January 2010

Do you have the winter blues from too much time inside?  Bring some live greenery into your home and work spaces to keep your spirits up while also beautifying and purifying your interiors.

Most know that plants produce life sustaining oxygen, but some are unaware that many plants purify our indoor air as well.  Their foliage does an amazing job of absorbing and removing specific toxic organic chemicals like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene which are found in abundance in common building materials, furnishings, and cleaning supplies.

Generally, the larger the leaf surface, the more pollutants plants clear and the more negative ions (dust attracting particles) they produce.  A study at Washington State University demonstrated that houseplants could reduce the dust levels in a computer room by 20%.  In an energy saving, tightly sealed home, or one that is closed up in the cold of winter or high heat of summer, at least one plant per 100 square feet minimum is recommended.

Here are my top picks of houseplants for their pollutant filtering capabilities, ease of growth, and low maintenance requirements.  Most also score high for their resistance to pests.

Areca Palm, Lady Palm, Bamboo Palm, Rubber plant, ‘Janet Craig’ Dracaena, English Ivy, Dwarf Date Palm, Alli Ficus, Boston Fern, and Peace Lily.  Spider plants, Chinese evergreens, and certain philodendrons are other locally available, easy care choices.

You can also contribute to good health with a culinary herb plant.  Our winter diet typically lacks fresh, chlorophyll rich green herbs like parsley and cilantro.  And what gardener or cook wouldn’t love to have an aromatic, flavor-filled basil or rosemary plant in their kitchen when direct from the garden is non-existent?

Not only will these plants improve air quality, but they have the ability to reduce stress levels as they increase our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.  Life affirming plants with colorful blooms or foliage can also help a person recover from illness faster, possibly with less medication.  In all its subtleness, horticulture therapy is more important than we may realize, especially at this time of year. 

So while you are out buying one or two of these for your self, think about what a great gift this would be for someone else and generously add another one to your shopping cart.  You don’t need a holiday to give to someone else.

If giving a plant as a gift, consider whether it is a good match for the recipient.  Make sure they have some shade of green thumb and that their home or office has the appropriate amount of artificial or natural light. No sense sending a plant to its death or stressing out a person with a live gift they cannot keep healthy.

Not only do plants bring good cheer and warmth to our homes and offices, but the color green is calming and healing, two things we could use an extra dose of during these colder, shorter days of the year.