A limited-edition collection to celebrate the release of Disney's Jungle Cruise, in cinemas & available to order on Disney+ from July 30. Scroll down to find out more about the healing potential of living with plants! Get 10% off plants* in this collection with code DISNEY10
*Applies to all full-price items on this page. One use per customer. One discount per order. Expires 31.08.2021.
Our Own 'Healing Trees'
Bloombox Club are passionate about the health and wellbeing benefits of plants, and we want to share them with you too! Drawing on Dr. Katie Cooper's book Plant Therapy, we're picked out 3 of our favourite 'healing trees': the Calathea Orbifolia, Buddha Belly plant and the Philodendron Xanadu. Find out what makes each of these plants 'healing trees' in their own right.
Calatheas have the potential to boost our wellbeing in a number of ways, including air-purification, humidity and helping us feel alert (thanks to their bright green colour). But we've picked out one feature that is particularly special:
The veins on the Orbifolia's leaves form what is known as a 'fractal pattern.' Fractal patterns are repeated patterns which look as though they could stretch out to infinity. Fractal patterns of a particular dimensional range are known to have a distinctly calming effect on us. They ease cognitive tension and help restore our brains by holding our attention without draining it.
The Laughing Buddha's big belly represents tolerance and a sense of compassion that is all-encompassing. This symbolism alone makes the Buddha Belly plant a welcome addition to any plant collection. But there are also psychological benefits to having top-heavy trees in your home, that you may not be aware of.
It's no secret that going for a walk in the woods makes us feel calmer and less stressed. Part of that is the physiological effects of taking exercise, but the trees themselves play an important role too - why? No one knows for sure, but researchers hypothesise that the reason we respond so positively to trees is due to our evolutionary heritage, when trees meant shelter, fuel and a hospitable environment in which to settle.
Like the Buddha Belly, part of what makes the Philodendron Xanadu a calming and restorative plant owes to its shape. Plants that have a broad, overhanging canopy with a 'shrub-like' growth habit are also understood to activate our parasympathetic nervous system (which helps our bodies recover from stress).
The other benefit of having a plant with such a high surface area, is that it will have a higher concentration of stomata, which means it's especially good at removing carbon dioxide and other chemical nasties from the air inside your home.
