BY Sara Rose
Plant Quotes
~ BETH DITTO
“A beautiful plant is like having a friend around the house”
~ MONTY DON
“When you plant something, you invest in a beautiful future amidst a stressful, chaotic and, at times, downright appalling world”
~ ROBIN WALL KIMMERER
“In some native languages, the term for plants translates to ‘those who take care of us’”
Most people have and care for house plants because hey look nice as decor, or because they want to bring a little bit of the outside vibe into their homes, which in my opinion, is great! Plants hold a special vibration of energy that can be healing and help us as humans balance out our own internal energy chakras. However, some may not know just how important these little helpers can be, especially in the home! Below is a list of some of the house plants that I personally welcome into my home with open arms and loving energy. And, maybe this blog will inspire you to grab a few of them as well.
The picture below is called a “Spider plant” they get their name from the long leaves they send out, and this plant is a bit of a hero. Spider plants are super easy to care for, and they will reproduce quite easily as well. Therefore, they will give you multiple plants for some time. They can come in solid green shades, or even variegated (two toned like below) making them quite pleasing to look at. Despite their creepy-crawly name, spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are among the most popular houseplants to grow. Spider plants are moderately fast-growing plants. Their rosettes of slender, gently arching leaves stretch from around 12 to 18 inches long. The leaves are green or striped green and white. Mature plants regularly send out long stems that bear small, star-shaped flowers. If the flowers are fertilized, a small fruit forms. Once the flowers fall off, tiny plantlets form in their place, which ultimately grow their own roots and can be snipped off to create new potted plants.
Next on my list would be the “Aloe Plant” Most know this plant to be a natural burn ointment, and that’s absolutely correct. However, this little plant comes in many different species, can be in many shades of green and they play a very important role in nature. They are also an easy plant to care for, and they will multiply easily as well. A little too easily I’d say (I have lots of babies!) In fact, this plant is so widely distributed that it’s considered an invasive species in many world regions. The Aloe is an evergreen that originates from Arabian Peninsula, but also grows wild in tropical, and semi-tropical places around the globe. The leaves of Aloe Vera contain significant amounts of polysaccharide gel acemannan, which can be used for topical purposes. Aloe skin contains aloin which is toxic. Products made from aloe vera only use the gel. This gel can be used to make skin creams, burn creams, and bug bite ointments. Not only can Aloe vera be used for many useful products, but it is also a silent little hero just like the spider plant.
Next on my personal favourite plant list is the “Snake Plant” This plant grows tall, flat like leaves and usually comes in variegated greens and yellow. It can grow quite tall but is also easy to care for. It is probably not the best house plant if you have a limited space because it is a larger plant, but if you can find room for one, they’re just like the spider and aloe when it comes to having a secret talent. This plant is so not picky. It can live happily in shade, sun, and doesn’t require a lot of water because it can hold onto some for later when it needs it. These facts make this plant super easy to keep, even if you’re one who can sometimes forget to water. A common houseplant, the Sansevieria trifasciata is native to Asia and Africa. It can be recognized by its evergreen sword-shaped leaves that grow upright and almost resemble artificial foliage.
Snake plants are often used as home decor since they’re pleasing to the eye, are easy to care for, and require little water to survive.
Snake plants are considered to be relatively safe, but they’re mildly toxic if consumed. Their leaves contain a poison that can cause swelling and numbness on the tongue if eaten in large doses. It’s wise to keep this plant away from children and animals who are prone to nibbling.
Last but never least on my list of favs is the “Rubber Plant” This is another large plant if given the room. You can keep smaller ones in small pots, but they will grow up to ten feet high, and a diameter of about 5-6 feet around. They don’t mind shade, a bit of sun, and they don’t mind cooler weather. Rubber tree (Ficus elastica), also known as rubber plant, is a favorite houseplant thanks to its broad, glossy, emerald-hued leaves and impressive growth rate. This tropical plant can grow up to 100 feet tall in its natural habitat or over six feet tall indoors in just a few years with proper care. Because it requires warm temperatures year-round, rubber tree is a great candidate for indoor growing in temperate climates. However, rubber trees can be a little finicky about their growing conditions, so it's important to give them the light, warmth, and humidity they need to thrive. Note that rubber tree sap is toxic to dogs and cats, so take special precautions if you have pets.
So what do these plants all have in common that makes them super hero’s for our homes? They literally suck toxins out of the air around you! We all have dust, dander, and a variety of germs. But what about all the other stuff we can’t see? Most people don’t realize the silent dangers in their own homes, such as: mold, formaldehyde (most common in homes) asbestos, radon, and cleaning products. All of the plants that I have listed take these common household toxins and transmutes them into clean oxygen. How awesome is that? These plants actually love doing this and can transform your home into a safe space just for you. All they ask in return is a comfortable living space, which includes water, some sunlight, and a little TLC. Then they will just do their job and create a high vibrational space for you to enjoy your home and know that the air is safe to breathe. We all know that there are toxins in our food, our water, and the air outside, but at least these little guys are here to help us inside the privacy of our own homes.
So where can we get these handy helpers? Walmart, most grocery stores, Walters Greenhouse, (If you are in my area) or you can even find people online like market place who are selling them because of their high reproductive rate. The Rubber plant specializes in formaldehyde, which is the most common toxin in homes, right next to mold. This toxin can actually make you quite sick, anywhere from cough, headaches, sore throat and so much more. Carbon Monoxide can be lethal if exposed to high amounts, but what most people don’t know is that your home can be dispersing smaller amounts into your home from heating units, cooling units and even your dryer. Small amounts are not deadly, but can also make you quite sick, anywhere from headaches, nausea, dizziness and even weakness. We can’t see these silent toxins, but the plants can, and they make it their mission to annihilate them. Studies have shown that these species of plants can take out 99.999 % of the toxins in your home, including cigarette smoke! How cool is that?!
So, if you can, try to get one of these awesome plants in your home and let it do the job for you. Each of the plants I have mentioned also have many other benefits, like the Aloe. They are good to have around for many different reasons, but a clean breathing space is pretty important I’d say!
Tips for small spaces
~ A tall plant stand can be useful when you live in a small space like an apartment. This way you can display the plants at the top, allowing them to get light and they don’t take up mush room because they are vertical as opposed to a wide bulky shelf.
~ Many plants, especially spider plants love to hang! Macramé hangers can be found at the dollar store as well as the hardware to hang them. Hanging plants can be placed out of the way near windows and don’t take up any ground space.
~ Keep them small. Some plants can grow quite large, but keeping a few smaller ones like an Aloe vera, will work just as well as the larger ones. Having smaller plants and smaller pots can help with space issues. Also, you don’t need many of them for them to start doing their job. So if you are limited on space, just a couple baby Aloes would be perfect!
Do you have plants in your home?
What kind do you like to keep?
What did you think of this blog post?
Let me know your answers in the comment section!
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