Indoor Plants – They’re not just for show!
Scroll through any Interior Designers Instagram feed and its clear that Indoor Plants play a prominent part in the styling of a room and make it feel homely and welcoming. But they aren’t just for show.
Studies have shown that plants in homes can improve air quality, reduce stress, promote better sleep, reduce allergies and many other health benefits. But that’s not all. Indoor plants can also help reduce the demand for artificial air conditioning. That’s right!! Plants can keep your house cool because they lose water during transpiration, which cools the air around the plants, leaving it purified and fresh.
Dr. Leonard Perry, a professor at the University of Vermont adds that “a USDA estimate is that proper use of plants could decrease air temperature in an office by as much as ten degrees. Plus, the moisture released by these plants helps maintain indoor humidity in the human comfort zone of 30 to 60 percent, and helps prevent materials such as wood from cracking when dried out.”
Read on for Greenmark Homes top 7 Indoor Plants:
1. Peace lily (Spathiphyllum)
The more leaf area a plant has, the higher the amount of oxygen and moisture it releases during transpiration. The lush leaves of peace lily, especially the larger types, are therefore invaluable for helping to cool the air in a room. Scientists from NASA, the University of Technology Sydney and elsewhere also rate the peace lily highly in their studies of plants that can reduce toxins in buildings.
2. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
The spider plant will clean the air in your house of benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene. These are all common volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are emitted into the air in our homes by everyday items such as furniture, carpets and common household appliances.
3. Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)
Also know as the Golden Cane Palm, this popular plant is great for daytime oxygen production as well as helping restore moisture to dry winter air.
4. Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina)
Although it will grow larger outdoors, it grows well indoors in containers and has a high rate of transpiration, which keeps the air around it moist and cool. The weeping fig can also decontaminate the air by absorbing any heavy metal particles that are present.
5. Mother-in-laws tongue/snakeskin (Sansevieria trifasciata)
As well as being rated by NASA as one of the best for removing indoor pollutants, this stunning succulent releases oxygen during the night to refresh the atmosphere and promote a better nights sleep.
6. Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)
Having an aloe vera plant in the home comes in handy for its medicinal purposes but it is also effective at cooling the air temperature and removing formaldehyde from the air.
7. Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata)
Fiddle Leaf Fig’s are very on trend at the moment with interior designers and by providing high levels of oxygen and cleaning the air of allergens, they make a great choice for improving air quality.
Our mission at Greenmark Homes is to enable and inspire people to live sustainably in their homes. We will show you how to design a comfortable home with low impact on the environment, that is economical to run and healthier to live in. For more information contact Sarah or John on 6885 3055.
