Plants are amazing. They can make literally any space look better and feel better. If that wasn’t enough, they also rid the air of carbon dioxide and other toxic chemicals while releasing oxygen, and any idiot knows that higher oxygen levels inside a small apartment means better health and wellbeing for its occupants.

The two main benefits of plants were found to be the improvement of air quality and wellbeing. In fact, according to a study conducted by Plant Life Balance and RMIT University, in an average four by five metre room, one plant can make your air 25% cleaner and five plants make the air up to 75% cleaner. The magic number for optimum purification and wellbeing benefits was 10 plants in an average 215 square foot room.

While one plant will not make much difference to your wellbeing, a variety of plants (species) in different sizes has been proven to make you feel more relaxed, inspired and positive. Listed below is a simple guide to getting the perfect plants-per-room balance.

If you live in a 96 square foot room: One plant will provide 45% cleaner air and a small amount of mental wellbeing, two plants will provide up to 75% cleaner air and 50% more mental wellbeing, while five plants in a room this size will achieve maximum health and wellbeing benefits

In an average 215 square foot room: Five plants will provide 60% more mental wellbeing and 10 plants will maximise their health and wellbeing benefits.

In a large 688 square foot room: 16 plants will provide 75% cleaner air and 60% greater mental wellbeing while 32 plants will achieve maximum benefits.

The size of the plants you choose also affect its ability to improve your space. Factors like total leaf area and root-ball size need to be considered, so look for bigger leaves and bigger pots. To put it simply, smaller plants will be worth 1/3 of a medium plant, while large plants are worth 1.5 times more than a medium plant, so in this context, bigger is indeed better!

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