A Forgotten Space for Houseplants

I hadn’t realized… I just hadn’t.

For all the thinking I do about houseplants, I can hardly believe I have consistently failed to use them in children’s rooms. But that is the case. Children’s spaces—bedrooms and playrooms—are spaces I have forgotten while decorating with houseplants. And yet, indoor greenery does wonders for these rooms. Who better than children to treat to something beautiful, something living, something to purify the air….

Why these rooms have been off my list for houseplant placements is beyond me. But in thinking of the homes of friends and family, I believe I may not be alone in this oversight. Fellow plant-lovers have greened up living rooms, added plantscapes to dining tables, placed plants along kitchen windowsills.... But for their children’s rooms, they do not seem to think of houseplants.

Children old enough to find peace in the greenery of outdoors might nod off more peacefully with a little greenery in their bedrooms. Children who take pleasure in assuming the role of caretaker might love getting a houseplant to nurture. All of this causes me to know that the rooms I have overlooked are the very rooms that need plants most.

Parents must be sure that the plants they choose for this purpose are non-toxic. But with so many options, this is easy.

I think of the Chinese Money Plant's ability to purify the air. It seems a great choice for a child’s room due to its forgiving nature and interesting form. Or I might consider some of the plants with “String of" in their common names. What fun it would be to have a String of Turtles in a playroom or a String of Hearts on a bureau.

But for this time of year, my sights are set on Cupressus macrocarpa, or Lemon Cypress. In conical form, Cupressus macrocarpa is one of my favorite miniature trees. It has the right amount of scent for a bedroom—not overpowering at all if left untouched. It is the crushing of the greenery of Lemon Cypress that causes it to emit its citrus scent. Without touching its foliage, this miniature tree will not overwhelm in the slightest, but it will freshen a room.

Cupressus macrocarpa is lemon-lime in color, in keeping with its citrusy scent. While not exactly what comes to mind when we hear “O Tannenbaum”, this tiny tree could do well with a lightweight garland and homemade ornaments during the upcoming month. And without adornment, Lemon Cypress’s bushy foliage looks happy. Because it is ‘to scale’ with many of the toy houses and barns that the youngest children have, I picture it coming into play nicely.

Now you can tell I am not focusing on infant nurseries when I am thinking of adding houseplants to children’s spaces. Instead, I am thinking of the child who is old enough to like caring for something. Children learn a lot about nurturing when they tend to plants. But it is most fun to nurture something that does well under one’s care. Cupressus macrocarpa needs relatively little. Children will learn the importance of not letting this miniature tree dry out. They will experiment with providing it the right dose of light during winter months. These minimal actions form lessons in caretaking. And young plant-tenders can easily have success with Lemon Cypress.

I have seen a nice topiary form of Cupressus macrocarpa. Tending to it would involve careful pruning from time to time, under the watchful eye of an adult. And what child would not find the concept of a shaped tree, carefully trimmed into a sphere, interesting?

Well, live and learn. I overlooked something important. But I can address it now. Plenty of plants like Cupressus macrocarpa await. But first I will need to pick up the playroom….