Meet the easy-to-grow indoor plants proven to boost your mood

Indoor plants don’t just look good, they do good too! Here’s what our leafy friends can do, plus the best plants for cultivating your own little jungle. 

Studies have shown that indoor plants placed around the workplace can increase staff productivity, make workers feel more alert, and even boost morale. One study showed that simply having a view of a garden from the office could reduce the number of sick days staff might take. 

A 2009 study showed that patients staying in hospital rooms with plants or flowers had lower blood pressure and experienced a faster recovery than people in rooms without greenery. 

Caring for an indoor plant may combat feelings of loneliness, isolation and depression, as nurturing another living thing provides a sense of purpose.  

Just like walking in a forest, or lying under a tree in your local park, feelings of calm and peace can be felt around indoor plants too. This study showed that simply looking at a plant when you’re experiencing stress or anxiety could reduce negative feelings. 

If you’re ready to start cultivating your own little lounge room forest, here are our favourite easy-to-grow indoor plants and how to care for them:

These popular plants, with their shiny green leaves and occasional tall white flowers, grow happily just about anywhere – even in dark corners. Their leaves will start to droop when they need water. 

Also known as Mother-in-law Tongue, these hardy indoor plants prefer their soil on the dry side, and can go for a few weeks without water. They’re prone to rot, so make sure you’re potting your plant in free-draining soil.

Extremely hard to kill, the Zanzibar Gem can survive for months without water (but pop a reminder in your phone to give it a drink every few weeks). 

These long-leafed plants will grow well in almost all conditions, but prefer bright, indirect sun and the occasional drink of water. 

A popular plant for hanging baskets, Devil’s Ivy grows long, leafy tendrils that’ll give your house an Amazon Jungle-esque feel (minus all the mosquitoes). Devil’s Ivy can grow anywhere, but we suggest popping it in a spot that gets plenty of indirect sunlight. Give it some water every week or so. 

The story goes that if you place a coin in the soil your money plant grows in, you’ll immediately attract wealth. We can’t confirm or deny this will happen to you, but you will be rewarded by a sweet, easy to maintain indoor plant. These round-leafed beauties do best in light spots, and like water once a week. 

If you’re new to gardening, perhaps don’t start with the fiddle-leaf as they can be – well – a little on the fickle side… But once you’ve got the hang of caring for your new green friends, think about investing in a fig. They like a warm environment with plenty of light, but keep them away from drafts and don’t touch their leaves (as they’re prone to go brown). Fiddle leafs lean towards the sun, so rotate their pot every month or so. 

With watering, the general rule of thumb is that if the soil feels moist, they don’t need water; if the soil is dry and shrinking away from the edge of the pot, your plant needs a drink.

Please note: some of these plants are toxic, so keep them out of reach of pets and kids!

Disclaimer:
This is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a financial adviser, or medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.