5 Indoor Plants for our Homes

Unarguably, plants are a vital part of our lives. Life without plants are unimaginable since plants are a source of life for all human existence called oxygen. Change is a part of our world and today even plants have taken their chance too. Once upon a time plants used to be in outdoors but now, they too can be grown indoors as well. The practice of having indoor plants is believed to be started by ancient Greeks, Romans and the Chinese. Further in 1984, NASA (National Aeronautical Space Administration) a space agency in USA had made further research on indoor plants and its benefits.

When we grow plants and nurture them, we understand and respect nature on how plants unselfishly support all forms of life on this planet.

Now that we’re working from home and spending more time indoors, this maybe a good time to go green. Here are five indoor plants that you could consider to adorn your personal spaces.

1. Areca palm

Its botanical name is Dypsis lutescens and is  believed to convert carbon dioxide (Co2) into oxygen in the day hence called as a ‘living room’ plant. You could get a couple of them to style up your living room. They are natives to Madagascar and were considered as endangered as by the International Union for Conservative of Nature (IUCN) in 2012. Did you know, the IUCN is an organization that tracks all details of plants and provides numerical details of about them as to how many of them are present currently and will be present in the future.

2. Mother in Law’s Tongue

Mother in Law’s Tongue is also known as the Snake Plant. Its botanical name is Sansevieria trifasciata; since it is believed to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen in night, hence it also known as the Bedroom Plant. In fact, this plant also has some very interesting names such as Viper’s Vowstring Hemp and Saint George’s Sword owing to the shapes of their leaves.

3. Money plant

Its scientific name is Epipremnum aureum and is also called as Golden Pothos, Ceylon creeper and it stays green even when kept in the dark. It is believed to remove the Formaldehydes and Triglycerides added during manufacturing of paper. Growing this plant is very easy as it requires less sunlight. Since it’s a creeper, it adds a certain charm when it spreads its green leaves on a window sill.

4. Aloe vera

A widely grown plant, aloe is a succulent, thorny and lengthy plant that can easily be grown indoors. Its botanical name is Aloe Barbendis. Did you know, it is an excellent mosquito repellent too? We also know, that Aloe Vera is a key ingredient in many beauty products and has fantastic medicinal properties too! Its cooling natural gel helps healing burns, cuts and small wounds, when applied immediately. It also gives a soothing effect to wounds and avoids boils from the burns. In fact, Aloe Vera is a key ingredient used in many beauty products such as hair conditioner that’s known to promotes hair growth; and hence you would notice that aloe vera is generally used as a key ingredient in many haircare products. Did you know, even a single piece of aloe vera can grow into a bush in a short span of one month!

5. Bamboo Bonsai

Bamboo is grown as Bonsai as per Chinese tradition; but its very popular in India too. Its botanical name is Dracaena sanderiana and it is also known as Heavenly Bamboo. The mere presence of these ornate bamboo plants in our homes is sure to make our personal space more soothing, peaceful and beautiful. People like growing bamboo as a passion for indoor gardening and it is known for reducing stress and believed in certain customs to be give good health, fortune and luck when kept in indoor of the house.

What is important to note is that, since these are indoor plants, they require less maintenance, i.e. they require fairly less amount of water and sunlight as compared to regular outdoor plants. But the truth is anything in this world has its own pros and cons and here too they are applicable as per the Research by Bryan Cummings in his Journal “Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology shares that since they were conducted in a laboratory environment, they did clean the air, but when they are away from the lab, there were no changes in the air quality.

However, but their research did prove that growing indoor plants has helped the growers to reduce their low pressure, and emotion and physical pain and it also helped them them to focus on their work more effectively.

Owing to the current scenario where we’re staying mostly indoors, it may be a good idea to consult a professional gardener or a plant nursery and get some plants for your personal spaces too. Adding a few indoor plants will not only liven up your homes, but I am sure, you will also feel a sense of calm and relaxation when you tend to them. I got a couple of money plants myself and keep them by my laptop when I work, and I can’t describe the joy I experience having them near me; and I think, you should try it too!

Contributor: Sruthi Ravinarayanan

About our Writing Program Student
Sruthi is working as Test Engineer in Mindtree Bangalore. She is interested in writing blogs and learning new languages. Currently, she speaks six languages – English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. When she’s not learning something new, she loves dancing, singing and spending time with her pets.

References

• A Study of the Effectiveness of Indoor Plants for Removal of Volatile Organic Compounds in Indoor Air in a 7-story Office Building
•  New Research Busts Myth That Indoor Plants Improve Air Quality
• Study: Actually, potted plants don’t improve indoor air quality
• Which houseplants should you buy to purify air? None of them.
• The psychological benefits of indoor plants: A critical review of the experimental literature
• USE OF LIVING POT-PLANTS TO CLEANSE
• INDOOR AIR – RESEARCH REVIEW