Whether you live in a city apartment with no space for an outdoor garden, or just want to bring some of the outdoors in, house plants can be a great addition to any home. They are beneficial for your health, can be bought in styles to fit your décor, and generally make your home more pleasant. Read on to learn about all that house plants can do for you.

Many people know that plants give off oxygen. Their respiration is the opposite of us humans, making for a great symbiotic relationship. When humans breathe in, they are supplying their bodies with the oxygen they need to metabolize food, using energy. When they breathe out, they give off carbon dioxide. When plants “breathe” in, they absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. Research has shown though, that not only do house plants absorb carbon dioxide, they can also absorb other pollutants from the air, such as smoke and chemical fumes given off by plastics, hygiene products, and office machinery. Plus, they’re much more attractive than those noisy air purification machines. One small study even showed that students pay more attention and are more eager to learn in classrooms that have house plants. Both the presence of and the act of tending to house plants appear to have calming effects on people.

Having green and other colored plants in your home or office can brighten up gray and dark winter days. If you’re an avid gardener, house plants mean that you can exercise your green thumb all year long, even when the ground outside is frozen. Sometimes you can extend the life of your outdoor plants by bringing them inside during the winter. You can also get a jump start on the spring growing season by starting seeds or forcing bulbs indoors.

Which plants to choose? As you would when selecting plants for the outside, you need to take into consideration your home’s unique environment. Do you have a lot of light, or not very much? Do you keep your house very cool or do you like it warmer? What about the humidity in your house? Properly assessing these conditions will help guide your selection to the best house plants for you. Some plants need more maintenance than others, so if you like the greenery, but don’t really want to do much work, make sure you get a low maintenance plant.