Relatives from a Distant Realm

Selecting houseplants resembles more of a furniture shopping experience than bringing home a pet—we often view ferns and philodendrons as decorative items instead of living beings. However, a potted plant shares more similarities with a dog than an inanimate object. Not only is it alive and requires care, but recent discoveries reveal that plants are far more interactive and dynamic than we once believed.

Plants Are Intelligent

Though a collective agreement is still forming, a growing body of research supports the notion that plants exhibit intelligence, with some even suggesting they possess a form of consciousness. What we often perceive as stationary vegetation is actually bustling with life, sending and receiving chemical signals and vibrations as they communicate with fungi, insects, and each other.

Plants are actively interpreting which insects are munching on their leaves so they can chemically signal the right predators, relocating their leaves to allow their neighbors better access to sunlight, or even tracking the length of daylight to determine the right moment to germinate. In short, they aren’t just quietly existing; they are engaged in an active life.

Air Quality Allies

The houseplants we bring into our homes provide benefits beyond mere aesthetic appeal. They enhance our indoor air quality by exchanging carbon dioxide for oxygen and can even filter harmful pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in common household items (see sidebar). To gain the full advantages of their cleansing abilities, it’s best to have a good variety of plants in your space!

Visible Companionship

Beyond enhancing our air quality, research indicates that merely having plants nearby can elevate our mood, boost productivity, and even aid in hospital recovery. A single plant in a child’s vicinity can improve their concentration. With about 90% of our lives spent indoors (and for many of us, outdoor plants may be dormant for extended periods), our potted companions become essential allies for our well-being.

Care and Connection

When we remove plants from their natural environments, they can no longer live independently without our support—like trimming dead leaves, ensuring proper hydration, adding necessary nutrients, and finding an ideal spot in the sunlight.

These interactions not only fulfill our part of the caregiving relationship, but they also enhance our own health. For instance, spending just 15 minutes repotting a houseplant has been shown to significantly lower stress and blood pressure—making it an ideal remedy for too much screen time!