Keeping plants indoors offers benefits outside of adding aesthetic appeal to a space.
Victoria Lewis, sophomore in theater who keeps plants in her apartment, said the aloe vera plant she grows can help heal cuts and burns.
Lewis also said that although she has not tried it yet, she would love to try growing a herb garden in her apartment.
When she lived in a dorm, Lewis tried to grow a mint plant after she couldn't find mint leaves in the grocery store, but it did not survive.
Lewis thinks the death of her mint plant could be attributed to a couple of things, namely failing to water it correctly and sitting it directly in front of the window, which was the only spot available in her dorm, although she can’t say for sure what actually killed it.
Jack Mullins, freshman in computer science who was keeping a succulent jade plant and a Lithops plant, also called living pebble, in his dorm, has a similar story.
“When I first got them in my room, one of the jade stalks died from shock," Mullins said. "It wasn't used to so much sunlight.”
Advice Carolyn Robinson, associate professor in Auburn’s horticulture program, gives on growing plants in dorms confirms Lewis’ and Mullins’ belief that too much sunlight could be to blame for the death of their plants.
Robinson said that when considering what kind of plant to get, especially in smaller spaces like dorm rooms, it is important to consider how much light the plant will receive.
One way to determine what level of lighting plants will get in a dorm is to consider which direction the windows face, according to Robinson.
“If windows are east-facing, they are going to get morning sun, but it is not going to be too intense or hot," Robinson said. "But if a window is on a south-facing side, they are probably going to get a lot of light all day long, and it’s probably going to get pretty intense … The west side is going to get some morning shade and afternoon sun, but it is going to be the hot, intense sun of the day. Then if you’re window is on the north side, you are not going to get any really direct light onto your plant.”
For those north-facing windows and other places that receive less direct sunlight, Robinson suggest plants such as Chinese evergreen, dracaena or philodendron, which require little light and are low maintenance.
For places with more light, Robinson said a plant like the Boston fern would be a good addition.
Boston ferns are easy to grow and, according to Robinson, are near the top of the list as plants that act as an air filter.
So plants can be used to season food, heal burns and purify air, but according to Robinson, they can also be helpful in a less obvious way.
Studies have shown that keeping indoor plants can help improve the productivity and well-being of the people who live with them, Robinson said.
“I think that our basic needs as humans are towards nature, and being able to bring a little bit of nature into your environment in a dorm room or into a home just gives you that connection and a sense of peace,” Robinson said.
But not all plants are good to keep in all houses, apartment or dorms, Robinson said.
Some plants can cause sickness or even death, if ingested, or have a sap that can cause a rash, according to Robinson.
However, if concerned about the ability to keep a plant alive, Lewis warns against getting a bonsai tree, which she attempted to grow after seeing them for sale for $15 on the side of the road while driving in Florida.
“I didn’t even keep it in my dorm," Lewis said. "I had my mom try to grow it, and my mom is like the hugest green thumb … She tried to keep it alive but … you have to keep the temperature in between a very small margin, and you have to keep it moist but not drenched and no wind … So yeah, that one didn’t survive."
But despite a couple failures along the way, Lewis loves the plants she has now, including a panda succulent, a spider plant and aloe vera plant.
“Having them is like the same thing as letting in sunshine through the windows," Lewis said. "It’s just something nice to distract you from the fact that you are inside.”
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