When Brian Rock married his wife, Kristie, he knew that her houseplants were part of the deal. “I knew she had plants,” he says, “so I knew it was a package.”

Today, the couple’s Lawrence home houses about 25 houseplants, many of which came with his wife when they married almost 22 years ago. A cactus that was then about 20 inches tall now reaches the ceiling.

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Houseplants for Students

Rock, a KU engineering professor, usually leaves the houseplants to his wife while he takes care of the yard. But one day about three years ago, he decided to save a spider plant that she had left for dead. He rescued it from the garage and brought it to his office in Learned Hall. He went through a period of trial and error trying to figure out what kind of light and how much water the plant needed, but the plant is now thriving.

Health and happiness

Students get plants for a variety of reasons, says Judy Broers, a tropical plant expert at Sunrise Garden Center, 1501 Learnard Ave. Whether they are used to having plants at their parents’ home or they just want something that’s alive, Broers says she has quite a few students who come in to buy plants, especially at the beginning of the school year.

The health benefits are another reason students buy houseplants. Plants such as the spider plant, English ivy, peace lily and dracaena purify the air by giving off oxygen and taking in contaminants such as formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide.

For students with asthma, having a plant can make the air in your apartment more friendly, especially if you’re in a dorm where the windows don’t open. When Rock wanted to give away the babies from his spider plant, he brought up environmentalism to the potential owners. “I was able to adopt out more by saying this was their way to combat global warming,” Rock says.

In addition to cleaning the air, houseplants also help humidify the air, simply because the water that you give your plant then evaporates into the air. Humans and plants both like about 50 percent humidity in their living areas. When the air gets really dry in the winter, it would benefit both you and your plant to use an electric humidifier. If you notice the edges of your plant’s leaves turning brown, it may need more humidity.

Some of the benefits of houseplants are not as tangible as cleaner, healthier air, but they are still noteworthy. Houseplants increase the livability of your apartment, making college living feel more like home. “They take the industrial edge off and make the space actually feel like home,” says Marie Iannotti, master gardener and gardening guide for About.com. “It’s kind of like putting art on the wall, except you have to take care of it.” Iannotti adds that taking care of a living thing can be a beneficial responsibility for students who have never lived on their own before.

Ross Farris, Tulsa, Okla., senior and a student in Rock’s engineering class, adopted one of Rock’s baby spider plants in class about a month ago. He brought it home in a plastic water bottle he had with him, then put it in a pot about three days later. Since then, he says, it’s gotten a lot greener and has grown almost an inch. He says he likes watching his plant grow and taking care of it. “I kind of think that it just adds something to the house that wouldn’t be there otherwise, a little bit of character, maybe,” he says.

Picking a plant

One reason for Rock’s success was his choice of plant. Certain plants thrive only under certain conditions. Broers, the tropicals expert, says the choice of plant can make a big difference.

“Some students come in and pick out a plant based on looks, but there are some plants that are going to do better than others,” she says.

Broers recommends picking a plant based on its light and care needs. For hardy, low-light plants that don’t need a lot of care, check out the list below.

Cast Iron Plant

Its name says it all. The cast iron plant will survive almost anything. It doesn’t require much water, and it doesn’t need much light. Basically, it does best if you leave it in a corner and forget that it exists. For students who have no experience with plants, this could be a good starting point. It’s not the prettiest, however, so if looks matter to you, you might want to pick something more interesting.

Philodendron

For students who want a little more excitement, the philodendron is a good choice. The philodendron is a vine-like plant with heart-shaped leaves. The vines grow quickly, so you’ll be able to give extra clippings to your friends. The philodendron also doesn’t need much water or light. It tells you when it needs water by sagging or wilting, so you’ll have a built-in watering alarm.

Pothos

The pothos is in the same family as the philodendron, but it’s a bit different. Its leaves are not heart-shaped like the philodendron, but rather more slender. Its leaves are also variegated, with stripes of yellow or white. The pothos also grows quickly and is easy to share with friends.

Spider plant

The spider plant, also known as the airplane plant, is another plant that you’ll be able to share with your friends. Out of the main plant, the spider plant grows spindles that hang down like lazy arms. New plants start growing at the end of the spindles, and soon enough you’ll have plants for all of your friends. It prefers indirect light.

Sansevieria

The tall, stiff leaves of the sansevieria resemble the biting tongue of some mothers-in-law, giving the plant its nickname, mother-in-law’s tongue. The tall leaves are usually dark green with yellow stripes.

Dracaena

Dracaena come in many forms, such as the dragon tree, the corn plant and the Janet Craig. Ribbon dracaena is sold as lucky bamboo, although it is not truly bamboo. Dracaena are especially helpful in cleaning the air, and they tolerate inconsistent watering and light.

Wandering Jew

The wandering jew is another vine-like plant that thrives with little light. The red and purple shade of the leaves makes it one the more interesting varieties. It prefers indirect light.

When and where

When watering plants, it’s important to remember that too much water is not a good thing. Iannotti, the master gardener, says the best way to determine if your plant needs water is to push your finger into the soil. If the soil is damp about 1 inch deep, your plant is fine. Otherwise, it probably needs water.

Iannotti recommends watering plants over the sink, if possible. This will keep the water from ruining any furniture and also let excess water drain out. If the plant is too big to water over the sink, keep an impermeable saucer, bowl or even a plastic placemat below your plant to keep the water from hurting your furniture or floor. To avoid rotting the roots, water only when the soil feels dry and never let the plant sit in standing water. “If you water them every couple of weeks, you’ll have less damage to your plants and less damage to your furniture,” Iannotti says.

Plants will also need food to survive, just like humans. Iannotti says the simplest way to feed your plants is to use plant spikes, which are small sticks of fertilizer that can be pushed into the soil. “You do need to feed them because they’re not going to get the nutrients from anywhere else,” Ianotti says. “Plant spikes are probably the easiest way to do it because you don’t have to worry about them.”