Can indoor plants cool a room?
It is no secret that indoor plants are beneficial…
… to their surroundings in particular.
In addition to purifying the air in a room…
… they can also make any room seem more lively and vibrant.
The question that always comes up, however…
… is whether plants can also cool down the room in where they are.
Hear it first from Jenna!
A week ago, I asked my friend to interior design my house…
Primarily because all throughout my life living there…
My house feel so empty and ‘desert’ like…
I haven’t been fortunate enough to be creative with my interior space…
Hence, the expertise of my friend is very much needed…
After around weeks worth of renovating…
My friend finally called me back to my house…
She told me that this renovation will surprise me – a total surprise!
She even hinted me by saying that the surprise will be tropical…
… like jungle tropical – and that’s exactly it!
I entered my house and indoor plants surround my entire living space…
I was in so much awe since I’ve never seen a house so beautiful…
My friend specifically told me that plants will help your house a lot…
Not just to beautify, but also to cool a room – every room to be exact…
They’re basically every interior designers’ best friend!
Now I can say goodbye to my ‘desert’ home…
… and wave hello to my full of breeze brand new home!
Wasn’t that amazing?
After that back story, let me guide you to more in depth explanation of this process…
… so you will be totally convinced and get your thorough answer of the question…
… can indoor plants cool a room?
Read on and find out even more on the indoor plants selection available!
Can Indoor Plants Cool A Room?
Indoor plants can cool a room…
By transpiring – the process where plants absorb water…
… from the roots and then release it as water vapor…
… through the pores of their leaves…
… plants release water into the atmosphere…
… preventing your house from overheating.
Plants cool by the process of “transpiration”, releasing moisture into the air. A USDA estimate is that proper use of plants could decrease air temperature in an office by as much as ten degrees.
Dr. Leonard Perry, Horticulture Professor Emeritus, from University of Vermont
As a plant transpires, the surrounding air cools…
… providing purified, cool and fresh air to the nearby areas.
Additionally, plants absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen…
There are many potted plants that can purify the surrounding air of harmful toxins…
Furthermore…
In addition to bringing down the temperature…
… they have a stylish appearance.
In addition to controlling the humidity in a room within an optimum range…
… these plants are beneficial to human health.
The office environment can be made cooler by as much as ten degrees…
… with plants if the plants are used properly.
This moisture from the plants maintains the indoor humidity…
… to a level that is comfortable for humans.
This can help improve productivity and concentration…
On to the juicy part…
Benefits Of Indoor Plants
When the weather gets hot, outdoor plants can assist…
… in maintaining a cool environment.
If you have trees outside your house…
… they can provide your home with…
… the cooling effect of an air conditioner.
Having indoor plants, however, will not produce the same effect…
Still, they add humidity to your rooms, which can help you…
… save money on your air conditioning and heating.
Moisture Releasing
They evaporate this moisture from their leaves…
By adding moisture to the air, they can cool a room or warm them…
As moisture is released into the air…
… the temperature of a warm room can be reduced by some degrees.
The moist air, however, will hold heat better…
… if the room is cold, such as during the winter.
If you have indoor plants that produce humid air…
… you can lower the thermostat in winter.
Using this method can help you save on energy costs…
Reduce Illness
There is no real proof, but plants have an undeniable effect…
… on the environment in which they live.
Indoor plants are becoming more common in hospitals and schools…
Even some businesses found that introducing some plants to their office…
… had a positive effect on their employees.
You can reduce depression, stress, and worry with indoor plants…
… and you can boost your positivity with them as well.
The quality of air you breathe can enhance your overall well-being…
A high level of indoor air quality…
… can enhance concentration, resulting in increased productivity.
You will be able to recover from sicknesses…
… and mental fatigue faster when the air is clean.
Having indoor plants will allow you…
… to make better use of your home’s space.
Many studies have shown that people prefer living spaces with plants…
Hence, placing plants throughout your home…
… will lead to these rooms being more regularly used.
Wealthy Appearance
Several studies have shown that people are more likely…
… to attribute higher wealth levels to homes with indoor plants.
Ways To Use Indoor Plants To Cool A Room
Placing plants near a window can provide shade inside your home…
… without completely blocking the light.
The plants you should use should be hardy and prefer sunny spots…
Using scented herbs can help you cool a room…
Herbs with a pleasant scent can make you feel better…
… improve your memory, and improve your mental capacity.
It is also possible to use herbs infused with oils…
According to research, these types of plants…
… can lower your pulse rate if you are in a stressful situation.
Choose plants with large, dark leaves if you want to create…
… a good air filter that can absorb toxins such as ammonia and formaldehyde.
