There’s been a surge in popularity when it comes to indoor gardening and indoor houseplants, thanks to the pandemic, greenery-inspired interior designs, and plant subscription services online like Succulent Studios.

Most trends commonly flourish and then fade, but indoor house plants will endure forever. This is because there are many ways that indoor houseplants improve your health and overall well-being. 

(And if you can keep them alive, it becomes a wonderful form of stress relief.)

Pictured: Me in my office with a few of my 34 office plants (and counting)

8 Ways Indoor Plants Can Benefit Your Health and Well-Being:

Relief from Allergies

Houses with plants have less mold and dust than houses without any indoor foliage. The plant’s leaves and its other parts act as natural filters to catch airborne particles and allergens. Houseplants like Peace Lily and Chinese Evergreen can do the job. Plants with textured leaves like Violets can be even better trappers. Avoid plants with spores or pollen.

Positive Blooms

Plants not only improve your health, they can also improve your mood. Research has shown that working in an office with plants makes you feel better about your job, take fewer sick days, and worry less. So whether you are working from home right now, or just want to enrich your living space, a fresh bouquet or a lipstick plant will help you feel more upbeat.

Moisturize with Spider Plants

During the winter, wood stoves, electric baseboard and furnaces sap indoor humidity. This can wreak havoc on your skin causing excessive dryness. Since we know that moisturized skin helps provide protection against pathogens, it's important to keep skin hydrated naturally and with body care products. Spider plants have been known to come in handy as they can boost humidity from 20% to 30% by adding moisture to the air.

Purify the Air with Bromeliad

Indoor objects such as printer toners and inks, paint, carpets, and cleaners all give off VOCs pollutants (volatile organic compounds). These VOCs build up in the air and irritate your skin, eyes, make it difficult to breathe, and worsen asthma symptoms. Some good air-scrubber houseplants can soak up VOCs, namely asparagus fern, English ivy, Bromeliad and dragon tree.

Herbs to Improve your Digestion

Consider growing common herb varieties in containers - mint to help with gas and bloating, and basil that also helps your stomach.

Lavender to Relax

We're big fans of lavender around here. It's that fragrant purple plant that’s been around for centuries and has been used in herbal medicine (and currently grown in my outdoor garden.) Lavender can be used for aromatherapy, inhaled, or massaged in the scalp. The leaves of the plant can be boiled for tea, the petals used in smoothies and sprinkled into your bath. There are many benefits of Lavender, including that it helps you to relax, calms you down, and lowers anxiety levels. 

Aloe as First Aid

Aloe Vera is a popular home remedy that can be used for minor burns, sunburns, skin conditions (we use it in our body wash), and to soothe psoriasis. Save money by growing this plant at home to have on hand as necessary.

Chinese Evergreen for Improved Sleep

Chinese Evergreen purify toxins in the air and increases oxygen levels, helping you to breathe better and therefore, sleep better. Add a few to your bedroom to create a relaxing atmosphere.