With the population increasingly preferring to settle down in big cities, where land is scarce and access to parks and greenery even rarer, people are moving further and further away from nature. Living a life removed from close contact with the earth, soil, plants, and trees have a negative impact on people’s physical and mental health.

And with homes becoming increasingly vertical, it’s important that people living in apartments have access to some level of greenery. While most modern apartment complexes come with manicured gardens and lawns, it’s important to grow your own collection of plants too. Apart from purifying the air, plants make the apartment feel warmer and welcoming as well as adding to the home’s décor.

Taking care of plants is a great way to de-stress and forms part of nature therapy (Shinrin-yoku), a Japanese therapy that helps in lowering blood pressure and improving mental health. However, growing plants can become a little challenging as different plants require different levels of water, light, and nutrition. Some plants that are easy to grow in apartments include:

Peace lily

This beautiful plant has long dark green leaves and needs the little sun for survival. Its long-lasting white flowers are similar to anthuriums and look good in small places. The plant further helps in reducing toxins such as ammonia, acetone, benzene, and ethyl from within the apartment’s indoor air.

Mother-in-law’s tongue

Though a little unfairly named, this is one of the easiest plants to grow indoors and requires very little attention. Needing very little sunlight and water, this ‘snake plant’ removes pollutants like xylene, benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene from the indoor air. It’s great for bedrooms as it releases oxygen and improves sleep.

Golden pothos (Devil’s ivy)

This leafy green climber is commonly known as the money plant and adds lovely accents to any room. They grow avidly and look great in hanging baskets and need little direct sunlight to grow. They also remove common household air pollutants like formaldehyde found in cleaning fluids.

Spider plant

These pretty plants require little indirect sunlight and can self-propagate. They look pretty in hanging baskets or sitting on a shelf. All they require is watering. They are also great for getting rid of indoor air pollutants.

Rubber plant

They look amazingly majestic with their shiny deep green, large leaves. And when well-cared for, they can grow to a good height too, to create sufficient space for them near a window. Intermittent watering and turning the soil will go a long way in keeping the plant healthy.