Have you never had a plant survive in your home for more than two days? Indoor plants can beautify a home instantly, but if you have a brown thumb, you might be avoiding them. After all, there’s nothing beautiful about a bunch of indoor plants in varying stages of death. But even if you’re terrible at caring for plants, you should still give air plants a try. Air plants, or Tillandsia as they’re otherwise known, are dead simple to take care of and are beautiful to look at. You don’t need to shower them with constant attention, they thrive even with absentee parenting. Air plants also come with many health benefits. Here are just five reasons why you need to introduce air plants into your home.
1. They Can Lower Your Blood Pressure
Indoor plants can help make you a calmer person. They reduce stress, make you more optimistic and can even make you happier. All the effects combined, can reduce your blood pressure levels. One study found that people who had indoor plants had much lower blood pressure than those who didn’t. Lower blood pressure means that you have a lower risk of damaging your arterial walls, suffering from a stroke and getting a heart attack.
2. They Help You Fight Off Infections
If you’re allergy-prone, then having Tillandsia in your home could help you cope. These plants filter toxins from the room while at the same time filling the room with good, clean oxygen. They also remove dust from the air and increase humidity, which helps you recover faster from an illness. A study conducted on hospital patients found that patients who had a view of the garden recovered much quicker than those who didn’t. The secret to a healthier life and less sneezing could be as simple as growing Tillandsia in your home.
3. They Improve Air Quality
How clean is the air you’re breathing in? If you live in an urban area, then you might be breathing in more pollutants than you realized. Air plants have been found to be particularly effective in removing carbon dioxide from the air and releasing oxygen for you to breathe in. They also remove harmful chemical pollutants from the air which can damage your body. By adding air plants to your home, you’re purifying the air you breathe in, making it safer for you and your family.
4. They’re Easy To Take Care Of
If you tend to forget your indoor plants even exist, then air plants are perfect for you. These hardy plants only need to be watered once a week to be perfectly healthy. All they really need is enough light and they’ll stay with you for many years. Air plants are also very resistant to pests and diseases, so they don’t require any extra attention from you. If you lead a very busy life but still want a piece of the outdoors in your home, then air plants and you are a match made in heaven.
5. They’re Beautiful To Look At
Sure, air plants have many health benefits, but the real reason you’ll want to grow them is because they’re gorgeous to look at. Air plants don’t need any soil to grow, so you can place them literally anywhere you like. These plants can grow on many surfaces, including glass bowls, driftwood, art work and more. They give you a really great chance to be creative with your plant decor. Tillandsia also keep changing colors, so you won’t get bored of them any time soon. The leaves start out green, but they soon turn into shades of yellow, purple or even magenta.
How To Grow Air Plants
You can buy air plant ‘pups’ from your local nursery and place them anywhere you’d like. Make sure you position them somewhere that gets plenty of light, which they need for photosynthesis. However, keep them away from direct sunlight because it can get too hot from them. These plants are also the perfect choice to keep in your bathroom because they love all the steam and humidity inside.
When it’s time to water your air plants, simply dunk them face-down in a bowl of water for around 20 minutes. Then shake them dry and return to their original place. Make sure you don’t soak them for too long because this can make them rot. The best part about air plants is that you don’t need to water them more than once a week. Some varieties need to be watered more so make sure you check with the nursery first. You can spritz them with water in between each watering session if you feel they’re becoming dry.
Apart from these simple points, air plants really don’t need any additional care. So hang them where you like and watch them liven up your home.
