“Do you remember those little potted plants in your elementary school classroom? Maybe it was a slightly sad spider plant, or a ficus that dropped its leaves every time the heater clicked on and off.…”
Olive Tree
Olea europaea
Do you remember those little potted plants in your elementary school classroom? Maybe it was a slightly sad spider plant, or a ficus that dropped its leaves every time the heater clicked on and off. Classrooms can be a really tough spot for houseplants, so we asked horticulturist Justin Hancock for his picks that can actually handle the challenge.
But first, let me share why I think every classroom deserves at least one plant:
- I've always loved that studies show indoor plants actually improve air quality. Their best-known superpower, thanks to research by NASA and several universities, is cleaning the air of toxic volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, such as benzene and formaldehyde.
- What I find really cool is that plants boost oxygen levels; during photosynthesis, they take in the carbon dioxide we breathe out and release the oxygen we breathe in.
- They also add moisture to the air through transpiration, and trust me, that extra humidity is a lifesaver for dry skin and stuffy nasal passages.
- They might even help kids and teachers get more done! Various studies have shown that having plants around lowers stress and boosts productivity—plants have even been shown to improve memory and attention span. (Texas A&M Agrilife Extension provides a detailed look at the emotional and physical effects of plants (indoors and out) here.)
So, in my experience, classroom plants really need to be able to:
- Handle dry air and all sorts of light levels
- Tolerate hot or cold temperatures—or both (they're at the mercy of the school's HVAC system!)
- Survive lapses in watering or even overwatering, since "watering plants" is often a job passed between different kids throughout the year, and most schools have week-long breaks built into the calendar
- Grow well and look good without needing frequent repotting or pruning
- Offer some kind of cool extra detail that might spark kids' curiosity (like spider plants that throw pups—my favorite!)
- Help purify the air
Alright, here are Justin's top five plants for classrooms, along with his thoughts on each one:
Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema)One of Costa Farms'Plants of Steel,it's in the nearly indestructible category as long as you don't let it stay wet all the time. In my experience, high to low light, dry air and inconsistent watering aren't an issue for this tough guy. It doesn't need pruning (except to remove old leaves as they age out), and it has gorgeous variegated foliage. Cool fact: There are a bunch of different varieties, so you can have two or three or four different ones in the classroom and watch how they each grow in their own way.
Snake plant (Sansevieria)AnotherPlants of Steel,snake plant is about as carefree as any houseplant can be, trust me. It adapts to light and watering and it can be kept in the same pot for so long that it literally breaks it. Like Chinese evergreen, there are some different varieties; Hahnii types only get 6 or so inches; Robusta types can grow 24 inches; and traditional types can reach 48 inches or more. Cool fact: You can harvest a leaf, cut it in chunks, pot it in sand and grow a bunch of new plants that way.
ZZ plant (Zamioculas)This one shares most of the characteristics ofSansevieriaexcept it doesn't come in different varieties. I've found you can grow it virtually anywhere as long as it doesn't sit in water. Cool fact: The leaflets can be potted up and each will grow into a new plant! This plant is quite responsive to pot size; one fun experiment is to get two plants at the start of the school year. Keep one in its pot and put the other in a pot around 6 inches wider. See how much bigger that one gets by the end of the school year!More on ZZ plant.
Red Aglaonema (Aglaonema)This is one of the most colorful houseplants I've ever grown. What I love about it is that it takes low, medium or bright light. It tolerates drought and doesn't mind irregular watering (just don't keep it in soggy potting mix). The red, pink, gold, or white variegation is so much fun!
Pothos (Epipremnum)Again, it meets the growing requirements—low/medium/high light, low water or medium water (just don't let it be wet all the time). Cool fact: If you grow it up on a totem, the leaves get much larger and more tropical looking. And the bigger they are, the more air they clean—how awesome is that!
