As this has been houseplant week we thought we would feature a blog about houseplants including the health and wellbeing benefits plus some suggestions on plants you might like to try at home.

According to the RHS website   “As well as looking good, houseplants support human health in homes, offices, schools and hospitals. Research suggests that the greatest benefits of indoor plants are through wellbeing and productivity improvement.“

It is said that including plants in the workplace/home/school can have the following psychological benefits:

• Reducing stress levels
• Improving attention spans
• Improving moods
• Increased productivity

With so many people working from home introducing plants into your workspace could really help with these areas as well as improving your wellbeing.

There is a wide variety of research taking place on what type and how many plants we should have in our homes or workplaces to provide tangible benefits to air quality. However just a few plants can improve our mental health.

During lockdown there has been more time to propagate plants both indoors and outdoors. In these winter months having some greenery indoors can be a real boost to our mental health. Perhaps you don’t feel you have green fingers and need some suggestions on houseplants that are low maintenance and easy to grow?

Spider plant -With its lovely variegated green and white leaves it is an all time favorite as it is so easy to grow as long as you don’t over water it. One of its main features is that it likes to grow little spider plants giving it a trailing effect so it can be grown in an indoor hanging basket. The little spider plants can also be used to grow new/more plants that can be shared or simply put in other places around the home. They will tolerate a wide variety of conditions including bathrooms.

Dragon Plant – if you are looking for something a little larger then this lovely plant is another easy to look after species. Leaves can be white and green or red and dark green leaves, they can have narrow or wide leaves, depending on the variety.  It grows upwards so can fit into narrow spaces. It prefers to be underwatered rather than overwatered and enjoys a humid atmosphere such as in a kitchen or bathroom.

Jade/Monkey/Lucky/Money plant is a succulent with dark green shiny leaves. It is said that if you grow it at the front of your office space it can bring good fortune and prosperity.  Jade plants need to be a bright area with access to sunshine. Young plants should be positioned in in-direct sunlight whilst larger more established plants can tolerate direct sunlight. They enjoy regular watering once the soil has dried out. This is a sharing plant as once established it is easy to take cuttings from.

We have a zamioculcas in the office that was given to us by one of our patients. It is directly facing the reception desk so our reception team get the benefit of seeing this lovely plant whilst they are working.