Plants: The Good, The Edible and The Resilient

 

Decorating a home can be stressful and overwhelming, especially when you want to make it feel like a home and not just a living space. So why not choose decor that has multiple purposes which can also benefit the aesthetics of your home and also provide you health benefits. Breathe cleaner air, have a place that speaks to your personality and style, and you can choose from a variety of options that even take your fur family into account. You probably guessed what decor I’m talking about from the title; PLANTS! Plants are a wonderful option to bring life into your home that can make your home a more serene and calming environment. The color green is known to represent tranquility and provide a lot of unexpected benefits. Here are some versatile plant options for your home that can purify your air, are safe for your furry friends, and also stand the test of time for our not-so-green-thumb Jersey City fam!

 

Air Filtering Plants 

Formaldehyde, sounds scary right? This chemical and other substances, such as benzene, and toluene can be found in some paints and synthetic fibers living in your home. They can lurk and inhabit the clean air you breathe. There’s a simple solution; it’s through air purifying plants that replace some of these chemicals with cleaner air.

 

Barberton Daisy

Barberton Daisy, can typically be found at the Home Depot or Lowe’s Garden Center right here in Jersey City. It is a bright, reddish orange that strikes your eyes and immediately attracts attention when walking into a home.

Photo by Rovelyn Camato from Pexels

 

The Weeping Fig

The Weeping Fig is a slow growing plant that craves bright, but indirect light. They grow best when undisturbed, so having a permanent place with relatively stable temperatures is ideal.

Photo courtesy of plantopedia.com

 

Aloe Vera 

If you’ve ever had a burn, it’s common to used some Aloe Vera to soothe the pain. Luckily for you, this plant is useful in more ways than one. This succulent is also used in cooking, Aloe Drinks, and is a beautiful piece of boho-chic decor.

Photo by Dario on Unsplash

 

The Broad Lady Palm

Ammonia has been known to cause detrimental health deficits in humans. It can cause a variety of unwanted symptoms, but there is an easy way to decrease the amount of ammonia present in your home — plants! The Broad Lady Palm is a green, long leafed plant that reduces ammonia through its own way of breathing.

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English Ivy 

This is a green triangular-leafed plant classified by it’s woody vines. Not only can it transcend a room into a lush green oasis, but it is especially useful in the household because it reduces airborne fecal particles found in the air. Place one in your bathroom to create cleaner air and help alleviate symptoms to various conditions. Sh*t just got real guys. Literally.

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The Snake Plant

Struggling with insomnia? Maybe the cure for this painfully irritating disorder is the Snake Plant. This yellow tipped succulent releases oxygen at night and promotes better sleep!

Photo by Fabian Stroobants from Pexels

 

Pet Friendly Plants 

It is known that some classes of plants are hazardous for animals. I mean if you’ve seen a dog eat grass, you know they tend to feel sick shortly after. So it’s no surprise that many are hesitant about introducing a new plant into their homes. But what many people don’t know is that there are a copious amount of plants that are completely safe for animals, making this scary thought a more exciting one.

 

The Tillandsia 

The Tillandsia is a succulent that requires very little care, especially when you have pets that require that extra attention. The benefit of this plant is that it is nontoxic to many household pets, giving you peace of mind.

Photo by Madison Inouye from Pexels

 

Christmas cactus

Cactuses can be aesthetically pleasing and a great addition to your home. A lot of us have pricked our fingers on the spines called needles, and know how badly it hurts. But luckily for you and your pets, the Christmas cactus has flattened leaves with smaller spines on the tips making it less of a hazard. It requires very little attention and isn’t poisonous for dogs and cats.

Photo courtesy of www.almanac.com

 

Cat Grass 

If you’re a cat lover, cat grass is a beneficial plant that provides relief to your cat’s indigestion of hairballs and mistakenly eaten foods, which many cats do. It’s a simplistic addition to your home that provides vitamins and saves you a trip to the vet.

www.petmd.com

 

The Lipstick Plant 

The Lipstick plant is native to the tropics and resembles tubes of lipstick which is not only safe for pets, but also adds a unique component of liveliness into your home. Its bright red color brings a vibrant touch.

Photo courtesy of fineartamerica.com

 

Resilient Plants 

The idea that plants require a lot of work is true for many. They require sunlight, water, and care for the duration of its life. But this statement isn’t true for ALL plants. There are a variety of plants that actually don’t require much care at all. If you’ve ever struggled to keep a plant alive and from withering, these plants are perfect for you.

 

The Chinese Evergreen 

The Chinese Evergreen bears large leaves that can grow 2 feet in hight and width. So if you’re looking for a plant to take up a lot of volume, this is THE plant. It does require damp environment, but it can survive without extensive light, making decorating your home that much easier.

www.shoppigment.com

 

Parlor Palm 

The Parlor Palm is a great plant to have when your home doesn’t bring much sunlight. This plant can grow up to eight feet tall without direct light. It can be placed in almost any area of the home, which allows you to be creative without any boundaries inhibiting your desired floor plan.

www.leonandgeorge.com

 

Aspidistra 

Aspidistra, also known as the cast iron plant, is known to be almost indestructible. It can survive with very little water and care, hence the name. It’s one of the most sturdiest plants that bring a subtle yet beautiful look to your home.

www.patchplants.com

 

Zamioculcas plants 

Like many of the other plants that can overcome adversity, this plant can survive great neglect of care. It excels in growth with very little water because they utilize their rhizome stem, a part of the plant’s structure responsible for growing out roots and shoots from its nodes. This part of this plant makes water conservation capable allowing it to thrive even when you forget to water them.

www.waitrosegarden.com

 

Pothos

The Pothos plant, also known as a devil’s vine, can be found in the 14th Street Garden Center in Jersey City. This particular plant is very common for many homes and offices because of its ability to survive in unsuitable conditions. This plant adds a lot of decor into the office, we should know since we have one too!

greeneryunlimited.com

 

Plants do so much more than provide oxygen and food. I didn’t know that there were so many plants with different functions and that they were so accessible to me. The plants mentioned above are only a small portion of the extraordinarily, lengthy list of plants that serve these functions. From a new plant lover to you, explore your path to a plant that is rightfully yours. You can look at a variety of plants at Flowers and Favors, the Exchange Place, and the other garden centers mentioned above to start your plant exploration journey.

Alexis Kim
Author: Alexis Kim