These days, there are few public indoor spaces that do not have at least a few indoor plants displayed. Sometimes obvious care and attention has been given to their selection and presentation sometimes not, but the fact remains that some effort and expense has been made.

Why should one consider the inclusion of indoor plants in any scheme? The reason that immediately springs to mind is for their aesthetic value, but there are more subtle benefits which may often be overlooked. Some of these are looked at below.

The visual and aesthetic contribution of indoor plants to public spaces is perhaps the most obvious, yet it is actually quite difficult to quantify the benefits in a tangible way. One method has been tried in a postgraduate study, which got people to pick one of two options covering a range of potential reactions to areas that contained, or did not contain indoor plants. The options were very simple and directly opposing, (e.g. quiet / noisy; welcoming / unwelcoming etc.), and the results assessed to give an indication of the subjects subliminal reaction.
The reactions were quite revealing. The inclusion of plants consistently out-scored those when plants were excluded, whereby areas with indoor plants were perceived to be;

• More welcoming
• More relaxing
• More cheerful
• More ornate
• More interesting
• Quieter
• More expensive
• And less stressful

This was only one study, there is much more evidence however that indoor plants are perceived as an integral and important element of indoor spaces. Again it is somewhat subjective, but strong support is given by the preponderance of new public buildings devoting more time, thought, energy and expense on the indoor plant displays. Rest assured that as many of these buildings are commercial enterprises they would not be so keen to pay such careful attention to the indoor landscape if they felt that there was no economic benefit to be gained.

As stated there is little quantifiable evidence to support the idea of the indoor landscape providing economic benefits, but some educated guesses can be made to explain how it might play a role.

Referring to the above list, the public would feel more welcome, more relaxed, less stressed and happier in an environment with indoor landscaping. As such when given the choice, they are more likely to select the more comfortable and welcoming environment.