The Emotional Power of Plants on Our Lives
When I was growing up, the only plant I can remember seeing in the house was an aloe plant. It sat on the window sill above the kitchen sink, soaking up sunlight and offering some freshness to our space.
If ever someone in the house got burned while cooking – something we were prone to – the aloe was always reliably there, waiting to help. We coexisted with our plant friend in the best of ways. It provided us pain relief while we provided it sunshine and water. More than anything, though, it provided us comfort.
In a world that seems to be deteriorating all around us, more than ever I am interested in why we keep plants in the home and how these tiny leafy things can provide so much comfort through the most monumental moments of our lives.
The History of Plant Power
We can trace the influence of plants all the way back to before humans walked the Earth. But we can date their emotional significance back to the ancient Greeks and beyond.
The Greek myth, the death of Adonis, told the story of a handsome mortal loved by both Aphrodite and Persephone. In the aftermath of his death, Anemone flowers sprung from the earth where his blood fell. The tiny Anemone took on a life of its own as cultures evolved over time, and it is now considered a plant of protection against evil and is sometimes gifted for this purpose.
How could something so fragile provide protection (or the feeling of protection) against the forces of evil?
Over time, gifting plants became a form of language in itself. The Victorian era adopted the art of using flowers to send messages, better known as floriography or flower language. For example, you could gift a red carnation to a lover to express admiration, but offering a yellow carnation would convey that you reject them. Consequently, it was not only necessary but also expected that people understand the slight nuances of flower language. So, maybe humans gave plants the emotional power they have today. But that doesn’t make their power any less real or important.
To put it simply:
Plants are an integral part of the human experience.
It’s More Than Plant Owning; It’s Companionship
Humans are funny creatures, aren’t we?
In times of great sorrow and mourning, like funerals, we surround ourselves with flowers for comfort. Alternatively, we engulf our celebratory events in the vibrancy of (you guessed it) flowers.
We have a gracious desire to exist among the flowers, as poet Allen Ginsberg suggests. But I have to ask myself: How can a flower provide both comfort at a funeral but also entice joy at a wedding?
Maybe it’s a simple as the words of Vincent Van Gogh:
“How right it is to love flowers and the greenery of pines and ivy and hawthorn hedges: they have been with us from the very beginning.”
Plants don’t exist among us; we exist among plants. No wonder we want to bring them from the outdoors into our homes. They’re our oldest companions.
The plants in your home are never really just decorative; they’re the silent but very present companion that’s always willing to listen when you’re angry at the world, that stands tall and bright as joy flows through your life, that mends the burns you bear when you make an honest mistake.
Plants don’t judge. They don’t abandon (unless you forget to water them). Plants comfort your grief and somehow simultaneously nurture your delight.
Too dramatic? Okay, maybe I just love plants. Is that so bad?
Plant Care is Self-Care
The first thing I did when I got my first apartment was buy an aloe plant.
I couldn’t feel at home without it; its presence extracted comforting childhood memories even as I existed miles away from family. Plants continue to provide me comfort as I build my own home with my own family.
Maybe you can’t even keep a cactus alive, but wish you could be living in an indoor rainforest. Maybe your home is overflowing with the fresh greenness of perfectly manicured plant friends. Whatever your current relationship with plants, everyone can benefit from the emotional power they provide.
Whether you’re seeking comfort or that green thumb aesthetic, plants are a fundamental part of who we are as human beings. They’ve surrounded us since our beginnings and have proven to be loyal, unbiased companions to us all.
