While I’m writing this, Europe is melting under a heatwave. Trust me, I won’t argue with people who are using air conditioners to survive temperatures of over 40° degrees. I was one of them before I moved to the considerably cooler Sweden. However, it does get me thinking though. The hotter it gets the more air conditioning we’re using which means the hotter it’s going to get. A vicious circle of air conditioned doom.
With summer right around the corner, many of us are dreading those hot stuffy days stuck inside without air conditioning. But before you crank up that AC and watch your energy bill skyrocket try a natural cooling solution – houseplants! Certain indoor plants can help reduce temperatures and create a more comfortable home environment when the mercury rises. Keep reading to learn all about these 11 houseplants with cooling powers.
How Plants Cool Your Home
Plants cool indoor spaces through transpiration. As daytime temperatures climb, plants release extra moisture from their leaves into the surrounding air. This added humidity causes an evaporative cooling effect, according to a NASA study. Plants act as natural humidifiers, reducing the need for energy-guzzling cooling appliances.
Best Cooling Houseplants
While all plants transpire to some degree, certain varieties are better than others at cooling rooms. The most effective choices have large, numerous leaves to maximize moisture release. Lush, leafy plants give off more oxygen and humidity. Position them in sunny spots to further enhance their cooling power. Here are 11 great options:
Snake Plant
With stiff, spiky leaves in upright formations, snake plants (also called mother-in-law’s tongue) excel at cooling. Their high water content and tolerance for sun makes them ideal for humidifying hot, dry air.
Peace Lily
Known for showy white blooms, peace lilies have big leaves that dramatically cool rooms. For best results, choose large-leafed plants to allow maximum transpiration. Keep soil moist by regular misting in dry climates.
Aloe Vera
Aloe stores abundant water in its thick, succulent leaves. It releases moisture into air through transpiration, reducing temperatures. Aloe thrives in full sun and appreciates frequent watering during summer’s heat.
Bamboo Palm
With lush, full foliage, the bamboo palm pumps out moisture to cool and humidify indoor spaces. It also filters harmful pollutants like benzene and trichloroethylene from the air. Site this palm in indirect light and keep the soil moist.
Boston Fern
Boston ferns naturally increase humidity with long delicate fronds. NASA research found them excellent at removing formaldehyde and other toxins too. Mist them often and avoid hot, dry areas.
Pothos
Known as devil’s ivy, pothos is an easy-care vine with heart-shaped leaves ideal for humidifying. It also absorbs toxins like formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. Provide bright, indirect light for best results.
Chinese Evergreen
Chinese evergreen is great for purifying indoor air while cooling it down through transpiration. Choose varieties with large, lush leaves for maximum effect.
Ficus Tree
The ficus, or weeping fig, keeps air moist and cool with its huge, bushy canopy of glossy leaves. Water frequently if grown in direct sun.
Rubber Plant
Rubber plants have big leaves that release ample moisture to cool and humidify indoor air. Give them bright indirect light and keep the soil evenly damp.
Palm
Palms like areca, lady, and bamboo palms create cooling “rainforests” inside. Their large, green leaves increase humidity through transpiration. Group palms together for the best effects.
Snake Plant
Snake plants are winners with spiky, moisture-rich leaves that cool via transpiration. Their high water content and tolerance of sun helps reduce temperatures and humidify the air.
Grow a Cooling Oasis
You can create a tranquil indoor oasis with these plants and lower your home’s temperature naturally. Group moisture-releasing varieties together in problem areas near windows or heat sources. Their collective transpiration power increases humidity for the maximum cooling effect. With the right houseplants, you can chill all summer without the AC!
The proper use of plants?
I haven’t been able to find the original USDA estimate that Perry mentions. So this is where my trail ends and all I am left with is… A LOT of questions. Like, what’s the proper use of plants? Is having one or two pots enough or do I need to cover my walls entirely in English Ivy? What type of office are we talking about? And what size room? Does ‘decrease by as much as ten degrees‘ mean it could also not decrease at all? And what on earth does a ten degree Fahrenheit temperature difference mean in Celsius?
Unfortunately, I haven’t found a single shred of proof that buying a bunch of ferns and aloes is going to help any of us tangibly reduce the temperature in our overheated city flats. I’ll reluctantly have to agree with this one plant dude in Kansas who said:
BUT before we throw the Aloe out with the bathwater, it’s important to point out that while they might not help us cool down all that much, having a nice collection of indoor plants or even a full blown urban jungle still has a lot of other positive effects, such as reducing stress and improving air quality (although I think I might have to research that one next). Also, plants are just awesome sauce and you can never really have enough of them.
Cool down a room without air conditioning?
So what alternatives are there? Apart from the obvious, like keeping your shades down and switching off unused electronics, there are also tons of articles out there about how indoor plants can help cool down a room. Seriously? It’s the dream! Imagine for a plant lover like myself to find out that to help save the planet I would have to FILL MY HOUSE UP WITH PLANTS?! Where do I sign up?
I started reading more. Apparently, some plants are better at cooling than others. Aloe Vera, Ficus, Ferns, Snake Plants. While those are all amazing plants, I started to get a bit sceptic, for a very simple reason. I used to have an Aloe Vera in my flat in France and it was still hotter than the center of Mount Doom. Clearly more research was needed, so I started looking for articles that showed some actually proof of how plants could accomplish this magical feat of giving us sweet sweet relief from the heat. When I finally found some that were citing sources, I realised that most of them go back to a certain Dr. Leonard Perry, Horticulture Professor Emeritus, from University of Vermont who in his article “Benefits of using Plants Indoors” says that :
That’s it. In the entire article, that’s all the information about the amazing cooling powers of indoor plants. That’s all that those endless amounts of blog articles on the subject are based on?
Unbelievable Air Purifier: These Bedroom Plants Release Oxygen!
FAQ
What plant removes 78% of airborne mold?
English Ivy is the plant known for removing a significant amount of airborne mold, with studies indicating it can filter out up to 78% of airborne mold in 12 hours, according to Homes and Gardens.
What plants absorb the most heat?
The flower plant which absorbs most of the sun’s heat energy is Hibiscus Rosasinensis (kembang sepatu) 6.2 Joule, Elephantopus Scaber. L (tapak leman) 4.1 Joule. On the other hand, the lowest heat absorption is Oliander (sakura) 0.9 Joule.
Do plants help cool down a room?
It is not possible for plants to cool down your room. If anything a lot of plants will make you feel worse, because a lot of plants may be able to raise the humidity levels a bit, which will make your room feel a little muggier than before.
What indoor plants are good for hot rooms?
Houseplants such as cacti and succulents generally hail from desert habitats and enjoy hot, dry conditions. Other plants such as those with silvery leaves or fleshy, waxy leaves, like those of kalanchoes and aloes, are perfectly suited to sunny spots.