Plants and exposure to greenery have been found to have mental health benefits and like any new skill or hobby, taking care of houseplants comes with difficulty. Anyone starting to care for plants should be patient and allow themselves time to learn the basics. Here are several plants recommended for giving mental health benefits:
Snake Plant
These popular indoor plants have a striking appearance, with dark green sword-shaped leaves that have yellow or white stripes. It is a great first plant, and is very easy to care for. It grows in spaces with low sunlight, has visual appeal and cleans the air.
Lavender
Well known for its relaxing smell, lavender has a calming effect, aids in reducing stress, promotes sleep and specially has anti-inflammatory (抗炎的) effects when used as a medicine for skin. You can cut it off and dry the leaves or even put them into your bath.
Pothos
If you want to go bright green, try pothos. The plants grow long stems that can hang from a pot and grow downward, or the stems can climb and grow upward. They clean the air and look beautiful hanging down a bookcase or shelf.
Lemon Balm
This fragrant green herb is part of the mint family and is simple to plant. Known for its calming properties, it has a light lemony smell and has been used to improve sleep, reduce stress and anxiety.
Basil
The experience of growing, picking and using herbs you’ve grown yourself has a positive impact on your mental health, creating a sense of accomplishment. Eating basil has health benefits too. It has properties that help to relieve stress and anxiety, and eating it can clear your mind.
【小题1】What do snake plant and pothos have in common?| A．Long stems. | B．Bright green leaves. |
| C．Purifying the air. | D．Relaxing your mind. |
| A．Promoting sleep. | B．Resisting inflammation. |
| C．Reducing stress. | D．Clearing your mind. |
| A．Basil. | B．Snake Plants. | C．Pothos. | D．Lavender. |
