Plants offer numerous benefits around homes and offices.

If your New Year’s resolutions include changing your lifestyle to be healthier and more environmentally conscious, perhaps it’s time to make green resolutions that include actual greenery. Plants are a wonderful addition both to your office, as well as for designers to incorporate into their clients’ homes and offices. Not only are they pretty to look at, plants offer numerous benefits around the home or office.

According to the Flowers and Plants Association, indoor plants can reduce fatigue, coughs, sore throats and other cold-related illnesses by more than 30 percent. Extensive research already shows that houseplants alleviate stress, help us relax and increase our general well-being.

The association cites a study at the University of Agriculture in Norway that aimed to discover how much houseplants benefit our physical and psychological health. As part of the study, office staff were questioned on their health, particularly symptoms related to spending a lot of time indoors and being under stress.

The results showed when staff had plants in their offices, there was a significant drop of around 25 percent in tiredness, coughing, sore throats and cold-related illnesses. Eight out of 10 stated, “I feel good when there are plants in the office.” Eight out of 10 also said, “I would like to have more plants in my office in the future.”

The Flowers and Plants Association also notes that indoor plants have been shown to:
•    Remove harmful chemicals from the air, such as those in paints and varnishes, new carpets and medium-density fiberboard furniture
•    Absorb noise and lessen dust in the home
•    Help hospital patients recover faster and with less medication
•    Lower blood pressure, help concentration and improve memory
•    Promote feelings of relaxation, calm and well-being
•    Make rooms look cared-for and welcoming

Top Plants For Health
For some, just getting plants to live for the long-term indoors is a challenge. But green plants can bring us many benefits, both physiological and psychological.

By incorporating any of these selections into your environment, or your clients’ environment, the benefits will be yours to enjoy without lots of pampering and knowledge of horticultural details.

ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) – The ZZ plant has thick, fleshy and naturally glossy leaves. You may even think that the plant has been polished because it is so shiny. An amazingly beautiful aroid from Africa, the ZZ plant produces two- to three-foot-long pointed spears with alternating shiny dark leaves. It is a great office or houseplant because it grows well in containers, can tolerate low humidity, low light, and needs little water and little fertilizer.

Golden Pothos (Scindapsus aureus) – Native to the Solomon Islands, Goldon Pothos, also called the Devil’s Ivy, is a low-growing vine plant generally not over 18-inches tall unless grown on a pole. Easy to care for, the Golden Pothos can be kept virtually anywhere in the home or office. If there is enough illumination to read by, you can grow a Golden Pothos in that location. About the only place a Golden Pothos won’t thrive is in direct hot sun or in total darkness.

Snake Plant (Sansevieria) – The Snake Plant is an easy-to-grow, exotic-looking plant that thrives on neglect. The Snake Plant can be used as an accent plant or in mass in planters or beds. The Snake Plant can be grown in high light, deep shade, and everywhere in between and tolerates low humidity, low water and low feeding. Few if any plants are as foolproof to grow.

Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema) – Chinese evergreens are very tolerant plants that do well in a variety of settings. Several species are available, some with dark green leaves and others that are variegated. The Chinese Evergreen can flourish for years. They are popular houseplants and ornamental plants for offices and shopping malls because they are among the easiest plants to grow and maintain. They tolerate a wide range of light, as well as neglect, and are relatively resistant to pests.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii) – An outstanding foliage plant that also produces beautiful white spathes, the peace lily should always be included when seeking a variety of indoor plants. The Peace Lily, also known as White Sails, is an ideal office or houseplant that will liven up a room. The Peace Lily is an herbaceous perennial which produces white flowers which resemble a cobra’s hood. Peace lilies are sturdy plants with glossy, dark green oval leaves that narrow to a point. The leaves rise directly from the soil. The long-lasting flowers start out pale green and slowly turn creamy white as they open.

Janet Craig (Dracaena Janet Craig) – Native to tropical Africa, the Janet Craig, also known commonly as the Green Corn Plant, is widely used in the interiorscape trade. The Janet Craig is available in bush and cane form and as a braided tree. Plants are available from small starter plants to eight-foot-tall specimens. Dracaenas do not like fertilizer with annual feeds sufficient. 

Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior) – The Cast Iron Plant lives up to its name by being hardy and easy to maintain. The Cast Iron Plant can be grown in a container as a porch or patio plant, or as an office or houseplant. In landscapes, it is often used as a border or is planted in a drift around trees, or to fill a planter under an overhang.

Make a resolution to reduce your carbon footprint in 2008 by incorporating plants into your working world. Plants are installed in buildings because they look attractive and help to provide a pleasant, tranquil environment in which to work or relax. If you work in an office building, it is ideal to keep a plant right on your desk, if possible, as well as other areas through the office.

Research has shown that healthy, well-maintained plants can improve air quality, reduce background noise and affect peoples’ behavior. Plants help to reduce the irritating background noise produced by talking, office equipment and reverberations from hard surfaces. Plants help to keep the air in buildings fresh and at an optimal humidity level. Make your 2008 greener, healthier and more beautiful by incorporating plants into your workplace.

Kenneth Brewer is the national technical and health and safety manager for Initial Tropical Plants based in Buffalo Grove, Ill.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .