When you embellish interior spaces with houseplants, you’re not just adding greenery. These living organisms interact with your body, mind and home in ways that enhance the quality of life. When you breathe, your body takes in oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. During photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. This opposite pattern of gas use makes plants and people natural partners. Adding plants to interior spaces can increase oxygen levels. At night, photosynthesis ceases, and plants typically respire like humans, absorbing oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. A few plants – orchids, succulents and epiphytic bromeliads – do just the opposite, taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Place these plants in bedrooms to refresh air during the night. As part of the photosynthetic and respiratory processes, plants release moisture vapor, which increases humidity of the air around them. Plants release roughly 97 percent of the water they take in.

Place several plants together, and you can increase the humidity of a room, which helps keeps respiratory distresses at bay. Studies at the Agricultural University of Norway document that using plants in interior spaces decreases the incidence of dry skin, colds, sore throats and dry coughs. Plants remove toxins from air – up to 87 percent of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) every 24 hours, according to NASA research. VOCs include substances like formaldehyde (present in rugs, vinyl, cigarette smoke and grocery bags), benzene and trichloroethylene (both found in man-made fibers, inks, solvents and paint). Benzene is commonly found in high concentrations in study settings, where books and printed papers abound. Modern climate-controlled, air-tight buildings trap VOCs inside. The NASA research discovered that plants purify that trapped air by pulling contaminants into soil, where root zone microorganisms convert VOCs into food for the plant. Adding plants to hospital rooms speeds recovery rates of surgical patients, according to researchers at Kansas State University.

Compared to patients in rooms without plants, patients in rooms with plants request less pain medication, have lower heart rates and blood pressure, experience less fatigue and anxiety, and are released from the hospital sooner. The Dutch Product Board for Horticulture commissioned a workplace study that discovered that adding plants to office settings decreases fatigue, colds, headaches, coughs, sore throats and flu-like symptoms. In another study by the Agricultural University of Norway, sickness rates fell by more than 60 percent in offices with plants. A study at The Royal College of Agriculture in Circencester, England, found that students demonstrate 70 percent greater attentiveness when they’re taught in rooms containing plants. In the same study, attendance was also higher for lectures given in classrooms with plants. The recommendations vary based on your goals. Remember that for the best success with any houseplant, you need to match the right plant to the right growing conditions.

Learn more in Tips for Healthy Houseplants. For low light situations, choose a plant adapted to those conditions. 1 Other dracaenas with similar properties: Janet Craig dracaena (Dracaena deremensis ‘Janet Craig’) and corn plant (Dracaena fragrans ‘Massangeana’).air purifier smells like wet dog 2 Gerberas make temperamental houseplants; air spray for cleaning laptopgetting them to rebloom is very challenging. best electronic air cleaner for furnaceIt’s best to treat them like cut flowers: When the color show is over, unless you love the leaves, compost them. 3 Plants with similar properties: Pothos , bamboo palm , Chinese evergreen , and weeping fig . Adding a touch of green to your work space carries proven wellness benefits, from boosting productivity to purifying the air.

But windowless cubicles and wacky watering schedules can bring most plant varieties to an early demise. Which makes picking the perfect office plant challenging. Avoid getting stuck with a sad plant cemetery on your desk by choosing one of these air-cleaning, mood-boosting varieties that are also nearly impossible to kill. For a little extra guidance, click through to the last page for a list of plant-at-your-own-risk picks you should skip at work. Perfect for high shelves and hanging baskets, the low-maintenance spider plant thrives in partial sun or shade – making it ideal for your cubicle or windowless office. As an added bonus, spider plants carry loads of benefits for improving indoor air quality and reducing stress at work, as noted by researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. A report published by the university’s Cooperative Extension Service cited the humble spider plant as one of the top varieties for removing VOCs and other pollutants from indoor air.

Air-cleansing plants also boost relative humidity and decreases particulate matter (aka dust), which can have a relaxing effect on workers and reduce common allergy symptoms, according to the report. Indoor air pollution is a major problem in many offices and the spider plant is highly effective in cleaning that air. This makes the spider plant our number one office plant pick! Care instructions: Plant your spider plant in a size-appropriate pot or hanging basket with rich potting soil. This pick is resilient enough to withstand infrequent watering and thrive with little more than fluorescent light. But if you notice droopy or brown leaves, simply move your plant to a brighter location for a few days to bring it back to its full glory. Short on time but need some new office plants? Click here to order a bundle of the four best air cleaning plants. Click Here to Get Green Living Tips in your Inbox! About Latest Posts Latest posts by Mary Mazzoni (see all) Recycling Mystery: Photographs Eco-Friendly Hair Dyes You Can Buy or Make Yourself 5 Fun Ways to Reuse Shampoo and Lotion Bottles