Bask in the Benefits of Houseplants

A quick and easy guide to improving your space—and your life—with indoor plants.

Houseplants come in such a variety of shapes, sizes, and, frankly, personalities, that adding them to your decor can dramatically change the character of your space. Bring in bohemian vibes with a cascading pothos and the playful texture of ferns and spider plants. Create a tropical oasis with lush palms, trailing philodendrons, and a vibrant calathea. Or go modern minimalist with the sculptural lines of a snake plant, the glossy-leaved zz plant, and a monstera that strikes a dramatic pose in the morning light.

But houseplants can be way more than just elements of your interior design. The benefits of plants are myriad. They may be just what the doctor ordered. Hanging out with plants can lower your stress level. Some indoor plants can be used as key ingredients in your favorite dishes or arts and crafts projects. Look closer and you’ll see how houseplants are good for you and your home.

Breathe easier

Fill your home with plants and your lungs may thank you. Some houseplants are good at removing mold, bacteria, and dust from the air. While they shouldn't replace proper ventilation or cleaning, they can contribute to a healthy environment.

Try grouping pots in your bedroom or in the space where you hang out a lot. Some of your best choices for removing mold, bacteria, or dust include palms, peace lily, monstera, spider plant, rubber plant, Boston fern, and English ivy. Larger plants that grow vigorously are going to be the hardest workers here.

Plant some calm

If you already love plants, well, spending more time on a healthy hobby is a great way to relax. But that’s only the beginning. Just caring for a plant—watering, pruning, and chatting it up—encourages mindfulness, which is linked to reduced stress and anxiety. Watching your plant grow and thrive is a great mood boost and comes with a built-in sense of achievement. Bringing greenery into your home—even just a few decorative planters full—helps foster your connection to nature, which can be grounding and calming.

Interior designers use plants in their overall aesthetic, whatever the style, to create a more soothing environment and complement materials like brick, cement, or stone. Some plants can help absorb sound to make your space more peaceful, too. Choose varieties with large, broad, or thick leaves, like monstera, rubber plant, or snake plant. Go for dense or bushy foliage, like palms and ferns. Or, look for tall, vertical growth, like bamboo palm or fiddle leaf fig. Also, try grouping plants together, creating vertical arrangements, and using felt or fabric planters to maximize sound absorption.

Use what you have

While indoor plants elevate your aesthetic and reduce stress when they’re just sitting there looking pretty, some can play an even more active role in your life. Dial up your dinner—or your favorite drinks— by adding homegrown herbs like basil, mint, or rosemary. Have your favorites on hand so you can snip some leaves whenever you need them. Keep a natural apothecary with aloe vera to soothe burns and cuts, chamomile for skin irritations, and mint to make tea for headaches or digestive discomfort. Get crafty with herbs like lavender, peppermint, or lemon balm and create calming teas, soaps, sachets, candles, or massage and bath oils.

Stay safe with kid- and pet-friendly plants

If your household includes members who may not appreciate that houseplants are only for looking at, choose varieties that are non-toxic to kids and pets, including spider plant, calathea, parlor palm, Boston fern, and prayer plant.

You may also want to avoid plants with sharp leaves, spines, or thorns, like cacti, agave, and yucca.

Just to be safe, keep a list of your plants handy, along with the phone number for Poison Control for kids, 1-800-222-1222, and ASPCA Animal Poison Control for pets, 1-888-426-4435.

When you’re good to houseplants, they’re good to you

While each houseplant is different and has slightly unique needs, the good news is, none of them really ask for a lot. Pay attention to a few key factors and you’ll know everything you need to keep your plants happy and healthy. Learn more about the best way to care for your houseplants here.

Light — When you choose spots for plants in your home, you’ll want to factor in the kind of light they need. Typically, plants need either direct sunlight, bright and indirect sunlight, medium and filtered light, or low light. Between the tag that comes in your plant and a quick Google search, you can find out what kind of light your plants need to thrive.

Water — As a prime example of avoiding too much of a good thing, you need to be careful not to over-water your indoor plants. Most indoor plants need water only when the top 1-2 inches of soil feels dry. Also make sure it’s in a pot with proper drainage holes.

Humidity — Make sure you know how much humidity your plants like. Many houseplants are happier in environments with higher humidity. If you live in a dry climate, consider using a humidifier or lightly misting tropical plants.

Soil — Choose a nutrient-rich soil, like Miracle-Gro® Indoor Potting Mix, that gives your plants a steady supply of food and promotes good drainage.

Food — Your houseplants will need a continual boost of nutrients, so feed your plants regularly with Miracle-Gro® Indoor Plant Food (following label directions, of course).

Start your houseplants out right and keep them growing strong by planting them in Miracle-Gro® Indoor Potting Mix, watering properly, and feeding them. Plants are good for your home, in that when you like the way your space looks, you move a big step toward feeling good in it. But that’s just the beginning.