory issues like asthma. Plants that supposedly remove VOCs include Areca palm, lady palm, bamboo palm, and rubber plant. Asparagus fern, English ivy, and dragon tree are also thought of as good air purifiers. But current research says you’d need a huge quantity of houseplants to make any real impact in your home or office space (e.g. 1,000 plants in a 10 X 10 X 8 foot space).

One biochemist pointed out that the NASA study actually concluded it was a combination of houseplants with activated carbon plant filters and the plants’ root-soil rather than the plants themselves that were effective in removing pollutants. For more on gardening myths, see this.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, we spend as much as 90% of our time indoors, but there are other ways of improving air quality than keeping a greenhouse in your living room, including good old-fashioned ventilation (e.g. opening windows). For a more in-depth look, go to this EPA article on improving air quality. 

Some research indicates that houseplants like the popular Boston fern can improve air quality by reducing carbon dioxide and increasing moisture in the air. Think of the humidity of a tropical forest or a greenhouse. If you tied a plastic bag over a plant, you would start to see condensation form. This is because during transpiration, the plant version of respiration, plants give off moisture vapor. In our arid climate, houseplants such as spider plants can enhance indoor humidity levels. Spider plants also readily grow shoots of baby spider plants, which are great for propagating and sharing. For those who lack a green thumb or forget to water their plants, try a snake plant (a.k.a. Mother-in-Law’s Tongue), which actually prefers drier conditions. Some people swear that rooms with plants have less dust and mold (as long as they aren’t over-watered) because they filter the air, especially if the plant has textured leaves. Chinese evergreen and peace lily are good examples, and they don’t require much light. Go here for more on "9 Air-Purifying Indoor Houseplants That Are Hard to Kill."

Houseplants and Oxygen

You may have noticed an oxygen “high” -- or at least a sense of well-being -- after visiting a greenhouse or indoor botanical garden. As we learned in high school biology, plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen while humans do just the opposite, creating a convenient symbiotic partnership between homeowners and their green charges. Keep in mind that photosynthesis stops at night, so most plants switch it up and reverse that process, absorbing oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide after sundown. Houseplants like orchids, air plants, succulents, snake plants, and gerbera daisies continue giving off oxygen after sundown, so some people like putting these in their bedroom to help with sleep. Of course, we know all about the calming effect of lavender on sleep and stress. Herbal medicine is a whole other topic of discussion. There are countless “medicine cabinet” herbs you can keep on your windowsill.

Psychological Benefits of Houseplants

There is an undeniable psychological benefit to keeping indoor plants, whether it’s in a home, office, or school setting. Simply put, keeping houseplants is therapeutic, and studies have shown that employees in plant-filled offices have a better attitude about their job and report off work less often. Patients in hospitals recover faster (a day on average!) from surgery when outside flora is visible from their window or they have plants or flowers inside their room. Researchers have also found that humans tolerate pain better and need less medicine when surrounded by greenery! Check out  "Do Plants Speed Up Recovery in Hospitals?" and THIS.

Therapists say nurturing and keeping plants, indoors or outdoors, can treat depression, anxiety, trauma, and even dementia and schizophrenia. Studies have also shown that students perform better on tests and have better concentration and memory retention (up to 20% better) in classrooms with potted plants in view than those without. For more on the benefits of indoor plants in the classroom, read "A Plant In Every Classroom." Golden pothos (aka Devil’s Ivy) is an excellent classroom choice because it can withstand low light levels and infrequent watering.

The jury is still out on whether the benefit of houseplants is based more on proof or perception, but the fact remains -- we love houseplants and they aren’t going away anytime soon, so enjoy them for whatever reasons you choose!

One more thing….This discussion wouldn’t be complete without this article on how you might be able to revive your houseplant if it is ailing. 

Photo by Huy Phan on Unsplash

 

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