Not only do houseplants add beauty and greenery to your home, they also have incredible environmental, health, and mental benefits as well. Their natural processes help to increase humidity levels, reduce airborne dust levels, and increase oxygen in the air. At the same time, they reduce carbon dioxide and help to filter certain pollutants, such as benzene and nitrogen dioxide (found in cigarette smoke). Houseplants have been known to help improve sleep, concentration, and memory acuity.
Houseplants don’t have to be intimidating, though. The five described here are easy to grow and good for starters if you want to bring plants into your indoor space.
1. Lucky bamboo
(Dracaena sanderiana) Technically, lucky bamboo isn’t a bamboo plant at all, although it highly resembles one. Lucky bamboo grows easily in water, and the canes of the plant look a lot like bamboo canes, though it has no connection to Japanese culture. Keep the roots submerged in water at all times, and if possible, water with collected rainwater or bottled mineral water once in a while. Typical tap water contains both flouride and chlorine, and can cause damage, stunting growth over time.
2. Snake plant
(Sansevieria trifasciata) Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, the snake plant is extremely forgiving. They can be neglected for weeks at a time, yet continue to look good because of their thick leaves and architectural shape. The snake plant can survive low light levels, is drought tolerant, and susceptible to few insect pests.
SEE NEXT ¨PAGE
