Behind The House Plant Trend

Indoor plants have blossomed into the spotlight for the past couple of years and it doesn’t seem to be dying down anytime soon.

It is all over Instagram, this house plant hype, and it’s easy to see why when you lurk through the jungle of pictures under hashtags such as #plantgang and #houseplantclub.

It is immensely good for home decor, but this indoor plant trend is living for more reasons than that. Behind its aesthetic appeal and trend status, house plants have a bunch of health benefits.

For one, it helps you breathe easier. This one’s a no-brainer. With the process of photosynthesis where plants absorb our carbon dioxide and let out oxygen, placing plants in interior spaces can very well raise oxygen levels in a room and make a person feel, and be, more focused and energetic. It also prevents from dizziness and exhaustion.

Indoor plants refresh and purify the air in a room. According to a NASA research, plants take away toxins from the air – up to 87 percent volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for every day.

VOCs are present and incredibly abundant in houses and rooms, and because buildings are typically air-tight, it ensnares the contaminants indoors. VOCs can be found in grocery bags, vinyl, rugs, fibers, books, paint, among all others. Plants remove these toxins by pulling them into the soil to use as plant food.

More than that, house plants decrease stress levels and incidences of dry skin and colds. Granted, this depends on the plant you buy, but every plant has its health benefits.

They are also pretty therapeutic according to house plant lovers and keepers. The Indestructible Houseplant author Tovah Martin opened, “I think the current cycle has a lot to do with people hunkering down. A houseplant is therapeutic. It gives you something to nurture.”

The concept is endearing, but for beginners without experience with plants, it can sound a bit exhausting. It may sound like pesky work at first, but don’t be discouraged! Caring for indoor plants can be very simple and low-maintenance. It quite frankly depends on the type of plant you get.

For instance, aloe does not require a lot of watering, so does lavender. Snake plants can tolerate weak lighting and dry air. Cactus rarely needs watering and heart leaf philodendron thrive in low light as well. Try to start simple.

Behind the house plant trend is good research, lasting patience, constant care, responsibility, expenditure of effort, and above all, love.

It’s not all trends and aesthetics, but with the passion to grow plants, anyone can grow plants.