Indoor plants have significantly risen in popularity in the UK with an increasing number of people purchasing them. This trend isn’t merely a temporary spike as sales have been growing steadily since 2021.
Why are indoor plants becoming increasingly popular? A key reason is the growing awareness and appreciation of their numerous health and aesthetic benefits.
Why You Should Buy Indoor Plants
Living in urban cities often means we don’t get to spend much time around nature, which is important for our health and happiness. Indoor plants help us connect with nature within our homes.
In this article, you can read 10 reasons to get indoor plants, including their aesthetic benefits for your home, and their positive impact on your physical and mental health.
- Reasons 1-3: Benefits of Plants at Home
- Reasons 4-6: Benefits of Indoor Plants for Physical Health
- Reasons 7-9: Mental Health Benefits of Indoor Plants
- Reason 10: Plant Parenthood is Incomparable
Reasons 1-3: Benefits of Plants at Home
1: They Are Aesthetically Pleasing
In modern times, people spend a significant amount of their time indoors, compared to our ancestors who spent much of their time around natural environments. Humans are biophilic which means we are innately attracted to natural surroundings. These are often missing from our modern homes in urban cities.
Given our, innate love for natural environments and greenery, indoor plants can fulfill this need. Indoor plants are visually pleasing to our eyes and can bring happiness and comfort just by their presence.
Plant Recommendations
- Umbrella Plant – Schefflera Arboricola: Buy on Amazon
- Gold Dust Dracaena – Dracaena Surculosa: Buy Online in UK
2: They Can Provide Flavourful Fresh Herbs
If you’re looking for practical benefits to buying plants, growing herbs indoors is an excellent choice — a large variety of herbs can be grown indoors. Herbs do require a lot of care so, they may not be for you if you’re looking for plants that take care of themselves (for the most part).
If that is not a problem for you, then you get to enjoy homegrown fresh herbs for cooking meals. Adding fresh herbs to your meals can not only enhance their flavor, but it is also a great way of consuming more fresh ingredients which are known to be better than processed ingredients.
Plant Recommendations
- Basil Herb – Ocimum Basilicum: Buy on Amazon
- Sage Herb – Salvia Officinalis: Buy Online in UK
3: They Can Spruce Up the Place
Indoor plants make for fantastic decorative items, whether at home or in the office. They provide a beautiful contrast against shades of white, brown, grey, and black, which are commonly present in our interior settings.
Plants can create a unique beautiful atmosphere for our interiors. Selecting complementary plant varieties can add significant aesthetic value to any space. Their visual appeal will make you want to spend more time in their presence.
Plant Recommendations
- Snake Plant – Sansevieria Trifasciata: Buy on Amazon | Buy Online in UK
- Lily Turf – Liriope Muscari: Buy Online in UK
Reasons 4-6: Benefits of Indoor Plants for Physical Health
4: They Can Reduce Stress, Literally
Studies have shown that the presence of plants has been found to reduce physiological and psychological stress. You can improve your health by simply caring for plants. Interaction with plants at home may reduce physiological stress by suppressing your flight-or-fight response as well as by reducing blood pressure.
In addition to this, people have been found to experience more calming feelings when spending time with plants. This is an easy way to destress especially if you are a busy person who struggles to find time due to commitments. Reduced stress is only one of the many health benefits of houseplants.
Plant Recommendations
- Lavendar – Lavandula Angustifolia
- Peace Lily – Spathiphyllum Wallisii: Buy on Amazon
5: They Can Defend Against Environmental Toxins
Plants can help with reducing levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), levels of which are higher indoors as compared to outdoors. When inhaled, these organic compounds from indoor air can cause problems such as headaches and nausea. Having plants around you can reduce the level of VOCs though the effectiveness is dependent on a variety of factors.
There have been claims that houseplants can act as natural air purifiers however, that depends heavily on the type of plant and its environment etc. While many studies have found plants to be effective in test chambers, fewer have assessed their effectiveness in natural settings.
