When choosing a house plant, treat it like your choosing a house pet. How much time are you able to devote to caring for it? What kind of aesthetic appeal are you going for? Do you want to eat it—I know you do. Or, do you want cleaner air in your home?
If you’re going to invest even a minute of your time tending to a plant, why not choose one that will yield the greatest profit? Plants can offer so much for the home including clean air, ingredients for cooking, increasing the humidity, making it easier to breathe, improving health, reducing stress, reducing mold, and bringing good luck. With all these possible benefits of keeping house plants, what are you waiting for? Go get one!
Before heading out to your local grocery store or nursery, check out these useful house plants to find the one that’s the right fit for you!
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Image courtesy of Arturo R Montesinos on Flickr.
Aloe Vera: this plant gives back in the form of a gel that helps heal cuts and burns. To treat a burn, cut off a leaf and expose the center flesh to your burn. Aloe needs lots of sunlight, so it suits well by a kitchen window. Make sure your aloe is kept in area of warm temperature. You’ll want to plant aloe in a pot with a draining hole at the bottom, and fill it with fast-draining soil. Water only when the soil appears dry.
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Image courtesy of Christina Rutz on Flickr
Peace Lily: Reduce mold in your home up to 60 percent with a Peace Lily. One of the best places to keep this plant is in your bathroom, as microscopic mold pores tend to sprout in the shower. The Peace Lily needs lots of sunlight. When you water your Peace lily, drench it, and only water again once the soil looks moderately dry.
- Snake Plant: Helps filter out air pollutants commonly found in cleaning products, toilet paper, and tissues. What’s great about this plant is that it is one of the hardest to kill. Place your snake plant in moderate to bright light and water every 7-10 days.
- Chrysanthemum: A beautiful bloom that rids the air of benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide. Chrysanthemums love to be placed in moderate sunlight and away from drafts. Keep your plant at a cool temperature and water once the first top few inches of soil become dry.
- Lucky Bamboo: Lucky bamboo grows best in bright, filtered sunlight. Lucky bamboo can be kept in a small vase with water, in pebbles, or in well-drained soil. Make sureto use distilled water for your lucky bamboo, as it is sensitive to chemicals like chlorine that are commonly found in tap water.
Resources:
http://www.squidoo.com/healthy-houseplants
http://www.bayeradvanced.com/articles/5-benefits-of-houseplants