Many plants that can work well in an office also make good houseplants
Many houseplants make great indoor and office plants! Many plants that are detoxifiers, meaning they remove toxic chemicals like chlorine from the air that we breathe, are also good for indoor and office plant housing. A majority of plants that make good indoor and office plants are native to tropical or subtropical areas. Most houseplants that thrive in both the vegetative and dry form need little, if any, water and can be without much maintenance. These can most often be found in regions with milder climates, like Australia and parts of South America. Some mini-rainforest plants that are good for the home, such as the crested water plant, require less water but do benefit from daily misting. Many succulents, such as the mangrove tree, do best with all-day watering but can be kept in less than 1/8-inch of water per week.
Good houseplants can out-weed many houseplants in the home, but many houseplants are less well-adapted to indoor environments as they require specific lighting and temperature requirements. Plant down low so it can get light but not direct sunlight. Many indoor plants need humidity of 55–85 percent. This is different from soil that needs a soil-less cycle and can range from 70 percent humidity in the shade to 100 percent humidity in direct sunlight. Cut flowers and succulents can send water flying, so they require greater amounts of daily watering.
Most houseplants need little, if any, water.
These days, it is easy to grow houseplants indoors with the right strategies, but only a few species actually thrive in our homes in ideal conditions, so take a lot of notes and check references. A great starting point is the Plantbase. A word of caution though, be sure to never use ANY toxic plants for houseplants because of the risk of them poisoning you if you get them wet. If you do use toxic plants for your houseplant, my recommendation is to select a species that are native to your area that won’t have those toxic chemicals in it. There are some people who claim that plants like mums and yams actually improve the air quality in their home.
This is true if the mums or yams are strictly tasting plants, but I have yet to find any scientific studies to validate it. A few houseplants are introduced directly to your home via shipping containers or placed in a room next to some plants from your local nurseries. These types of plants would be best placed in an area that gets direct sunlight since direct sunlight is the best source of stimulation for these plants. Ocotillo and houseplant are two popular household names for houseplants, but I have found them to be lacking in scientific knowledge. There is a lack of scientific research regarding these plants.
For me, these included deadly nightshade (odinia radicans) and sumac (Cyperus spp.), but even putting them in small pots and occasional misting didn’t really improve the quality of the air any. The best way to improve the air quality in your home is to take advantage of what you already have in your home. This means, in order to reduce the amount of time you spend cleaning your air, it is better to replace the old sump pump, use HEPA filters in your new furnaces, and make the home specially designed for air quality, heating, cooling, and light.
This might seem like a lot of easy steps to take, but actually, it takes time and repeat due to the complexity of it. As always, it is good to check with a professional for houseplant recommendations to suit your needs and budget. In case you have any questions about indoor houseplants or anything related to growing houseplants, feel free to ask me in the comments below.