Plant Recommendations
Corn Plant – Dracaena fragrant: Buy on Amazon
Spider Plant – Chlorophytum Comosum: Buy on Amazon
6: They Can Improve Air Quality and Help You Breathe Better
Plants help improve indoor air quality as they use up carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Having plants in your home and office, you can improve ventilation which is often a problem with closed spaces.
This is where the number of plants matters. Having more plants is helpful as one may not be enough to make a noticeable difference in indoor air quality. The improved air quality that plants offer, can result in better respiratory and cardiovascular health, more energy, and improved sleep.
Based on the reasons covered in this section, having potted plants around is quite beneficial to overall health and well-being.
Plant Recommendations
Golden Pothos – Epipremnum Aureum: Buy on Amazon
Weeping Fig – Ficus Benjamina: Buy on Amazon
Reasons 7-9: Mental Health Benefits of Indoor Plants
7: They Can Boost Your Productivity
With remote working becoming increasingly widespread, many people’s homes are also now their offices. Bringing plants into indoor spaces has shown that indoor plants may improve productivity and reduce problems with attentiveness.
Research has shown that certain houseplants can even boost your creativity. This doesn’t mean that having a lot of live plants will increase your productivity a lot, using a few plants to improve efficiency is what works best. Simply being around plants is a lot easier than investing in other options that may require a lot of time and energy on your part.
Plant Recommendations
ZZ Plant – Zamioculcas Zamiifolia: Buy on Amazon
Rubber Fig – Ficus Elastica: Buy on Amazon
8: They Can Ease Your Tension
Earlier I mentioned that indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress well, but they have more psychological benefits than that. Spending time around plants can reduce both stress and anxiety.
Studies have found that plants can also improve your mood. As plants improve air quality, they indirectly help deal with a lot of issues such as fatigue and headaches which make pre-existing problems worse.
Enhancing indoor spaces by using plants is another easy way of tackling a lot of problems with a quick solution. Indoor plants don’t just look good, they provide you with many health benefits as well.
Plant Recommendations
Cooktown Orchid – Dendrobium Phalaenopsis: Buy on Amazon
Lesser Periwinkle ‘Illumination’ – Vinca Minor ‘Illumination
9: They Can Be Your Rock
Plants are known to offer us a reliable routine which is beneficial for us. Apart from having plants inside, taking care of plants can also help develop certainty that we are not able to find anywhere else in life.
Working with plants also gives you a sense of control that may be lacking in your life elsewhere. Most of all, growing plants is very rewarding as your care directly impacts the plant’s survival, giving you a sense of achievement when the plant thrives.
Plant Recommendations
Bird of Paradise – Strelitzia Reginae: Buy on Amazon
Fiddle Leaf Fig – Ficus Lyrata: Buy on Amazon
Reason 10: Plant Parenthood is Incomparable
The combination of boxes that houseplants tick in terms of advantages is simply incomparable. Bringing plants into your home is a unique way of improving the surroundings you spend most of your time in. When it comes to buying plants, it is important to know what conditions your chosen plants would thrive in. Doing your research can go a long way in ensuring your houseplants continue to grow.
Special Recommendations: Selecting Indoor Plants for Your Bedroom and Living Room
For your bedroom and living room, here are some great indoor plant suggestions. We’ve picked out plants that are perfect for these spaces, helping to make them look nice and feel cozy. You can also place these plants in your kitchen and home garden.
1) Getting the Most Benefits
Aloe Vera – Aloe Barbadensis Miller: Buy on Amazon
Boston Fern – Nephrolepis Exaltata: Buy on Amazon
2) Low-Maintenance Starters
Jade Plant – Crassula Ovata: Buy on Amazon
Cast Iron Plant – Aspidistra Elatior: Buy on Amazon
3) One With Nature
Parlor Palm – Chamaedorea Elegans: Buy on Amazon
Zebra Plant – Calathea Orbifolia: Buy on Amazon
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