Household activities such as cooking, washing and bathing raise the indoor humidity level. These
activities generate moisture which, in turn, can cause mould to grow and result in health issues such as sneezing and skin allergies.
One way to lower the humidity and make our living spaces comfortable is to bring in some greenery.
Besides adding beauty to the interior, plants can help absorb moisture from the atmosphere via their leaves, and purify the air.
Most tropical plants require humidity to survive. In addition, they can flourish indoors for quite some time as long as they’re given a good amount of light and regular watering.
TILLANDSIAS
I have found the best spot for a little tillandsia (Tillandsia ionantha) in my kitchen. The plant has flowered and is now in the midst of producing several offshoot plants from the base called pups. Pups are exact clones of the mother plant and are her way of continuing her legacy.
My tillandsia is undoubtedly flourishing in that spot. It gets bright indirect light all day and some direct sunlight in the morning from the kitchen sink window.
Tillandsias are natural epiphytics. In their own natural habitats — in moist forests — they don’t grow on grounds but high up on branches of trees. Hence, they’re known as air plants. Native to the Americas, there are about 650 species of tillandsias and they all belong to the pineapple Bromeliaceae family. Some other popular tillandsias
include the Spanish moss (T. usneoides) and pink quill (T. cyanea).
Grow a tillandsia plant in a bowl or mounted onto a structure. It’s important to provide good air circulation and during sunny days bathe the whole plant with water. Occasionally, feed the plant with any liquid fertiliser for orchids or houseplants to promote blooming and encourage production of new pups. Divide those pups to make new plants.
PEACOCK PLANTS
The peacock plant (Calathea makoyana) is a species from the prayer plant family, Marantaceae. The plant needs high humidity, warm temperatures and low light to survive. These conditions are exactly what our bathrooms offer.
The plant’s ovate light-green leaves outshine the flowers. The upper surfaces are boldly marked with blotches which are dark green but pinkish-maroon on the underside.
This eastern Brazil native is an evergreen perennial and capable of growing upright to 45cm high. Feed the plant regularly with fertilisers high in nitrogen and water sparingly. Propagate by dividing. There are many more calatheas used as houseplants for their very decorative foliage.
MOTH ORCHIDS
Perfect for reducing dampness in the living room, bedroom and dining area as well as the bathroom, phalaenopsis or moth orchids are epiphytic plants that originated from the tropics.
Hence, this species loves humidity. Their colourful blooms add life to the space and they come in a myriad of colours.
There are roughly 60 species in the genus and this only makes up a small part of the large orchid family, Orchidaceae.
Many moth orchids in the market are hybrids.
Keep the orchid medium moist (often tightly packed sphagnum moss) at all times by watering only when the surface becomes dry to the touch. Make sure the medium is never soggy or dried out completely. If the bathroom isn’t bright enough, you can rotate the orchid to another brighter room.
After the orchid has finished with flowering, cut the flower spike for a new flower spike to develop. You can propagate by using the keiki — a small plant that grows out from one node along the stem.
TIP
Other plants that are as efficient in absorbing indoor moisture include Boston fern, spider plant, peace lily, palms and English ivy.