Not only do they look beautiful, and make a stunning Insta-snap, but did you know indoor plants are actually beneficial for our health?
With that in mind, you can sleep easy knowing your penchant for succulents and greenery are not just thanks to the latest interiors ‘trend’ – but you are investing in your health! So buy the plants, all the plants, and know that these babies are far more than what meets the eye.
We’ve highlighted our top five favourite plants with health benefits that every home should consider. Did someone say time for Bunnings?
1. Aloe Vera
Known for its antibacterial benefits, and amazing for use on the skin (simply snap off a stalk and rub the liquid on your inflammation, like psoriasis or eczema) Aloe Vera is a bathroom staple. Keep an eye on your Aloe plant – if it develops brown spots, that’s its way of telling you there are excessive chemicals in the air – time to switch your cleaning and beauty to natural, peeps!
Aloe grows best in sunshine, so perfect on a window sill and it is super hard to kill – no special care, or extra watering required!
2.Peace Lily
Not only stunning in name, but beautiful in nature – the Peace Lily makes a gorgeous floral addition to your living room. Another low maintenance plant (keep her in the shade), Peace Lily’s are renowned for removing harmful toxins from the air: everything from ammonia and formaldehyde, to benzene and richloroethylene! They are also known to keep dry environments more moist, perfect for upping humidity levels if need be.
Allergy sufferers, be wary that the flowers do contribute pollen and scent to the air.
3. Spider Plant
Okay, not the most appealing name, but the Spider Plant is a home must! Not only are they super easy to grow (for you beginners out there!), but Spider Plants act as a natural air purifier. A NASA study touted Spider Plants as removing up to 90% of formaldehyde in the air surrounding them!
Keep your Spider Plant in bright sunlight and use the cut-off flowers to gift friends their own mini plants (the flowers eventually grow into baby plants!)
4. Snake Plant
What is with these names?!
The Snake Plant is perfect to keep in your bedroom, as it emits oxygen while you sleep – literally! At night time, the snake plant emits oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide – just like when we breathe – allowing for purer air quality while we catch our z’s.
Snake Plants also remove harmful nasties from our air, including formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and benzene.
5. Lucky Bamboo
The perfect plant for any indoor office space. Lucky Bamboo (it is actually a lily!) is the perfect decorative touch to a home environment – as it is beautiful to look at.
Not only easy on the eye, Lucky Bamboo represents the wood element in Feng Shui, and is said to bring a sense of safety and wellbeing to the room it is in through creating balance.
This one is a little more high-maintenance – its soil must be constantly moist, and indirect sunlight is the go (if the leaves are browning it means there is too much sun).