Dear Master Gardener: What are some easy indoor plants that will brighten these dark winter days and nights? Is there any research about houseplants being beneficial?
Answer: Green plants and flowers can cheer us up, especially during the long, dark days of winter. Growing houseplants is a very popular hobby and there are some interesting, new plants available. There are research studies that have shown that interacting with indoor plants often reduces physiological and psychological stress. Several studies were conducted at the University of Exeter in 2013 and 2014 which found that plants in the workplace improved productivity, concentration and a feeling of well-being. The 2014 study compared two large commercial offices with no plants versus “green” offices on the staff’s perceptions of air quality, concentration and workplace satisfaction, and monitored productivity levels. A University of Michigan study concluded that studying and working in the presence of plants increased concentration, memory, and productivity. Their study showed that memory retention increased up to 20%. Another study at Texas A&M also found that working and studying around plants produced better quality and higher accuracy work.
The National Institute of Health led a clinical trial with patients that evaluated whether plants in hospital rooms had a therapeutic influence. Patients who were in post-operative recovery were assigned to control or plant rooms. The data indicated that patients in hospital rooms with plants and flowers had significantly more positive physiologic responses (lower systolic blood pressure, and lower ratings of pain, anxiety and fatigue) than patients in control rooms. Patients with plants had more positive feelings about their rooms and evaluated them with higher satisfaction compared with those in similar rooms without plants. Based on patients’ comments, plants brightened up the room environment, reduced stress, and even gave them more positive impressions of the hospital employees caring for them.
A popular NASA study did prove that certain houseplants can remove some air pollutants commonly found in the home, such as formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, benzene and trichloroethylene. However, for plants to be effective at cleaning the air, you would need one plant in every cubic foot! Your house would look like a jungle, and there would be no room for you, but on the flip side, you would add moisture to your dry, winter home! So yes, there is research showing that plants can be beneficial in some ways. Personally, plants give me that nature fix I need to get me through a long, frigid winter. I always manage to justify buying more plants by thinking it is good therapy!
The biggest challenge in the winter here in Minnesota, is having enough light for your plants without putting them too close to cold windows. Low humidity can be overcome by running a humidifier or placing pots on pebble-filled trays with a bit of water that will evaporate upwards. Most plants should not be misted because damp leaves are a perfect breeding ground for bacterial or fungal diseases.
The following houseplants are very easy to grow and can tolerate lower light conditions: Chinese evergreen, Dracaena, Palm, Peace lily, Pothos, Philodendron, Sansevieria (also known as snake plant or mother-in-law’s tongue), Spider plant, and ZZ plant. Succulents and cacti are easy, but need a sunny window (south or west-facing). Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus, Kalanchoe, African violet and Orchids are long-lived, flowering plants with long bloom times that can also add a pop of color and cheer to your home.
Dear Master Gardener: Can we grow hickory trees in Minnesota? It is such a pretty wood for cabinets.
Answer: Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) and bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) are native to Minnesota and primarily found in the southeast corner of the state, although bitternut hickory has scattered populations as far north as Itasca County. They are in the Juglandaceae family, the same family as black walnut and butternut, and are hardy to zone 4. According to Minnesota Wildflowers, mature shagbark hickory trees are distinguished by their shaggy bark and the minute tufts of hairs along the leaflet edge. Mature bitternut hickory trees do not have shaggy bark, instead it is smooth with vertical splits that show an orange-brown inner bark, then become flat plates and narrow shallow furrows as they age. Bitternut hickory may be more easily distinguished by the yellow buds, which can be seen most of the year. They are both huge trees, reaching 60-100 feet tall. Hickory nuts are edible and safe to eat, but shagbark hickory nuts are sweet, whereas the nuts of bitternut trees are unpalatable.
Dear Master Gardener: For the past few years, I have planted a castor bean plant in my yard because it makes such a dramatic statement! Out of curiosity — just how poisonous is this plant?
Answer: Castor Bean, Ricinus communis, does indeed make a dramatic statement in the ornamental garden with its oversized, deeply lobed, tropical looking leaves and bizarre, prickly seedpods! Castor bean plants grow quickly and can reach 6-10 feet in a growing season, especially if kept well-watered and fertilized. The spiny seed capsules of the female flower are about the size of a golf ball and contain three sections with one seed per section. The seeds are extremely poisonous. According to the University of Wisconsin, four seeds can kill a person, while ingesting lesser amounts will result in vomiting, severe abdominal pain, diarrhea and convulsions. The poison in castor seeds is ricin, one of the deadliest natural poisons, estimated as 6,000 times more poisonous than cyanide and 12,000 times more poisonous than rattlesnake venom.
You may get your garden questions answered by calling the new Master Gardener Help Line at 218-824-1068 and leaving a message. A Master Gardener will return your call. Or, email me at
umnmastergardener@gmail.com
and I will answer you in the column if space allows.
University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners are trained and certified volunteers for the University of Minnesota Extension. Information given in this column is based on university research.
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