Researchers invited 18 assisted-living residents to join a class to learn about indoor gardening; the participants were between 75 and 102 years old.
The group attended four two-hour interactive classes, and were given a plant to take care of after the course was over. Interviews at the end of the four-week course showed that the subjects felt more control over their lives and felt healthier and happier than before it started.
After one year, the people who were caring for an indoor plant were healthier and had fewer illnesses. They also lived longer than the group who did not have a plant to care for.
Myth Buster: Houseplants cause allergies.
This is false. Indoor plants could actually help prevent allergies because they clean the air of toxins and dust.
FACT: Plants make you happy! When houseplants are placed in a room, people’s blood pressure becomes significantly lower, and they find tasks less stressful.
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension