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Home  /  Tips from the Plant Doctor  /  Plant Doctor: How Plants Increase Humidity in Buildings
07 March 2013

Plant Doctor: How Plants Increase Humidity in Buildings

Written by Matt - The Plant Doctor
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Tips from the Plant Doctor Humidity, Indoor Plants, Interior Design, Plant Doctor 16 Comments

We’ve all heard about it, but have you ever wondered how plants increase humidity in buildings?

One of the many selling points for interior plants is their ability to increase humidity. Depending on the number of plants in a space, increased levels of humidity may be quite noticeable and very welcoming in the dead of winter! This is good news as air inside buildings is typically dry, even when warm.

What’s the problem with dry air? Dry air contributes to skin irritations and itchy eyes. Breathing dry air can cause respiratory ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, nose bleeds and overall dehydration.

Dry air can also lead to increased static electricity, leading to more mild shocks when touching metal. Finally, dry air can make the air feel cooler. For example, a temperature of 75 F with 20% humidity will feel similar in comfort to a temperature of 70 F and 80% humidity. With everyone wanting to reduce their heating bills and carbon footprint, higher humidity can have a profound impact in winter.

How does a plant increase humidity? Like humans, plants sweat a lot! Most of the water a plant absorbs through the roots travels up the plant and is eventually lost as water vapor through tiny holes in the leaves. This process is called transpiration. In fact, most plants lose 90% or more of their water through transpiration (a fully grown tree can easily lose several hundred gallons of water in a single day from transpiration). This evaporation is what helps pull water from the roots all the way to the leaf tips.

Think of plants as natural humidifiers this winter!

Green Side Up,

Senior Horticulturist, Matt Kostelnick

Do you have a question for our in-house horticulturist Matt? Click here to ask the Plant Doctor a question.

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Matt - The Plant Doctor

Matt Kostelnick is better known by many as 'The Plant Doctor'. As the Senior Horticulturist at Ambius, Matt has an extensive depth of knowledge and passion for delivering best in class horticulture practices. A true Plant Doctor, Matt takes a proactive approach to promoting the overall wellness of each plant in our care. With a solid foundation of education in horticulture and agriculture education, Matt has over 20 years of combined experience in the horticulture industry and teaching horticulture at the university level.

 Previous Article Video: Orchid Care for Cold Weather
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16 Comments

  1. Avatar Ivan Reply to Ivan to Ivan" aria-label=' Reply to Ivan to Ivan'> Reply to Ivan
    March 13, 2013 at 10:05 am

    Dr. Matt,nI would like to work in Ambius Madrid, because I am willing to work as a sales in this company.nCan you help me to hire in this company.nI donu00b4t have any problem to move other country.nThank younBest regardsnIvan Grelan+34652410828

  2. Avatar Ivan Reply to Ivan to Ivan" aria-label=' Reply to Ivan to Ivan'> Reply to Ivan
    March 13, 2013 at 10:05 am

    Dr. Matt,
    I would like to work in Ambius Madrid, because I am willing to work as a sales in this company.
    Can you help me to hire in this company.
    I don´t have any problem to move other country.
    Thank you
    Best regards
    Ivan Grela
    +34652410828

  3. Avatar SeanHeffernan Reply to SeanHeffernan to SeanHeffernan" aria-label=' Reply to SeanHeffernan to SeanHeffernan'> Reply to SeanHeffernan
    March 19, 2013 at 3:37 pm

    Hi Ivan, nnIf you are interested in working for Ambius, please visit the Careers section of our website @ http://www.ambius.es/empleo

  4. Avatar SeanHeffernan Reply to SeanHeffernan to SeanHeffernan" aria-label=' Reply to SeanHeffernan to SeanHeffernan'> Reply to SeanHeffernan
    March 19, 2013 at 3:37 pm

    Hi Ivan,

    If you are interested in working for Ambius, please visit the Careers section of our website @ http://www.ambius.es/empleo

  5. Avatar Stephen Doyle Reply to Stephen to Stephen Doyle" aria-label=' Reply to Stephen to Stephen Doyle'> Reply to Stephen
    July 15, 2013 at 2:54 pm

    Simultaneously informative and enjoyable!

  6. Avatar Stephen Doyle Reply to Stephen to Stephen Doyle" aria-label=' Reply to Stephen to Stephen Doyle'> Reply to Stephen
    July 15, 2013 at 2:54 pm

    Simultaneously informative and enjoyable!

  7. Avatar Kelli Stutzman Howe Reply to Kelli to Kelli Stutzman Howe" aria-label=' Reply to Kelli to Kelli Stutzman Howe'> Reply to Kelli
    December 21, 2016 at 2:53 pm

    I live in Nebraska. The air in our home in the winter is so dry my son gets horrible nose bleeds. Please don’t tell me to get a humidifier, I’ve tried several times & break them each time. I need to know what plants I can get that will cause the most humidity in my home. Thanks.

  8. Avatar Christina Klein Reply to Christina to Christina Klein" aria-label=' Reply to Christina to Christina Klein'> Reply to Christina
    August 12, 2017 at 4:37 pm

    Great article! What do you think the best plants would be to increase humidity in a large art classroom? Ladt year, humidity was at 16%. Thanks!

    • Avatar Sean Heffernan Reply to Sean to Sean Heffernan" aria-label=' Reply to Sean to Sean Heffernan'> Reply to Sean
      December 13, 2017 at 4:53 pm

      The more water the plant uses, the more it increases the humidity. Plants like ferns and Spathiphyllum (peace lily) are good for this. Also, the more you have the greater it will increase the humidity.

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