There are lots of elephant ear plant indoor benefits that you’ve probably not considered before.
Not only do these plants help to improve the air quality, but you’ll also be able to optimise the conditions when growing them indoors to promote rapid growth. Given their size, they are also great additions to any room and make for a great talking point.
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4 Benefits Of Keeping An Elephant Ear Plant Indoors
Let’s get straight into the 4 benefits of keeping elephant ear plants indoors to see why you should consider keeping one of these stunning plants inside.
1. Air Quality
Elephant ear plants improve air quality, which is a major benefit of keeping them indoors. This effect is also directly related to the size of a plant’s leaves, and since elephant ear plants have very large leaves they are thought to be especially effective at improving air quality.
Not only do houseplants filter carbon dioxide from the air to produce oxygen via photosynthesis, but they have also been shown to filter organic air pollutants as well. This was discovered during a study by NASA in 1989 and just goes to show how beneficial plants like the elephant ear plant can be in improving the quality of the air.
2. Aesthetics
Elephant ear plants are known for being one of the largest houseplants that you can buy.
The leaves can reach up to 3 feet in length (around 91cm) and the plant itself can grow up to 5 feet tall (150cm). It’s fair to say that one of these plants will quickly become a talking point for your home, and they are able to completely change the aesthetic of a room due to their size.
If you love the look of houseplants then an elephant ear plant is one of the best options if you’re looking for a large plant.
3. Easier To Optimise Growing Conditions
Elephant ear plants can be grown outdoors in USDA zones 9-11 year-round, but it’s much easier to maintain growing conditions by keeping them inside.
This is because conditions like temperature and humidity are much more constant inside, so if you can provide optimal conditions then you can grow an elephant ear plant quite quickly inside. Here are a few of the key conditions for optimal elephant ear plant growth indoors and how they can be altered:
- Temperature – Temperature fluctuations inside are much less than those outside, which is ideal for keeping the temperature in the ideal range of between 70°F to 85°F (18°C-26°C).
- Sunlight – It can be very difficult to move an elephant ear plant if it’s planted outside, whereas indoors you can move it around with ease to find the best location for sunlight. They prefer lots of bright, indirect sunlight.
- Humidity – You can monitor and change humidity easily indoors using things like pebble trays or humidifiers, whereas in an outside location the humidity will vary quite a lot depending on the weather.
- Watering Schedule – You have total control over how much water your elephant ear plant gets when kept indoors. This usually isn’t a problem outside, but it can be tricky if there’s a wet or dry season.
4. Health-Related Benefits
Indoor plants have been associated with multiple health benefits such as reducing stress levels and improving productivity.
Whether or not this effect is a placebo is irrelevant if it makes you feel better. I know for a fact that I feel much happier with lots of houseplants around than without, and a plant as large as the elephant ear plant is sure to have an impact on your mood.
Is It Better To Keep An Elephant Ear Plant Indoors Or Outdoors?
There are valid points to be made for both sides of this argument.
Keeping an elephant ear indoors has a lot of benefits that have been explained in this article, but keeping them outdoors can be much less work if you live in an area with the right conditions and plant it in the right location. You can get an elephant ear plant to thrive indoors or outdoors, so it really just comes down to personal preference.
If you live in a USDA zone between 9 and 11 then you can go ahead and keep your elephant ear plant outside. For the rest of us, we’ll have to keep to growing them indoors.
