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Houseplants for a Calmer Home: What the RHS and University of Reading Study Found About Which Plants Feel Most Relaxing

Posted on by Just Relax Store

A houseplant is one of the simplest ways to bring a little nature indoors, and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has published research on which ones people find most relaxing. The findings come from a study carried out with the University of Reading. This guide sets out what it found, how to read the results and which easy-care plants the researchers suggested for beginners.

What the study looked at

According to the RHS, the study investigated the psychological responses of 520 participants to images of 8 houseplant species commonly found in UK homes and offices. All the plants were healthy and green-leafed except one neglected palm with browned foliage, and weeping figs were shown in four different shapes: sphere, column, pyramid and spreading. Participants chose favourite and least favourite plants and rated each one on scales from ugly to beautiful, boring to interesting, depressing to uplifting, unhealthy to healthy and sharp to soft. They also rated how beneficial they thought each plant was for wellbeing and air quality.

The design matters when reading the results: participants were responding to images and giving their perceptions, rather than living with the plants over weeks. The findings are therefore about how people feel about the look of the plants, which is what the RHS and the University of Reading report.

The headline findings

The RHS reports that the pothos, the weeping fig in sphere and column shapes, and the palm were significantly preferred to all other plants, with pothos being the number one choice for 22% of participants. The neglected palm was the lowest-ranking plant for 60% of people. Within the weeping figs, the sphere was the most popular shape. The cactus attracted the most divided opinions. Apart from the unhealthy palm, all the plants were considered beautiful, uplifting and beneficial to wellbeing and air quality to some extent.

The University of Reading’s news release summarises the result in the same terms: rounded, leafy and healthy plants give the biggest boost to wellbeing in homes and offices, while neglected plants can be worse than none at all. It adds that the researchers recommend removing unhealthy plants, and that age and gender did not affect preference for plants or their perceived benefits.

What made a plant feel relaxing

The RHS notes that participants rated upliftingness and interestingness as the most important characteristics for wellbeing. The plants rated most relaxing were the weeping fig in sphere, column or pyramid shapes, the palm and the pothos. The RHS summarises the secrets of the top three:

  • Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina): lush, green, with a high leaf area and dense canopy that can be pruned into pleasing shapes such as spheres or columns.
  • Pothos (Epipremnum aureum): lush, green and with a high leaf area, and trailing vines considered interesting.
  • Palm (Dypsis lutescens): lush, green and familiar, with possible happy associations or memories such as holidays or tropical destinations.

What houseplants do and do not do for air

The RHS says houseplants can have small effects on indoor air quality, including reducing carbon dioxide levels, absorbing airborne pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and increasing ambient humidity. The University of Reading’s release states that houseplants generally only have a small effect on air quality, and that the positive feelings associated with them have a greater effect on improving wellbeing and reducing stress. The RHS quotes Dr Tijana Blanusa saying the research shows the psychological value of a simple houseplant in a situation where individual plants’ physical impact on indoor air quality may be limited. A plant, in other words, is best chosen for how it looks and feels, and not as an air purifier.

Easy-care plants suggested by the researchers

Because neglected plants scored poorly, the University of Reading release stresses choosing plants that can be easily maintained. It lists five low-maintenance options for the home and office:

  • the ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), an evergreen that can grow in full shade, does not need a lot of water and tolerates neglect;
  • mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata), described as one of the hardest houseplants to kill and tolerant of shade;
  • devil’s ivy (Epipremnum aureum), an evergreen climber with glossy leaves that needs moist soil and appreciates misting;
  • spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), which tolerates a range of conditions and prefers indirect light and regular watering; and
  • aloes, easy-to-maintain succulents that like full light and not too much water or humidity.

The release also suggests self-watering containers for thirsty plants such as peace lilies, and less water-demanding choices such as Zamioculcas.

Putting it into practice

A sensible approach based on the findings is to start with one healthy plant that suits the room’s light, place it where it is seen often and keep it thriving. The site’s guide to creating a calming home environment covers the wider room, and the guide to gardening for relaxation looks at outdoor and small-space growing.

Frequently asked questions

Do houseplants clean the air? The RHS and the University of Reading both describe the effect on indoor air quality as small, so a plant is better valued for the way it looks and feels.

Is a dying plant better than none? According to the study, no. Unhealthy plants were regarded as depressing and worse than having no plants at all.

Does the plant have to be a particular species? The study found some plants were preferred, but the researchers stress that appearance and health matter, and that healthy, beautiful, green plants are likely to benefit everyone.

The bottom line

The RHS and University of Reading study of 520 participants found that lush, healthy, rounded houseplants, led by weeping fig, pothos and palm, were rated most uplifting and relaxing, while a neglected plant was worse than none. The effect on air is small, so choose an easy-care plant that will stay healthy and enjoy the look of it. The study relied on viewers’ perceptions of plant images.

Sources

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