Your Plant Protectors

Plants can bring life to any room. They’re pretty and practical. Plus, it turns out that having them around is good for your health, too. 

“Gardening has been shown in multiple studies to be associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline,” says Dr. David Carr, a professor of geriatric medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, in AARP Magazine. 

Registered horticulture therapist Patty Cassidy adds: “Plants help you become more competent and give you something meaningful to do and take care of.”

So try these five plants – and their beneficial effects – on for size, courtesy of AARP.

• Peace lily: purifies the air
• Orchid: reduces pain and anxiety in hospital patients
• Rosemary: helps memory by increasing the transmitter acetylcholine
• Lavender: promotes relaxation and improves sleep 
• Spider plant: removes formaldehyde from the air

Photo by iStock.com/Charlie Nowlan