Besides providing stylish decor, keeping houseplants provides several benefits, even for those who struggle to keep them alive. Like an extremely low maintenance pet, most houseplants only require sunlight, water and the occasional repotting to thrive in an indoor setting, in return providing a small sense of nature to brighten up a room. While certain plants require more care than others, there remains a wide selection of beautiful and hard-to-kill plants for those without a green thumb.

Studies show that, like plants outside, houseplants help purify the air around them, although recent evidence suggests that they may not do enough to make a significant difference in the average home. Whether or not a houseplant on one’s desk actually makes the air cleaner, simply having something to care for provides a sense of satisfaction to those who keep plants in their homes and workplaces.

As a large portion of society remains confined to their homes due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, houseplants provide a distraction from worries and offer a small sense of purpose and responsibility to those whose normal routines become upended, as well as a patch of beauty.

“Houseplants make my house seem more homey and welcoming. It’s nice to be able to set [aside] time to care for something living other than one’s self. Being stuck at home and bored is making me keener on taking care of them [as well],” sophomore Becky Peña-Rubio said.

Whether one benefits from the physical aspect of owning houseplants or not, the mental and aesthetic benefits continue for those who choose to care for a small piece of nature in their home.