Indoor Plants Benefits

In this Article (Index)

Indoor plants are good for your mental and physical well-being.

• Some Benefits of Indoor Plants
• Therapeutic horticulture
• Aromatic indoor plants
• Better indoor environment
• Tips for setting up your indoor plants

Some Benefits of Indoor Plants

Plants provide many benefits in indoor environments, below we list some of them: (10)

• Noise reduction of up to 5 decibels. Plants absorb sound instead of insulating against it.
• Eliminate mold and bacteria by up to 50-60% in comparison to rooms without plants.
• They absorb many chemicals found in enclosed indoor environments like solvents and components found in adhesives (formaldehyde, xylene, toluene).
• They provide a cooling effect due to the moisture released from their leaves during transpiration. The USDA estimates that indoor plants could lower temperatures by up to 10°F (roughly 5 °C).
• The moisture released during transpiration, and also by evaporation of water from the soil in the pot contributes to regulating indoor air humidity.
• Indoor plants release oxygen during photosynthesis and absorb carbon dioxide.

More Benefits

The visual appeal and aroma of a natural setting in indoor environments were reported in a study where "an interior office with plants was preferred over an office without plants. The environments with green, slightly scented and small plants were reported as the most favorite conditions"..(4)

But plants also influence the physical and mental state of those interacting with them as shown by a meta-analysis of different studies done in 2022. (1). This study found that indoor plants affect blood pressure, lowering it; they improved academic achievement, and also slightly affected participants’ electroencephalography (EEG) α and β waves, attention, and response time.

These findings have been corroborated by other studies (2) that disclose that indoor plants affect mood, increase positive emotions and reduce the negative ones. They also reduce feelings of physical discomfort.

Therapeutic horticulture

Therapeutic horticulture is being applied as a treatment for mental care as sowing and caring for plants provides a positive feeling of achievement. A study involving 30 subjects with sleep problems and anxiety assigned them randomly to gardening activities with ornamental, regular aromatic plants, and aromatic plants with reported mental health effects. The therapy helped reduce anxiety in those with high anxiety levels, and improved sleep quality. Ornamental plants were more effective in relieving stress and the "functional" aromatic plants had a better performance regarding sleep improvement and satisfaction. (5)

Aromatic indoor plants

Several aromatic or scented plants have reported benefits associated with their aroma. This odor is due to aromatic essential oils found in these plants. Some components like &alpha-pinene, linalool, limonene, and other monoterpenes act directly on the central nervous system through the olfactory nerve.

A 2024 study(9) evaluated the aromas of twelve indoor plants as modulators of residents' psychophysiological health.

Vicks Plant and Rosemary

It found that Vicks Plant (Plectranthus hadiensis var. tomentosus) and rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, formerly named Rosmarinus officinalis Linn) had positive impact on the subjects while basil and catnip had negative impacts.

Vicks plant reduced heart rate, lowered negative mood, and tension, and enhanced positive mood scores. Strong natural odors from aromatic plants are associated with a lower heart rate and reduced tension levels.

Lavender

Lavender, whose aroma has traditionally been linked to calmness, tress-lowering, and sleep-inducing effects, was shown in one study (3) to help reduce anxiety and depression and exert an anxiolytic effect as aromatherapy. The study showed it was superior to the no-treatment placebo "in reducing anxiety..., depression..., and systolic blood pressure."

Lemon balm

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) has been shown in a randomized trial to be effective in treating Alzheimer's patients applied as aromatherapy, in comparison to donepezil, a drug that treats memory loss and confusion by improving attention. (6)

Peppermint

A study conducted in 2020 reported that aromatherapy using essential oil from Peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.) improved sleep quality in cancer patients. Similar effects had been reported 2019 randomized study, where in comparison to a placebo, it reduced pain and anxiety due to intravenous catheterization. (6)

Better Indoor Environment

Indoor household air pollutants affect over 2.4 billion people worldwide. Since we spend a lot of time indoors, air quality is a cause of concern, especially for people with respiratory diseases like asthma or COPD.

Several studies have analyzed the use of indoor plants to remove pollutants, a process called "phytoremediation," where roots and leaves remove indoor pollutants like volatile organic compounds or VOCs, which are solvents like toluene, xylene, ketones, and other air pollutants like formaldehyde, ozone, and carbon dioxide. (7),(8)

Plants can also help control relative humidity and temperature, controlling airborne particles through evaporation and transpiration. Photosynthesis produces oxygen and water released into the indoor environment, providing positive psychological effects. Indoor plants remove a wide range of pollutants through phytoremediation; specifically, the leaf and root parts remove pollutants from the indoor environment. Plants can also help control temperature and relative humidity, reducing airborne pollution by evaporation and transpiration. Since humans have a close relationship with nature, integrating the natural world into the indoor space could effectively increase the air quality and provide a positive physiological effect.

One of these studies suggests that the following plants "are the most popular and effective indoor plants because they can lower most of indoor air pollutants... and outperform other indoor plants."(8)

• Areca palm (Dypsis lutescens
• Snake plant (Sansevieria Trifasciata)
• Golden pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)

Tips for setting up your indoor plants

Between 15 and 20 plants can help keep the air clean in a 1,500 sq. foot space (140 m²), with a minimum of two large plants for every 100 sq feet (9.2 m²). (10)

If you have pets or children, make sure you choose plants that aren't toxic or poisonous.

Before selecting any plant you should learn about their water and light requirements.