Guest Post By Teri Silver
Easy-to-grow houseplants bring the joy of nature indoors — especially uplifting for the elderly. Filling a home with greenery is a great way to filter the air for better day and nighttime breathing.
Seniors in assisted living have their own space and are bound to have enough room for one, two, or a window ledge full of potted plants. But if you don’t have a direct sunlight source, artificial Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) | US EPAplant lights can pick up the slack.
Cold winters and hot summers affect everyone, especially seniors who stay indoors most of the day. Indoor air quality is affected by dust, cleaning chemicals, airborne particles, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Plants are nature’s air filters –– they absorb chemicals while emitting oxygen.
1. Succulents
Succulent garden plants are mostly popular outdoors, especially in the southwestern states. But you can create a succulent garden inside with snake plants, aloe vera, Christmas cacti, and rubber plants to name a few. Consider these indoor house plants.
2. Snake Plants
Snake plants, also called “mother-in-law’s tongue,” are sturdy, thick pointed fronds. They don’t need much water or light and are good for bedrooms because they remove carbon dioxide from the air. Snake plant fronds thrive in direct sunlight but can grow well in filtered light. ‘Sansevieria’ is a common snake plant variety suitable for the home.
Care for Snake Plants
● Place in low or indirect light
● Water when the top 2 to 3 inches of soil is dry
● Apply plant food, if needed
● Re-pot if the plant roots have outgrown the container.
3. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera removes benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon dioxide from the air while releasing oxygen. Aloes practically grow themselves –– they are very prolific, producing many offshoots. Aloes are prickly –– so be careful when handling them –– but they have a medicinal gel for treating burns and scratches. Aloes love sunny windows.
Care for Aloe Vera
● Use a container with drainage holes (aloes don’t like too much water)
● Plant with a cactus potting soil mix or a standard one with added perlite
● Water only when the soil is dry
● Remove and re-pot the “babies” – offshoots from the main plant
4. Christmas Cactus
Christmas cactus plants usually bloom with long tubular flowers in late November through December, but they may last longer. Cacti grow up to 24 inches high and 36 inches wide. Place them in a hanging basket or on a plant stand; the greenery is pretty all year long. Liquid fertilizer helps these plants thrive, but plain tap water also does the job. Christmas cacti prefer bright but not direct sunlight.
Care for Christmas Cacti
● Place in indirect light
● Water when the top 1 to 2 inches are dry
● Apply plant food after blooming
● Prune lightly to reshape
5. Rubber Plants
Rubber plants remove mold spores, bacteria, and formaldehyde from the air. With large, glossy foliage, rubber plants are very hardy, and can grow up to 10 feet tall inside (but you can prune them back to a more manageable size). ‘Rubra’ is a popular variety –– it has pink to red foliage and green edges. Rubber plants prefer indirect light.
Care for Rubber Plants
● Place in potting soil mix, peat moss, and coconut coir
● Place next to a window but not in direct sunlight
● Monitor watering; don’t allow roots to become oversaturated
● Prune as needed
6. Peace Lilies
Peace lilies eliminate indoor chemicals like ammonia, benzene, acetone, formaldehyde, and xylene. Their bright, glossy leaves and white floral spikes within the stems are pleasant to look at, but peace lilies are toxic to pets that chew on leaves. Place peace lilies on a high window ledge.
Care for Peace Lilies
● Plant in well-draining all-purpose potting soil
● Place in indirect light (east-facing windows bring in the morning sun)
● Water, but don’t overhydrate. (Leaves develop brown tips when they’re thirsty, and the plant starts to droop)
● Peace lilies grow best in temperatures above 60 degrees
Houseplants are pretty to look at but more importantly, they clean up the air we breathe. Hydroponic gardens are another option; they come in various sizes and only use water and liquid fertilizer to grow herbs, flowers, and small vegetables.
No matter how old your thumb is, green is a good color on you!
Teri Silver is a journalist and outdoor enthusiast. She and her husband live on five acres with a vast lawn, three gardens, a farm pond, many trees, and a lot of yard work! The best parts of the year are summer and fall when home-grown veggies are on the dinner table.
