Welcome to the jungle! Well this is my beauty salon and not a flower shop. I am officially a plant hoarder and I do not want a cure for this disease.The reason why I started to hoard this specific type of plants is because I work as a hairstylist and I have many harmful toxic substances which accumulate throughout the day. As a person with allergy and chronic rhynitis, the quality of the air is very important for me. The indoor air is much more polluted than we think and the best solution is to have air purifying plants or an air purifier device. I picked the plant alternative. All of the plants I bought were picked especially for their air purifying qualities . If you spend many hours indoors I highly recommend you to try to improve the air quality.
Dracaena marginata (The Dragon Tree)
●Family: Asparagaceae
Ok maybe this looks too much like a Christmas tree because I decided to put some ornaments on it. These have an emotional value for me and they just represent my personality. I decided to keep beautiful things which remind me of the good in people .It might look odd for some but I like it. I had this plant for 7 years and it grows quite slow. It does not like too much water and low light is perfect for her. According to some studies this is a good purifying plant for the air. It removes benzene, toluene, formaldehyde and trichloroethilene. As a hairstylist I work with plenty of toxic substances, so this plant is very good for me and my salon.Read more here.
Dracaena fragrans ( The corn plant)
● Family :Asparagaceae
This is a plant that I really like because it has proven to be very low maintenance. It does not need a lot of watering, on the contrary, it prefers a dry soil. I bought them because they look like little palm trees and because they clean the air. This is a tropical African evergreen plant which is toxic to cats and dogs. The same toxicity that Dracaena marginata has. So for pet owners please keep this in mind. In my beauty salon I have no concerns so they are doing very well. Interesting enough the name of this plant comes from the greek word drakaina which means female dragon. I bought this plant after reading about how effective it is in purifying the air. I think that next year I will change their pots , I believe that they would grow taller if they would have a bigger pot and more soil.
Spathiphyllum wallisii (Peace lily)
● Family: Araceae
This is one of the first plants that made me become a plant hoarder. You may ask yourself why. Well I bought the first two peace lilies on a discount. They were quite ill and I restored them back to health. They regenerated so well that I could get more plants and separate them. This is how I began to multiply them. This is a wonderful plant which loves water. It is native to tropical regions from the Americas and southeastern Asia. It adores water. My beauty salon is quite in a shade friendly location and the air is moist. So I had this in mind when I bought all the plants. The peace lily will actually show you when it needs water as all leaves will start to bend down, like they are crying lol. As soon as you water the plant they go back up. Fascinating! It does not like cold air so make sure your place is warm and comfy. This plant removes acetone from the air and benzene (do you know that tobacco smoke is filled with benzene? Imagine breathing it indoors and what this does to your lungs). A lily plant will absorb microbes and fungal spores therefore it is ideal for people who suffer from allergy. Like me. This plant loves to have its leaves sprinkled with water! So I make sure to make time once in a while for a quick shower! The white flower appears only when it is enough moisture in the air. These plants love moisture and according to some it is the best bedroom plant!
Ficus benjamina (Weeping fig)
●Family: Moraceae
This was bought instantly when I saw a NASA study flyer attached to the plant saying it is one of the best air purifying plants out there! It is the official tree of Bangkok, Thailand and it is native to Asia and Australia.This is a little diva plant as it does not like to be moved around: it is sensitive to relocation, small changes in light and temperature. So where you place it first this is where you should keep it. Pretentious prick right?😅 This plant contains latex and it can cause allergy if you are not aware of your sensitivity to this particular allergen. It needs shade and it loves water, but make sure that the soil is not soggy. This plant is also poisonous for animals! According to NASA the weeping fig is effective at cleansing airborne formaldehyde, xylene and toluene.
I have a second variety of ficus which is a slow growing one, called Ficus starlight.
The leaves have a beautiful pattern! I can't wait for this little one to grow tall and I must take better care of him because I changed its location quite a bit and its leaves are falling. I have put banana leaves and grinded coffee as fertilizer and it starts to be well again. Remember this: ficus is picky and it does not like to be moved around! I learned my lesson.
Anthurium andraeanum (Painter's palette or Flamingo Lily)
●Family:Araceae
This is a beauty! I had the white version but unfortunately I killed it because I over watered the plant. It was painful and it broke my heart so when I bought the red leaved version I was very careful and made efforts to pamper it. These are found in tropical forests so they like humidity and warmth, they can re-bloom all year! The anthurium is native to Colombia and Ecuador. It loves indirect light and a moist environment! I was amazed to see how much this plant can grow and maintain the red flower if properly taken care of. Of course that this is also a NASA verified plant for air purifying properties. It can elliminate ammonia. Unfortunately for pet owners this is also a highly toxic plant for animals.
