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Houseplants for wellbeing

15 January 2021

In honour of houseplant week, we’re talking all things mental health and indoor plants. Read on to find out why they can be so beneficial for your wellbeing, and read our suggestions for choosing one of your own.

A desk with a laptop, surrounded by plants

Plants and their links to wellbeing

Sales of indoor plants have boomed in the last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As we spend more time indoors, plants have become popular to make our spaces look nicer and feature on that all-important Instagram story (since there’s not much else we can do). But creating an indoor jungle for yourself may not just make your Instagram look more aesthetic, it can also be hugely beneficial for your wellbeing!

Multiple research studies have found that plants have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing. Plants can help to make your workspace feel more homely, and they can also boost your productivity. Even more importantly, they are linked to decreased stress levels, improved mood and greater attention span. Some even say that certain plants help purify the air – so you’ve got no excuse not to have one!

The sense of caring for a plant can also be rewarding – that sense of achievement when a new leaf unfurls might not match how you feel when you finally hand that report in – but it does feel good.

Popular houseplants

All plants have different needs for light and water. Before you pick out the best plant(s) for you, think about where you want to place it, and the amount of light in the area. It’s usually better to underwater than overwater, and many plants will do best with a spray of water every so often to give them the humidity they would get in the tropics. Some plants can be toxic to animals, so if you’ve got a pet, check first!

Read below for some of our favourite plants, which are all pretty common indoor plants and tend to be pretty affordable too. These are great plants to start off your collection– but be careful, it can be hard to stop once you’ve started!

Calathea Freddie

A close up of a vividly green stripy indoor plant

Calatheas are impressive plants because they move their leaves up and down in the day, so at night they rise up to rest at night - giving them the nickname of Prayer Plant. The Calathea Freddie has amazing foliage with some great green stripes.

Monstera deliciosa

A bushy big-leaved monstera plant in a bright room

The Instagram-friendly plant of choice is an absolute classic. Gorgeous big leaves with huge holes (giving it the nickname of Cheese Plant) are very rewarding to watch grow, and it likes not to be overwatered.

Snake plants

Snake plant in terracotta pot

Snake plants thrive off neglect, so if you’re prone to forgetting to water, you’ll be forgiven. There are plenty to choose from: the most common have yellow hues, but there are plenty to choose from with an impressive array of colours, shapes and sizes.

Pothos

Green plant

This family of plants is quick growing and easy on the eye. For example, the satin pothos has beautiful green leafy foliage with speckled silver leaves. They tend to start out as a small, compact plant, but grow fast to soon become trailing plants which are pretty spectacular in any room. 

Spider plants

Spider plant paced on a grey desk

These are the OG of the indoor plant world. They grow quickly, tolerate being underwatered and are easy on the eye. They even grow babies very easily which you can propagate to grow more plants.

Read more about houseplants and mental health benefits.