By Dann McNulty – mindbodygreen.com 

 Plants are a powerhouse of wellness for your home. They'll provide you with a host of benefits, and they'll make your house look great while doing it. I’ll admit, I’ve been kind of obsessed with this idea lately, and I think you’ll find the concept intriguing as well after learning about the myriad benefits they offer.

1. They purify your air. You probably know that plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen; plants in your home are no exception. Oxygen affects every part of your body and mind, and making sure you get quality air is essential to your well-being.

Did you know NASA uses plants on the International Space Station to help with air quality? Certain species purify the air of toxins like benzene, formaldehyde, and more. In order to do this efficiently, the researchers at NASA recommend at least one plant per 100 square feet of home or office space.

2. They're truly local produce.  A lot of people don't live in a climate where it's possible to plant something like a lemon tree or a lime tree outside, but did you know there are dwarf versions of these? They thrive while potted indoors virtually everywhere in the US. They even have dwarf banana trees, pineapple trees, avocado trees, fig trees, and more. All that fruit right in your sun room or living room window!

Imagine picking stevia leaves right off the stem, enjoying a fresh avocado for breakfast, or making a drink with limes and mint leaves that were grown right in your kitchen. A fully fruited lemon tree at a party would probably make for quite the conversation piece as well. There are some things you just won’t find in a Midwest or Northeastern farmer’s market, and fresh local citrus fruits or locally grown avocados are usually some of those things. Having these growing right in your own house is as local as it gets.

3. They make your house a home.  This is probably the best catchall for all those intangible qualities that having more plants will bring to your home. Plants are living things, and when you’re surrounded by living things you will feel better; you’re literally bringing more life into your house! There’s something about bringing live pieces of nature inside that just radiates a healthy energy throughout the room.

Fragrant plants like dwarf Kaffir lime trees will also fill the room with the most wonderful scents. It’s an all-natural alternative to those wall plug-ins filled with artificial fragrance chemicals. Other aromatics like mint, lemon grass, bay leaves, and basil (as well other others) have the added bonus of naturally repelling bugs as well! 

All in all, when you have a lot of plants in your house, the benefits reach multiple aspects of your life. You’re improving the air you breathe, getting a healthy renewable ultra-local agricultural pipeline, naturally freshening your air, repelling insects, and bringing a unique energy into your home. With a little botanical maintenance, the rewards are endless.