Spider Plants Are A Go!

I have spoken a number of times about how I have designed my apartment to be an allergy-free space. It’s an important thing for me that I have a space I can go back to if I am feeling under the weather with my allergies. A few weeks ago a friend sent me an article all about the benefits of spider plants.

The benefits of spider plants for asthma

Apparently, the spider plant can help us asthma warriors breathe cleaner air. Studies have shown that the spider plant is quite effective in cleaning indoor air by absorbing chemicals including formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, and carbon monoxide in homes or offices. The fact that the plant absorbs all these chemicals out of the air will only make my living space even more comfortable.¹

Right now, the air is so muggy and sticky, which really is a nightmare for my asthma. So, I have bought 2 spider plants. I have one in the lounge and the other in the kitchen. I’m not sure if I need a few more plants to really feel the benefits. They are really easy to look after. They basically take care of themselves. Even if you have a skillful knack for killing plants, as I do, you will be okay as they are fairly resilient things.

I make sure to water the plants at least once a day in the morning, especially in the hot weather that we have been having, but it only needs feeding a couple of times a week. Avoid overwatering because this could lead to root rot and your plant will die. The spider plant reacts well to bright but indirect sunlight so I try to keep away from window sills where the sunlight directly floods into my apartment. And, fun fact: spider plants will grow "spiderettes" that you can snip off, and re-pot to create more spider plants. So it could be a really cheap and efficient way to naturally help purify the air in a home. If I do find them to be beneficial to my breathing, I will definitely buy some more!

Additional must-have indoor plants for asthmatics

Learning things about my ailments is very rewarding. I never thought I would see plants as a positive thing regarding asthma. Over the last 40 yrs, I have presumed that all things green were bad. I am allergic to pollen and grass pollens, so I have been conditioned to these fixed ideas. I am now finding that there are other plants that could be helpful in cleansing the air in our homes. The money plant, Mother-in-laws's tongue, and Acra Palms are all plants that do similar things to the spider plant. Now, I will just wait to see if I notice any change. If I do not, I will keep adding to my collection. If there are positive signs I will then take steps to get hold of these other plants. Let's see.