Trend alert, house plants are in style!
If you have been following trends, plants are “in” and very popular now. They not only enhance the overall appearance of a space, but can also improve your mood, creativity, productivity, reduce stress levels and are natural air filters.
There must be something to this new trend if they reduce stress!
Easy to care for plants
Easy to care for plants do exist. If you do not have a green thumb you might laugh and say “yeah right, easy to care for!” Some really are. Here are my top three easy to care for plants that look great all year.
Snake Plant (sansevieria)
These plants can be neglected for weeks and will continue to look great. They do fine in all light conditions except direct sunlight. I have found mine to burn if I put them out on the patio without shade. They have little insect problems. NASA research has shown that snake plants are able to remove toxins like formaldehyde and benzene from the air. They also convert carbon dioxide into oxygen at night. By increasing the air quality, obviously, these could be a great choice for those that have allergies.
There are many species of snake plants all native to tropical and sub-tropical areas. If put in free draining soil they thrive. They are fine being pot bound and will continue to thrive.
Pothos or Devil’s Ivy
Pothos enjoy a wide range of environments with indirect or medium light. They can be grown in water or dry soil. Therefore, you don’t have to worry too much about watering. They are easy to propagate by just clipping and rooting in water.
The leaf is green, somewhat waxy, with a variegated leaf. The color can range aside from the green, gold, white or yellow markings. Their trailing vines look beautiful cascading over a book case, shelf, or from a hanging plater. They can also be trained to climb up a trellis or moss pole. Being up high is fantastic if you have pets or young children due to Pothos being poisonous if ingested.
NASA determined that Pathos are excellent for removing common indoor pollutant found in carpets, furniture, building materials and cleaning products. To improve your air quality it is a great plant to have hanging around.
Spider Plant or Ribbon Plant
The Spider plant goes by many names, but it is extremely adaptable and easy to grow. It is a tough plant and can tolerate a wide range of conditions. When it becomes pot bound it will produce spider like plants (babies or pups) from the adult plant. It prefers well drained soil and can survive bright indirect light to medium filtered light. The baby spiders can easily be used to propagate additional spider plants. My spider plants I have had for 35 years and have given away many plants from it.
As for animals, cats like spider plants because they contain a chemical compound to be related to opium, so they are mildly hallucinogenic. They are harmless to animals though. Just like my other two easy-care plants suggestions, spider plants also remove harmful indoor pollutants in the air.
If you have not been a plant parent, try one of the suggested easy to care ones here. Adding one plant to your room you will immediately see the transformation it can make. Before you know it you will be a pro with a green thumb and be right on trend with plants in your home.
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