Last Updated on August 10, 2020
Houseplants can add a touch of nature and beauty to any room in your home. But did you know certain indoor house plants also have essential health benefits that can help you sleep better, clean the air in your home, and so much more? It’s true. And, you don’t need a green thumb to take advantage of the beauty and benefits they bring. Sound good so far?
This month, Granite and TREND Transformations has selected some of the best indoor plants to have in your home. Read on to learn more about their health benefits and how they could help you and your family – not to mention the added benefit of bringing a pop of color to your home.
Clearing the air
Indoor air can get stuffy. It wreaks havoc on the air quality in your home and can be a source for allergies. Did you know growing the right indoor houseplants can purify the air in your home, add more oxygen into the room, and even bring moisture back into the house? Read on to learn which indoor plants can help clear the air and aid you and your family in breathing a little easier.
Snake Plant (Viper’s Bowstring-hemp)
When it comes to air-filtering plants, the snake plant (disregard the name) is one of the best choices you can make for naturally cleaning the air in your bedroom and around your home. Here’s why: Some plants take in oxygen at night. The snake plant actually emits oxygen during the nighttime hours, making the air in your room fresh and clean. Added oxygen helps us to not only breathe better during the day but it can also help us get a more restful sleep at night. Plus, the green and yellow leaves of the snake plant will complement the décor of any room in your house.
Best rooms to grow a snake plant: Living room, bedroom, den, kitchen and bathroom.
Aloe Vera
You may be familiar with aloe vera for its healing properties. But did you know – as with the snake plant – that aloe vera emits oxygen at night, purifying the air as you sleep? Who knew? It’s also a breeze to care for and requires very little watering. Plus, it’s medicinal benefits can come in handy to treat scrapes, cuts and burns.
Best rooms to grow aloe vera: All rooms.
Spider Plant
Don’t let the name freak you out. The spider plant has amazing air-purifying qualities that can remove up to 90 percent of harmful formaldehyde in the air surrounding it. Wow! To keep the air fresh in your home, consider placing some spider plants in each room.
Best rooms to grow spider plants: All rooms.
Gerbera Daisy
The term – “fresh as a daisy” – takes on a whole new meaning when speaking of Gerbera daisies. Just like aloe vera and the snake plant, these cheery flowers work the night shift to release extra oxygen into the air while you sleep. Set out a few in your bedroom or any room in the house for an instant pop of color and cheer – and some extra oxygen, too!
Best rooms for Gerbera daisies: All rooms.
English Ivy
Allergy sufferers may have found a new best friend. Like the spider plant, English ivy is a powerhouse when it comes to purifying the air, which makes it an ideal choice for bedrooms.
Note: English ivy is toxic if ingested. It’s best to choose a different plant if you have small children or pets in the home.
Best rooms to grow English ivy: bedroom and living room.
Peace Lily
If you live in a dry climate, the peace lily may be the next best thing to an air humidifier. This amazing house plant not only removes formaldehyde and benzene from the air, but it can add moisture into the atmosphere by increasing humidity levels up to five percent in the rooms they are placed in. Plus, they are easy to maintain and require very little watering.
Best room to grow a peace lily: All rooms.
Calming effect
Home is where the heart is, but it can also be a place where busy schedules intersect. Stress, insomnia and even anxiety can play a role in our daily lives. Turning to nature by cultivating indoor plants may help relieve some of these burdens. Here are some of the best indoor houseplants geared toward relaxation, reducing stress and anxiety, and improving sleep.
Jasmine
Dating back to ancient times, the smell of jasmine’s pretty little white flowers has cast an intoxicating effect on those who indulge in this sweet yet intensely fragrant flower. It was discovered that the scent of jasmine has relaxation benefits which include reducing anxiety levels and improving sleep quality. Additionally, it’s been noted that jasmine oil is one of the best essential oils to help ease anxiety and depression.
Best rooms to display jasmine: Bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.
Valerian
If you have trouble falling asleep, you may want to try smelling the hypnotic aroma of valerian’s pink flowers. Studies have shown that inhaling the scent of these flowers can relax your body and help you get better-quality sleep. And, they are pretty to look at.
Valerian root is among the best herbs to ease insomnia and it has also been known to be used as a sedative and for anti-anxiety treatment.
Best room to display valerian: Bedroom.
Lavender
It should be no surprise for lavender to have made the list for relaxing scents. It’s not only calming but it has pleasant scent that appeals to all ages. Did you know the smell of lavender can even help soothe fussy babies into a deeper stage of sleep? It’s true. Lavender is widely used in many applications that include lavender-scented lotions, candles and essential oils.
Best rooms to display lavender: Bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room.
We hope you enjoyed learning about the health benefits of these fascinating house plants. They can truly reinvigorate and renovate the air of your home.
While on that topic, are you thinking about a kitchen or bath renovation? Granite and TREND Transformations takes kitchen and bathroom renovations to a new level. Our beautiful etherium® by E-Stone surfaces can turn your space from ordinary to extraordinary – and in less time than you ever imagined. Contact us today for a free in-home design consultation.
