Why I choose live plants instead of artificial
Plants are an integral part of our home - they add life and personality. When we first moved into our house, I spent quite a lot of money on artificial flowers - orchid arrangements, succulents, fake fiddle leaf trees …you name it.
Over time, these arrangements became dull and lost their colors, especially those standing by the windows and exposed to the sun. It happens, I get it. They also accumulated an insane amount of dust and no matter how much I tried to dust them or clean them under a running water, the look just was not the same and dust was still there.
When I started switching out all of our artificial plants to live ones, it felt like I discovered my inner wild. Every time I got a new plant, the energy and the vibe in the room has changed and got a breath of fresh air. Real plants are relatively cheap and most importantly, possess so many benefits for us as humans. Studies have shown that indoor plants not only improve air quality, but also boost mood and productivity, absorb toxins, reduce stress and fatigue, and even can help sore throats and colds by increasing humidity and producing oxygen. For me, they simply add life to every room.
Here are some of my favorites from our home:
* SNAKE PLANT
Also known as mother-in-law tongue, it’s super low maintenance, can literally live without water forever and can survive pretty much anything. Its virtually indestructible (hint the name HA!) I only water it once in 1-2 weeks and anything that makes my life simple and easy gets a huge plus in my book. We have it both outside (in planters on both sides of our front door) and inside (bathrooms and my daughter's nursery). When we breathe we produce carbon monoxide and this no-fuss beauty is known to be one of the best indoor plants to absorb excessive amounts of CO2. Additionally, it emits oxygen and filters other toxins from the air such as benzene, xylene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde. I love its striking appearance as it becomes a focal point of any room in our home.
CHINESE EVERGREEN
We have a big planter in our son's room. Just like the snake pant, it is a no-fuss plant that is perfect for beginners or busy people - right here!!! It is also considered one of the best air purifying plants by NASA.
POTHOS
Currently in our playroom. It’s simply gorgeous! This plant thrives in low light and neglect - Yes ! These plants have similar air purifying qualities as the two I mentioned above AND can help with eliminating odors! Stinky diapers + a dog without manners... we need this plant!
SPIDER PLANT
Also in our playroom and as sad as it sounds this plant always gets the least love from me. Not because I don't like it, but because I simply forget about it all the time. So I know for sure that this plant is almost impossible to kill LOL. As sad as it sounds, formaldehyde is literally everywhere in our homes - in manufactured wood products, plastic products, pesticides, leather goods, adhesives, clothing and drapes, etc. Gross right?! Spider plant is considered to be the best one to clean the air from this chemical. Its also non-toxic and actually edible (not that I would chop it in the salad, but still), so it's safe for kids and dogs.
* FIDDLE LEAF FIG
A true rainforest beauty that comes with its own finicky personality. Esthetically it is truly one of my favorites and of course one of the hardest to maintain in my opinion. Full disclosure - My first one died on me after a few months. It is also a bit of an investment compared to the other plants we have. It will run anywhere from $100 to $300 depending on the size (I am talking about a full grown plant here). If your lifestyle calls for a smaller plant, there is also an option of buying a tiny one that fits in a pot on your desk. And those will run about $20-30. As far as the benefits of keeping one at home, it's also a great air purifier and helps with controlling humidity.
CORN PLANT (DRACAENA FRAGRANS)
According to the NASA Clean Air Study this plant removes toxic substances from the air - formaldehyde, xylene, benzene and trichloroethylene. It's currently standing in my office and makes it a super cozy place for me to work in. Super cheap - I paid $25 at Home Depot for ours.
** Keep away from cats, dogs and small children, it does have mild toxicity if swallowed.