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9 of the best motivation-inducing houseplants
Lux Magazine
Certain houseplants have the ability to improve your physical health; adding moisture to the air, reducing any dryness and improving skin and breathing quality. But what’s more, scientific studies have shown they can improve your mental health too, boosting productivity.
To help homeowners nationwide stay productive this summer, fortunately, experts at Vaping.com (https://vaping.com/) collated a list of houseplants, creating a ‘motivation houseplant score’ determined by the most attractive according to Instagram hashtags, maintenance qualities and their shelf life to overall rank the best houseplants boosting your productivity!
Cacti plant is the crowned the best plant proven to boost productivity - with an overall score of 64 out of 100 points, taking the most points on offer of 25 for Instagram hashtags, with more than 4.4 million! Whilst being incredibly easy to look after and maintain, you’ll be pleased to know they can last a decade!
With an overall score of 56 out of 100, Ferns are the second best plants promoting productivity, with a whopping shelf life of 100 years, meaning you’ll always have ferns dotted around the house. However to really get the most out of your ferns, you need to look after them, as they’re considered hard to maintain - the only one of all 9!
Spider plant is ranked the third best plant of them all, with a shelf life of 20 years, therefore ‘easy’ to maintain as they thrive from little attention and therefore a fantastic plant to simply gaze at, boosting your productivity, and one of the prettiest according to Instagram with 310,166 Instagram hashtags.
Snake Plants long known as “mother-in-law’s tongues,” the snake plant, or Sansevieria trifasciata, features tall leaves that grow vertically. They’re decorative and extremely low-maintenance. The plants only need to be watered when the soil is dry, grow in any kind of light, and generally “thrive on neglect,” according to experts at HGTV.
Peace Lily the name “peace lily” definitely evokes a sense of calm. These sturdy plants also “flower and are aesthetically pleasing” and may benefit your health over time, explains Trevor Cates, N.D, a naturopathic doctor in Park City, Utah.
Pothos when you picture a houseplant, the pothos, or Epipremnum pinnatum, is likely what comes to mind. Also known as devil’s ivy or golden pothos, the plants feature vibrant heart-shaped leaves that may be green or marbled green and yellow. They’re easy to grow, needing only indirect sunlight and infrequent watering.
Rubber plants — also known as rubber trees or Ficus elastica — make for great indoor houseplants. They’re generally easy to take care of and only need to be watered every week or so, according to materials shared by The Sill. Research shows that rubber plants feature air-purifying properties. Just be sure to keep them firmly away from any pets and from young children, as they're known to be highly toxic when ingested.
English ivy, or Hedera helix, is a versatile plant that’s been shown to lower levels of carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, and toxins in the air. They can be grown outside or indoors. As a houseplant, the ivy grows well in hanging baskets or pots, and can be trained to grow along a trellis or shape, according to the Clemson University Cooperative Extension. They grow best in direct sunlight and need to be watered thoroughly once the soil dries out.
Elephant Ear Plants if you want to spend a little more time with your houseplants, Cromer recommends elephant ear plants. These are organized into a group of tropical, perennial plants instantly recognizable by their big, heart-shaped leaves. They need bright light and regular watering to keep the soil moist, and they can get big and may need extra space.
