While plants are a great way to purify the oxygen in your space, it’s true; but you would need a lot of plants to make a difference- over 20 plants in a small space. Your best bet for improving air quality is to add an air purifier or HVAC. However, houseplants are great for purifying your home’s humidity. In the winter we need humidity with dry heaters running all the time, but plants are never going to match using a humidifier and adding a humidifier can also be good for your plants. If you do have a lot of plants you would group plants together to make more humidity. Greenhouses have a lot of humidity because of the number of plants, but even still there is often added humidity in the space.

A lot of plants can help remove organic compounds and idea first became popular in the late 90s, but they won’t make a huge difference. If you have a freshly painted room, you will get farther with a fan and ventilation then you would by placing a few plants in the space. There was a myth that placing a cactus beside your computer would protect you from the bad rays, but there is no science to back that up.

Having plants can help mental and physical health, while improving how quickly you heal. Plants can create a calming effect. Being around plants can release serotonin and dopamine while reducing cortisol. So they can make you calmer and reduce stress and reducing stress can improve your immune system, so if you’re injured or sick, you can heal faster! Plants for children can also help teach nurturing. There are studies that show if kids classrooms look onto a green space, it can improve their grades.

Here are some plant recommendations that don’t require too much TLC to elevate your mood: