Houseplants are extremely important for apartment living – they improve your quality of life, both mentally and physically. Not only can they brighten a space and offer more aesthetic value, but they can also help create a peaceful and healthy atmosphere.
Houseplants have many health benefits, and as apartments lack backyard gardens and the natural growth found in more suburban or rural settings, they serve apartment dwellers an important purpose. Houseplants improve air quality by removing toxins in the air, such as carbon dioxide – which tends to be more present in urban settings. Houseplants can also help reduce humidity and increase your serotonin, creating a more productive environment.
Plants have an innate ability to make us feel happier and more relaxed. So, in an environment that can feel overwhelming at times, houseplants can help boost your mental health. They reduce stress levels, calming anxiety and lowering blood pressure, leaving you feeling healthy and happy.
Here are our top picks of the best houseplants for your city apartment and their benefits.
Aloe Vera and Mother-In-Law’s Tongue
Both of these plants have similar characteristics: they are low maintenance and emit oxygen, creating a fresh and healthy atmosphere in your apartment. They are also low maintenance and make for an incredible feature due to their striking appearance.
Sunlight Requirement:
- Aloe Vera – six to eight hours of direct sun is best.
- Mother-In-Law’s Tongue – copes well with direct sun and low light conditions but bright light conditions with some sunlight and shade is best.
Gerbera Daisy
Not only does this plant look gorgeous and add a spot of bright colour to the room, but it also serves an important purpose – it can remove the toxins formaldehyde and benzene from the air. Both of these chemicals are found in common household detergents, so placing one of these on your kitchen bench or windowsill will make for the perfect addition to your home.
Sunlight Requirement:
- Gerberas are full-sun plants but can tolerate light shade, six to eight hours of sun is best.
Monstera Deliciosa
The biggest benefit of having this gentle giant of a plant in your home is its beauty. Apart from being incredibly photogenic, the Monstera Deliciosa can also purify the air and is particularly useful in humidifying air conditions.
Sunlight Requirement:
- Avoid strong, direct sunlight. Monstera needs five to eight hours of bright indirect light a day.
ZZ Plant
It’s not just its eye-catching name, but the actual plant itself is quite the showstopper. With its vibrant green waxy leaves, the ZZ Plant is a striking feature and has some pretty neat health benefits too. The ZZ Plant removes pollutants from the air, such as xylene, toluene, and carbon dioxide. And, for all you plant killers, this one’s for you. The ZZ Plant only requires watering only once every 3-4 weeks, and is pretty resistant to changes in the environment, whether you’re moving or have gone on a holiday.
Sunlight Requirement:
- Avoid direct sunlight. The ZZ plant grows best in lots of indirect light. It will tolerate fluorescent lighting in a windowless space.
Peace Lily
Last but certainly not least is the Peace Lily. An elegant plant, the Peace Lily thrives in the shade, and low light areas, making it an easy plant to care for. So, if you are living in an apartment with few windows, or natural sunlight, this is the perfect plant for you. It will also reduce many toxins in the environment and prevent them from spreading between rooms.
Sunlight Requirement:
- Avoid direct sunlight.
So, head on over to your local plant nursery, and pick out some beautiful plants for your apartment! Make strata living even better with a professional strata manager who helps owners make informed decisions about their community. Contact More Than Strata.
