Plants promote health

They include the spider plant, the golden pothos, bamboo palm and peace lily, just to name a few

By Elena Boryczka

The Times, Jul 17, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Elena Boryczka / Times Newspapers

Al’s Garden Center in Sherwood has plenty of options for plants that will keep your home healthy, such as the bamboo palm (shown) and the spider plant, which has been shown to help absorb formaldehyde.

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Houseplants look good, smell fresh and, according to some studies, can actually make your home a healthier place to live.

This is something employees at Al’s Garden Center certainly promote. Upon walking through the front doors at the Sherwood location, shoppers are greeted with multiple displays boasting the benefits of maintaining specific varieties of indoor plants. Diane Harris at the store’s plant information desk not only believes in the power of plants, she practices what she preaches.

“All plants probably clean the air,” she said, while going on to point out a list of toxin-absorbing plants that includes golden pothos, peace lily, spider plant and philodendron.

Harris, who has worked at Al’s for the past three years, has more than 20 years of personal experience with houseplants. She said keeping a few plants around has not been difficult and adds a lot to the environment of her home.

“I need them mentally. I’ve always lived with a whole lot of them,” she said. “They really do have a calming effect.”

A handout available at Al’s lists some of the benefits of keeping plants indoors. Research done by Oxford Brook University showing inner spaces with houseplants in them have improved air quality, in addition to:

n Lower anxiety levels from the people occupying those spaces

n A faster recovery from mental exhaustion

n Interiors being perceived as spacious, cared for and clean

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