What if the plants you were growing at home wither and die? It is better to act quickly.
Seeing an neglected plant wither to a brown color can have a worse effect on mental health than no plant at all.
Researchers at the University of Reading and the Royal Horticultural Society studied the mental health effects of 12 indoor plants in 502 adults in the UK.
Coconut plants, happy memories
As a result, people feel better and feel more comfortable when they have plants with them that they perceive as interesting and beautiful. In particular, green plants with dense canopies, such as the weeping fig, calathea, and Swiss cheese plant, had the most positive effect on people’s well-being. Palms reminded us of holidays and happy memories, and plants with soft, rounded canopies were perceived by people as the most beautiful.
More stress next to a dying plant
On the other hand, when unhealthy plants were present, people had a negative perception of the indoor environment. Among them, the neglected palmaceae plant made the participants feel much more stress than other plants. Also, some participants were more stressed if they had plants with spots on their leaves next to them. It was because they were related to snakes, dangerous insects, and animals.
“This study demonstrates that appearance matters when choosing home plants,” said study lead author Jenny Berger, University of Reading’s built environment, built environment. Lush green plants give the indoor environment a healthy feel.”
He also advises getting rid of withered plants from home and office spaces and choosing plants that are easy to maintain.
Plants such as zamioculcas are easy to care for because they do not require frequent watering. Also, mother-in-law’s tongue, which grows well in the shade without its leaves lying down or spreading, is one of the easiest plants to care for.
Although watering is required regularly, the spider plant, which grows better in indirect lighting and is great for indoors, is also a good home or office plant.
The results of this study were published in the international journal ‘Building and Environment’.
Reporter Jeong Hee-eun eun@kormedi.com
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