Pachira aquatica (Guiana Chestnut or The Money Tree Plant)
●Family:Malvaceae
The little fellow just grabbed my attention while I was doing some shopping in a Kaufland store. It has grown significantly since I bought him after repotting him into a bigger container. It is native to Central and South America where it grows in swamps. Again....we get back to moisture! I did my research and googled the plant while I was shopping in Kaufland as I know that the air in my beauty salon is quite moist and the high humidity can be a turn off for most plants. Luckily the money tree was a perfect candidate! I saw that some varieties are sold with a braided trunk, something which I hope I will get to see when this tiny one grows bigger! This tree can grow up to 18 m in the wild. According to Feng Shui principles they bring good luck. You may ask yourself: are all of the plants I am writing about good Feng Shui choices? Answer: a big YES. I am such a nerd that I also googled about the feng shui of each plant before buying. Hilarious? Odd? Geeky? Funny? Yes, it is all me. The pachira soil must not be soggy and in the winter time the plant prefers less water. You have to turn your pachira to make sure it is getting even light from all sides. It is also great for purifying the air, eliminating benzene and toluene.
Nephrolepis exaltata (Boston fern or Sword fern)
●Family:Lomariopsidaceae
This is a new aquisition in the house. I took it because I loved the look of it and because it is a moisture loving evergreen plant. It is native to tropical regions throughout the world and it can reach up to 1.5 m. So in a forest or in a swamp you would find this beauty I learned that it thrives in damp soil rich in nutrients so I spritz water daily on it. It is not toxic so if you have pets you can easily grow this. It can remove cigarette smoke, so if you are a smoker it is time to hoard fern😅 NASA also discovered that it can remove formaldehyde and xylene from the air. I also learned to mist /spritz water on this plant as it loves air humidity. I am excited to see how much I can make this plant grow. I also added banana leaves and grinded coffee to help her grow.
Succulents. Cacti and Aloe
The cactus is the perfect choice if you like super low maintenance plants. They require a very small amount of water. I water mine every 3 months. I actually managed to make 2 of them go into a better world aka I killed them because I over watered them. Since then I have learned my lesson and I prefer to water them less. They are very cute and they also purify the air, protecting you from the radiation that comes from your devices. So I would highly suggest the presence of these plants in offices, where plenty of devices are being used.
Aloe barbadensis (Aloe) is a great plant. I took this plant when I visited my sister. She lives 500 km away. I saw she had this plant quite neglected and crowded in a pot with other Aloes .
So I just snatched it , together with some of its offsprings. Yes, an Aloe plant will multiply and make babies around the main stem.
So this Aloe traveled 500 km to be in my beauty salon. I keep the babies Aloe in a different pot and I also managed to give some of them away. It is a plant who does not like water and its soil should be similar with the soil you would prepare for a cactus. The juice from the aloe heals the sunburns or any superficial wounds/scratches you might have. I love this plant because it's low maintenance and it is best to water it less than too much. It removes benzene and formaldehyde.
Dieffenbachia Macula(Tropical Tiki)
●Family: Araceae
This plant has grown quite slowly until I have changed its location from the colder room in the back of my salon (my ex "home") and put it in the first room where is much warmer. I have noticed that it enjoys water daily and it does not like direct sunlight. I made the mistake of placing it directly in the window and the leaves turned yellow and fell off. I learned this lesson and I keep it now in a corner with indirect light. This tropical plant is native to the New World Tropics from Mexico and the West Indies south to Argentina. It is seriously toxic for cats and dogs so if you have pets this plant is not for you. You may wonder why a variation called Dieffenbachia Seguine is called dumb cane. Well, I have read that if the leaves are accidentaly consumed they cause swelling of the mouth and make the victim mute. This can last up to two weeks. So if you want your enemies to go silent, give them a dieffenbachia leaf to chew haha. This is the perfect plant for a kitchen or bathroom or any environment with high humidity. Again, my beauty salon is perfect for this plant. According to some Feng Shui specialists this plant is great for good luck and money. It also purifies the air, in a 2013 NASA study we can see that this plant reduces the carbon dioxide, xylene and toluene. I personally like how it looks, I love the patterns on the leaves, similar with those found on the Ficus Starlight.
I have one plant which is a mistery. I hope that someone could tell me what plant is this because I have a difficulty with it, I can't seem to make it grow and thrive.
I have two orchids but I have no idea if they purify the air, they seem to do well, one was blue and now it is white because the ink washed off. It has bloomed quite well, now is blooming again. Unfortunately there are no proofs that they purify the air. Sorry orchid lovers!
I am a plant hoarder and I just want more plants😅 My clients love the salon because they feel like they are visiting a botanical park. The air feels better and my mood has significantly improved since I have these plants. They are my babies and I love them so much. Imagine how much plants I will have once I will move in a bigger home. Oh my, don't get me started haha.
Have a great day and toodle loo!
P.S. Just get a plant, this is how it all started for me. From 1 plant.😅 Consider yourself warned!