I don’t know about you, but I’ve been waiting on the edge of my seat for spring to finally come. It’s been a long winter of isolation. With these little teases of warmer weather, I can almost taste spring in the air, as if it’s on the tip of my tongue. But who says we have to wait for spring? Who says we can’t bring the springtime aesthetic into our very own homes? Who says we can’t go out to our nearest local greenhouse and treat ourselves to some new leafy green friends? And don’t worry, you don’t need a green thumb to have healthy plants! Here are 5 “lazy girl” common houseplants that are sure to boost your mood and your health. In this guide I’ve included info on each plant’s benefits and how to care for them.
- Pothos
-
If you’re worried that you have some strange and rare health condition that causes every plant you touch to instantly perish, fear not. Pothos actually thrives when you forget about them (I wish I could say the same for other things). It has green, shiny, and heart-shaped leaves flecked with pale yellow that cascade down in waterfalls of foliage. Pothos plants are notorious air purifiers, as they remove harmful toxins that linger in the air including formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and benzene. They also help freshen the air by removing unwanted odors! Magical, right? You can pot Pothos as a hanging plant, suspended from the ceiling, or, if you’re lazy like me, you can simply place her on a tall shelf or dresser in a low-light setting and lightly water her about once a week.
- Aloe Vera
-
My 95-year old Oma (grandma) has an Aloe plant that has gone completely wild, and I don’t think she’s remembered to water it for about 5 years. If my grandma can raise a strong Aloe plant, you can too! With its plump, spiky and juice-filled leaves, this plant will add a spunky vibe to your bedroom. Aloe is famous for its healing capabilities, especially in soothing all types of skin scrapes and burns. All you have to do is snap off a leaf and squeeze out it’s pain-relieving juices. But Aloe can help you by simply looking cute in its little pot on your windowsill. These magical succulents release oxygen at night, which can help us achieve more restful sleeps! Aloe plants like a lot of sunlight, so let her live near a window and give her a few sprays of water once a week at most.
- English Ivy
-
Like Pothos, this lovely English Ivy from across the pond has ethereal cascading foliage! If you’re missing the ivy that hugs and climbs the ancient buildings on McMaster’s campus, you can bring a taste of that ivy league spirit into your very own “home classroom” as we all learn online this year. English Ivy not only purifies the air, but it helps to remove mold particles that float in the air. It may seem extremely basic but feeling well starts with breathing high-quality air! Just like Pothos, English Ivy is a very low-maintenance plant and likes a low-light place to grow, with minimal watering.
- Areca Palm
-
Not only do Areca Palms give a beautiful tropical vibe to a room, but they also purify and increase humidity in the air! So, feel free to pass on buying that air purifier and air humidifier from Amazon and stick to the vast market of Mother Nature. These types of palms can grow quite large, but potting them in a cute woven basket can be a boho-chic way to contain them. Plop your palm in a nice sunny place in your house and don’t worry about overwatering her – she’s pretty resilient. This palm is also a safe choice if you have furry friends to look out for!
- Jasmine
-
This is the only flowering plant I have on my list today, but wow is she beautiful! Jasmine climbs and blooms in dainty white aromatic flowers. Her gentle fragrance is known to relieve stress and help us sleep better! She would love a sunny window in a cool bedroom. You can place her in a pot at the base of the window and add an easy DIY trellis for her to climb up. She can go pretty wild, so be sure to prune her foliage every now and then and keep her soil moist, but not soggy. Jasmine is another great air purifying plant, and is also known to reduce anxiety and soothe the mind. Seriously, plants are the greatest problem solvers.
Talk to your friends and family – I’m sure someone you know will own at least one of these plants. And for most of them, you can steal a couple clippings from your friend’s plant and propagate your houseplant from the cuttings! After reading this I hope you consider yourself a plant mama. Happy planting, breathing and sleeping with your new botanical babes!