No matter which type of senior housing you live in or are considering moving into, small indoor plants give you a way to decorate your space and connect with nature while you’re indoors. It’s important to have a space you can call your own, especially when you have lost some of your independence during the aging process. So, think of small ways to decorate and fill your space with colors and items that make you happy, such as living plants.
-png.png)
We created this post as a guide to help you choose which types of indoor plants work well for a senior lifestyle. Here at Daystar Retirement Village in West Seattle, WA, our residents have the independence to cultivate houseplants, whether they’re living in our 55+ apartments, our independent living homes, or our assisted living options.
Benefits of Houseplants for Senior Health
Adding plants to your indoor space gives a simple way to improve your health. This is true for everyone, but we focus our efforts on seniors. Indoor plants offer the following proven health benefits:
- Stress-relief
- Improved well-being among those with mental health conditions, including anxiety and dementia
- Improved productivity and concentration
- Improved recovery from surgery, illness, or injury
- Healthier indoor air quality
Houseplants are a great method for coping with anxiety and managing your overall health. We recommend tending to plants along with other healthy habits such as caring for a dog, going for walks, or engaging in social activities.
In addition, let’s not overlook how indoor plants add color, life, and decor to a room. It’s nice to have a living plant that beautifies your space and makes you smile. If you’re the loved one of a senior, think about giving easy to care for plants as a thoughtful gift.
Best Indoor Plants for Beginners
Now that you know the benefits of indoor plants, we hope you consider adding one or a few to your senior living arrangement. Once that’s decided, the next item on your to-do list is to choose the types of plants wisely. With indoor plants, you need to think about certain factors that differ from outdoor gardening, such as low light and easy plants. For example, you may be seeking:
- Plants for a room with limited natural light: Some of the best indoor plants for low light include ivy, pothos, and snake plants.
- Indoor plants that produce the most oxygen: Good choices for cleansing your indoor air include bamboo, pothos, spider plant, weeping fig, and aloe vera.
- The most beautiful indoor plants: Of course, this one is a matter of opinion. Nonetheless, if beauty is your focus, we think you might like indoor flowering plants like hoyas, poinsettias, African violets, orchids, or cyclamen. Indoor tropical plants or indoor tree plants can also be quite beautiful. Ideas include a bird of paradise, a dragon tree, or a parlor palm.
- Good plants for a bedroom: For this room, you may want to choose one of the low-light plants or top oxygen-producing plants to help air quality while you sleep. Another consideration is the way to incorporate plants into your bedroom decor. For example, you could choose indoor vine plants or indoor hanging plants, which create interest by hanging down from the ceiling or a high shelf.
- Plants that are considered good luck for a home: Some indoor plants associated with good luck include a money tree, bamboo, or jade.
- Plants that do not need water: All plants need some water, but there are low-water plants that can live with minimal watering. These include rubber plants, snake plants, spider plants, cacti, and succulents.
- The easiest indoor plant to keep alive: If you don’t have the best green thumb, not to worry. Try easy plants like the snake plant, jade, ZZ plant, or pothos.
As you can see, there are many indoor plants that are easy to care for and forgiving in low-light or low-water situations. You may have noticed that some plants, such as jade and snake plants, appeared under more than one of the above factors, so they may be good choices if you're a beginner. If you’re feeling risky, you can always try a plant that catches your eye and see how it goes.
When you purchase your indoor plants, make sure you give them the best chance at life by considering factors like:
- Best potting soil for indoor plants
- Pots for indoor plants
- Best grow lights for indoor plants (optional)
We recommend that you ask someone at the local plant shop for their advice on these aspects of growing an indoor plant.
Staying Active With Activities
At Daystar Retirement Village, we encourage our residents to engage in activities that support their health and improve their quality of life. Taking care of an indoor plant is a great idea, and we also provide a full calendar of events and activities for our residents to participate in. Contact us to learn more about our housing types and availability.
