Have you ever wondered what are the Benefits of growing Succulents? It’s easy to see why succulents are so trendy and gain popularity year after year: they are beautiful, easy to care for, and make amazing home decor.
But, wait, that’s not all!
If you, like me, are a succulent lover, you’ll find this guide very in-depth and helpful.
5 Health Benefits of Growing Succulents in Your Home
When you look at your succulent, the first thing you notice is its extraordinary features: beautiful color, shape, and texture. Each plant has its own unique qualities, but they all come with useful health benefits worth knowing.
Listed below are the top 5 health benefits of growing succulents in your home.
- Helps to purify the air
- Improve the humidity in your home
- Can improve your focus and productivity
- Can help reduce stress and anxiety
- Have medicinal properties (agave, yucca, aloe)
Helps to Purify the air
Plants act like nature’s filters. They help reduce the level of carbon dioxide by increasing the quantity of oxygen in the air. They also help increase humidity, reduce levels of pollutants in the air, reduce airborne dust levels, and keep air temperatures down.
Usually at night plants absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide, whereas succulents, and a few other plants like orchids and areca palms, keep producing oxygen all through the night.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep these plants in your bedroom for an extra boost of refreshed air during your sleep, this way increasing your chances for better rest.
Improves the Humidity in Your Home
Succulents can also increase humidity in your home by releasing water vapor through the pores of their leaves during photosynthesis enhancing the level of humidity in your home. They act as humidifiers, but in a totally eco-friendly way.
The best natural solution to poor indoor air quality is by using plants (read more about this topic in this interesting article). Increased moisture can improve common health problems such as dry cough, common cold, dry itchy skin, and soar throat.
It can Improve Your Focus and Productivity
It’s interesting to know that several studies conducted on students and workers have found that concentration, attentiveness, and brain capabilities improve when studying or working with plants in the room. The visual stimulation of green foliage plants tended to improve attention and feelings of comfort.
Read more about this fascinating topic in this study where researchers show that the mere presence of plants in an office setting boosts one’s ability to maintain attention.
Can Help Reduce Stress and Anxiety
According to a study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, active interaction with indoor plants (like planting, touching, and smelling) can reduce physiological and psychological stress.
What’s more, even the potting soil can help you keep a handle on daily stress and anxiety. This is because the soil contains microbes that work as natural antidepressants. It boosts your mood by releasing cytokines, which then leads your brain to produce more serotonin. So, just by being around the soil, these outdoorphins flood your body and lift up your mood.
It has also been established that plants confer positive changes in the brain’s electrical activity, muscle tension, and heart activity. To find out more about how succulents can reduce stress levels and anxiety, read this interesting article.
Have Medicinal Properties
There’s no doubt that succulents look fabulous on display in our kitchens and living rooms. They are beautiful plants: colorful, unique, and famously easy to grow and keep alive.
But is not just that, succulents are, indeed, great plants to have around for calmness, relaxation, and intensive healing properties.
Below you can read about succulents with medicinal properties.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a stemless or very short-stemmed succulent plant that can grow up to 40 inches tall. It has thick, fleshy, green to bluish-grey leaves. You can find aloe everywhere, especially in juices, lotions, and creams.
Aloe vera contains active compounds that reduce pain, and inflammation and stimulates skin growth and repair. Can be applied topically as a remedy for burns, cuts, and minor wounds and there is some evidence that it’s beneficial for inflammatory skin conditions and even dandruff.
Although Aloe Vera is very beneficial to humans, it is toxic to dogs, cats, and other pets.
Read more in this interesting article.
Agave
Agave is a long-leaved succulent plant that naturally forms a rosette shape and produces a flower spire of attractive cup-shaped blooms. Originally from Mexico, the agave now grows across the world in similar growth conditions: a sunny and dry climate, and well-drained soil. Agave leaves vary from bluish-green to silver-gray and are usually long and narrow, but can be also short and broad.
The leaf margins are typically lined with large, sharp spines (teeth) and each leaf is usually tipped with a hard, sharp spine This plant has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, allowing wounds, burns, and skin irritations to heal. Agave has also been used in treating toothache and has a strong laxative property. But remember: all parts of agave are toxic to dogs, cats, and other pets. Read more in this interesting article.
Yucca
The yucca plant contains saponins, which are chemical compounds that have anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritis properties. Because it contains high amounts of vitamin C and antioxidants and boosts the immune system and overall health.
Lastly, yucca provides multiple skin benefits. Studies have shown that yucca has photoprotective properties, and it may be able to protect against sun damage better than some commercial SPFs.
5 More Benefits of Growing Succulents
Without a doubt, the benefits of growing succulents go way beyond the ones related to health.
They make a healthy snack
Yes, you have read it right!
Some succulents like dragon fruit, pineapple, yucca, and some species of cacti, like opuntia and saguaro are edible. And not just that, they can be eaten in a variety of ways (raw, grilled, juiced, or mashed) and provide some nutritional elements to your diet, like fiber, vitamins, and minerals, with very low carbs.
Disclaimer: The contents of this article is for educational and gardening purposes only. Before using or ingesting ANY herb or plant for medicinal purposes or otherwise, please consult a physician, or medical herbalist, for advice.
Easy to grow and propagate
Succulents are the perfect plants for beginners. They can be grown indoors as well as outdoor plants, and the best thing is that they are very low-maintenance plants, because of their ability to store water inside the leaves and stems, which means you don’t need to water them often.
Succulents have the ability to adapt to changes very quickly. Coming from arid regions they are likely to live with extensive sunlight and less water. But when brought to a wet and humid climate, they easily adapt to the damp climate.
Just make sure to choose the right succulents (and suitable soil, preferably a well-draining one) for the right place. Most succulents love a sunny spot, whether indoors or outdoors.
You’ll also be surprised at how easy is to propagate succulents. Propagation is a way to grow your plant collection by taking a part of an existing plant to form a new plant. With just a little practice, research, and effort, you can have endless succulents!
Budget-Friendly
Given their popularity, you can find a great selection of affordable succulents both locally and also online. I usually buy my plants locally, because I like to inspect them before purchasing to make sure the leaves and stems are healthy and fleshy and there is no presence of black spots on them.
If you are looking for a rare or hard-to-find succulent, or if you need to buy in bulk, then most likely the best and most affordable option is to buy online.
Have many creative uses
Succulents allow you to express your creativity in many ways. They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colors, and they thrive so well planted in so many different containers that you can come up with a million unique projects to grow and display them.
They make beautiful arrangements, centerpieces, vertical walls, and much more! For more inspiration check this DIY Succulent Plant Terrarium Ideas video below.
They make unique gifts
Go green and make a beautiful and unique succulent gift for your friends and family, and they are gonna love it! Succulents are colorful, easy to transport, and well-known as a symbol of tenacity, strength, and selfless love.
Unlike flowers and most plants that require special attention, succulents are known for their easy care and sustainability. So, gifting succulents would be a great idea to show unconditional love to the person you love the most.
As I mentioned previously in this post (5 Health Benefits of Growing Succulent), succulents add positive energy along with purifying the environment and with their unique and beautiful shapes, can add mesmerizing beauty to the place.
Final Thoughts
There you go, everything you need to know about the benefits of growing succulents! Hope you enjoyed reading this article and have found it helpful! If you like, feel free to leave a comment or share your knowledge on this topic in the section below.