By Emerson Scollo
What’s something that is green, living, brightens up a space and provides benefits to the owner? That’s right, plants! Plants have been known to not only decoratively add to a living space but they also help improve the health of the space’s residents. Here are some of the benefits of caring for plants and some easy plants to have in your dorm.
Benefits:
Having plants into your living space is a great way to add life and vibrancy into your dorm room. No worries about one size fits all; plants come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes so it is easy to find one that will suit your style.
Adding plants to your dorm room will not only help with decoration but could also help jump start conversions with potential visitors. Decorations are a big topic when you bring someone new into your space, so by adding a plant it could lead towards a whole topic to discuss.
Plants can help improve the quality of the air in the space they occupy. Due to the fact that dorm rooms are typically small, just one plant can make a huge difference on the quality of the air. Part of the air improvement is due to the fact that plants produce oxygen during photosynthesis.
In 1998, NASA concluded from a study that certain houseplants improve the quality of air by absorbing toxins. This helps the people in the space because they are no longer breathing in those toxins.
According to the article The Top 7 Health Benefits of Houseplants written by Aimée Damman another way that plants help with improving air quality is through releasing water vapor which helps combat the negative effects of heating systems.
Other ways that plants are beneficial to the health of the space’s occupants are by improving mood and focus while reducing feelings of fatigue and stress. Some of these benefits are related to the improvement of the air quality.
4 Plants That are Dorm Friendly:
Pothos:
The Pothos is one of my favorite types of plant to have in my room. It is the plant that started my collection. Pothos are so easy to care for and come in a variety of shades of green and leaf patterns and shapes.
Water: Pothos should be watered about every 1-2 weeks.
Light: Pothos can survive in light ranging from low to bright but they do best living in bright indirect light.
Other: Pothos are not pet safe so keep this in mind if you want to bring this plant into a space with animals in it.
Another really cool thing is that they are very easy to propagate so you can take your one pothos plant and make more to keep or share with friends. All you have to do is cut a leaf off with a bit of the stem and then let it sit partially submerged in water until roots grow then you can move it to a pot.
For more information click this link: How to Care for a Pothos Plant or ‘Devil’s Ivy’ | The Sill
Philodendron:
Philodendrons come in a variety of leaf sizes, shapes and colors similar to that of the pothos.
Water: Philodendrons should be watered about every 1-2 weeks.
Light: Philodendrons do best in medium indirect light
Other: Philodendrons are not pet safe. Similar to the Pothos, Philodendrons are super easy to propagate. All you have to do is cut some leaves off with the stems and put them in water till the root grows then transfer them to a pot.
For more information click this link: How to care for the Heartleaf Philodendron | Plants 101 – The Sill
Aloe Vera:
The Aloe Vera can differ in the style of leaf depending on the specific type of Aloe. The Aloe Vera is a plant that requires minimal care which
makes it an ideal plant for beginners.
Water: You should water Aloes regularly but make sure to allow the soil to dry between waterings
Light: Aloes prefer bright indirect light.
Other: The Aloe Vera is not pet safe. Some provide a natural gel when cut that helps with burns. So this is a perfect plant to have if you accidentally burn your hand in the kitchen. You see this plant being used in lotions a lot, especially lotions used for sunburn.
For more information click this link: How to Grow and Care for Aloe Vera
Lucky Bamboo:
The Lucky Bamboo is another one of my favorites. They can be bought growing straight up or with others woven around each other in different ways which gives them a fun and interesting appearance.
Water: Lucky Bamboo requires more frequent watering to make sure that the soil stays slightly damp. They can also be grown in straight up water instead of soil.
Light: Lucky Bamboo requires medium indirect light.
Other: Lucky Bamboo is not pet safe. While the Lucky Bamboo can be bought already in a spiral or woven into each other you can also a straight growing one to grow that way yourself. Lucky Bamboo also has a lot of symbolism attached to it which is super interesting to learn about.
For more information click this link: Lucky Bamboo Care Guide: Growing Tips + Facts – ProFlowers Blog
With all the benefits that come with owning a plant, what are you waiting for? Go out and get a plant that fits you.
