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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Riverside chapter.

All it took was a month into the COVID-19 pandemic and a trip to Home Depot for me to buy my first plant. I don’t really remember how or why I decided to get a plant. Maybe it was a combination of seeing one of my friends get some or playing the game Terrarium on my phone, but my first plant baby was a Dracaena Lemon Lime. The reason I picked her was because I liked the combination of the greens within the leaves. The leaves were far more vibrant than the other plants, and she looked pretty healthy.

Plants in fun pots on a shelf
Photo by Prudence Earl from Unsplash
After that, I ended up getting an anthurium plant, but sadly he didn’t make it. Now, I have a total of seven plants in my room along with my first one. Along my plant journey, I learned a lot about them. Last quarter, I attended a workshop where the speaker talked about the types of indoor plants that were low maintenance. She mentioned snake plants, pothos, dumb cane, and so on.

snake plant
Photo by Kelly Sikkema from Unsplash
In the workshop, she also mentioned to not overwater or under-water and to make sure plants aren’t too cramped in the corners. I also found other benefits from my own experience being a plant parent.

For me, having plants in my room helps give me motivation. Since the weeks usually consist of the same routines of school and staying home, having plants helped to give me something new to do. I check the soil for my plants every few days, water them, talk to them, and feel their leaves since physical touch is an important thing for plants as it is with people. I like having something to take care of because they remind me to take care of myself too. We have to remember we need sunlight, water, and a good environment to thrive in just like plants.

zz plant
Photo by Pino Nguyen from Unsplash

Besides my own reasons, the plants I have shown have some physical benefits. Snake plants are known to be natural air purifiers, pothos can reduce odors, and can even lower blood pressure if you actively interact with plants.

I really enjoy having plants in my room because they liven it up. It’s always super fun for me to paint their pots, see them grow, and re-pot them myself. It’s a fulfilling feeling and I would definitely recommend you start having some plant babies of your own! Happy planting!

Mya Benavides

UC Riverside '21

Lover of kindness, music, and creating. Undergrad at UCR pursuing a B.A. in Sociology along with a Minor in English.
Deedee Plata

UC Riverside '22

20 year old creative writing major with a love for skincare, representation, and art. When not laying down and watching cartoons, I can be found working on my novel or browsing through baby name forums.