PLANT BENEFITS
May 22, 2026
Several weeks ago, NBC aired a report about the air quality in offices and the resulting consequences that can impact office workers who spend so many hours cooped-up inside. A few office employees related how they usually felt worse and even looked the part after all day in an office environment. Ladies even complained about the adverse cosmetic effects of the dry air on their appearance and hair styling. While I can't officially offer hair or skin tips since I'm neither a licensed stylist or dermatologist, one has to wonder if there are natural options that could literally help create a more pleasant office atmosphere.
I've never been much for houseplants and I've rarely expressed much interest in them. I used to slavishly water them just enough to keep the plants alive, paying little attention to them apart from that. That is, until I decided to look up some of the benefits of a few of these green wonders. And I was absolutely amazed at the span and breadth of their useful qualities! Notwithstanding the fact that it's a pure stroke of genius on the part of our Creator that plants (in the daytime) absorb the carbon dioxide we breathe out, and subsequently release oxygen which we require for life. And there are even some plants such as the Sansevieria that go the extra mile and continue this process after the sun has set, outputting beneficial oxygen even at night through a process known as Crassulacean Acid Metabolism. (The photo above displays a fairly new sprout of the latter. In the occasional spare time that I do have, sometimes I propagate plants around the house that are ripe for division. And although I try my best, unfortunately the new offshoots aren't always successful 🥀 😭 . But it does provide me a respite from the hours of sorting through tech issues, coding, image prep, or writing that I engage in throughout a typical week…) Venus fly traps lure corresponding insects and draw nutrients from their unsuspecting prey once they capture them. Air plants require an occasional misting of water, but they can incredibly exist without soil. And a few types of indoor palms even help humidify the atmosphere, releasing a surprising equivalent of hydration into the air on a regular basis!
While I've never been one to place plants or animals above people and I'm still not advocating for that, perhaps it's in humanity's best interest to find ways to preserve what has been placed here on earth for our benefit. At times I wince inside when I see the type of wanton destruction of plant (or animal) life that takes place in partially unexplored places like the Amazon jungle. Who knows, perhaps some unknown tree or plant in such environments can potentially hold cures for cancer or for so many of the ailments brought on by our indoor & often artificially-sustained lives.