Plants that release scents will give your home a natural scent…
A few plants with fragrant flowers function as natural dehumidifiers…
Their leaves are coated with specialized water-absorbing cells…
… that pull moisture out of the air.
Likewise, there is no need to water or care for them much…
Indoor Plants That Can Help Cool A Room
Aloe Vera
There is a great deal of water in the leaves of the Aloe Vera plant…
Cool evaporating moisture is released into the air during transpiration…
In the evening, Aloe Vera also absorbs carbon dioxide…
… and releases oxygen into the atmosphere.
By keeping this plant in your bedroom…
… they will cool a room and help you sleep better.
Aloe vera is also capable of removing formaldehyde and benzene from the air…
When planting Aloe Vera, you need well-draining soil…
… and you should let the soil dry between waterings.
Palms
Palm trees provide natural humidification, such as the Areca palm…
A mature tree can produce a liter of evaporating moisture per day…
As well as cool a room, it can help remove…
… formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene from indoor air.
It is ideal to grow an Areca palm with a thick root system at the bottom…
A plant with a small trunk diameter can be quite difficult to maintain…
Other Palms
These palms are adapted for absorbing carbon dioxide and excreting oxygen…
If the leaf surface is larger, it will produce more oxygen…
It is as if you have an indoor rainforest if you have a set of palms…
If you do this during the summer, your home will feel tropical…
Bamboo palm is another palm that acts as an excellent humidifier…
In addition, it is effective at filtering toxins from the air…
Ficus Benjamina (Weeping Fig)
The leaves of this tree help keep the atmosphere moist and the temperature cool…
This plant can provide relief from the heat if you spend a lot of time indoors…
By absorbing any heavy metal particles found in the air…
… it contributes to the reduction of indoor pollution…
… and the improvement of air quality.
Choose a tree that has a large trunk and a bushy top…
… if you want a forest canopy for other plants below or around it.
Water the plant regularly during the summer and make sure…
… it gets plenty of sunlight by placing it in medium light.
Ficus Elastica (Rubber Plant)
By increasing humidity in a room, you can cool a room…
… and this house plant is very effective at replenishing the moisture in the air.
Having bigger and more foliage will allow the plant…
… to release more moisture into the air.
Plants like this take in water through their roots…
… and release moisture through the pores on the underside of their leaves…
… when the climate is humid.
Ferns
Ferns are also an air cleaner, since it not only cool a room and humidify them…
… but also removes formaldehyde from the air.
NASA research claim that ferns are among the best air-purifying plants…
The Boston fern is one of the most decorative interior plants…
The humidification and purification of the surrounding air…
… is achieved naturally by the tree.
The plant also has the best air purifying properties of all the plants…
The plant can tolerate both poor light and drought…
… and thrive in bright light and moist soil.
Snake Plant (Mother-In-Law’s Tongue)
This plant’s sculptural elegance removes pollutants and releases oxygen…
… into the atmosphere throughout the night.
As a result of its high water content, when it transpires…
… it releases cool evaporated moisture into the atmosphere.
As long as you place it in a sunny spot, you can place it in your window…
The sun can be blocked from entering a room…
… if too much sunshine is entering it.
As a result, they will cool a room and other plants will have shade…
This plant can also improve your sleep by being placed in your bedroom…
The cooler air in your room will also help keep you comfortable at night…
Golden Pothos
There is very little maintenance required for this plant…
This one is for those of you who do not really enjoy taking care of plants…
The plant does not require much light or care…
Although it can keep the air around you cool…
… it can also purify the air within the room.
Since its mass is lush, evergreen leaves are heart-shaped…
… and it sprouts stems easily, it can easily outgrow its original container.
Although it greatly improves your home’s air quality, it can be quite expensive…
Compared to other air purifiers, it efficiently removes air pollutants…
… such as carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene.
However, the leaves of this plant are toxic…
To sum it up…
Thanks to the transpiration process your indoor plants must get through…
You now have yourself a full of breeze home…
Not only that these plants cool a room…
… they also reduce illness, supply moisture, and adds up to that wealthy home look!
Moreover, you can choose any plant that suit you…
… from the list of 8 top indoor plants that will help you with the cool breeze effect.
There’s basically nothing to lose from trying this out for yourself…
… if you’re still unsure of the result.
Conclusion
If you happen to try any of the plants above…
Let us know how your experience went like…
… and share it with other people that will relate to your stories.
Check out more posts on this website, like this one here!
Contact us for personal queries or if you only need a friend to talk to…
… for gardening matters only of course!
Have an awesome gardening journey folks!