Chloe provides the Q’s and Dean Gresalfi provides the A’s in this week’s Q&A segment, Bri delivers the details on events coming up before and after spring break in the Commons Calendar, and Ian sits down with Brinnan Smith for this week’s Human of the Commons interview. Brinnan is a first-year student originally from Portland, Oregon majoring in Secondary Education and Chemistry and living in Hank.
Top 5 Houseplants for Your Dorm!
5. ZZ Plant
My favorite part of this plant is that you could leave it alone for a month, and it will still be there! These plants thrive in “neglected” conditions with very little water and not a lot of light. They are slow growers with little oval leaves and many stems making the pot look very full. This plant can be green or green that turns to black. This is a great plant to have that is not a lot of work and can still add greenery to your dorm!
4. Snake Plant
Similar to ZZ Plants, Snake Plants can be left alone in a corner of your dorm. They can go without water, but not as long as ZZ plants (once a week or every two weeks). They need moderate to bright light, but can also survive in low light conditions. These plants can vary in size. They can be multiple feet tall, or little sizes like a couple inches. These plants, while mostly green, have multiple kinds and can have yellow stripes, lighter greens, and more.
3. Succulents & Cactus
I would say these are the most common plants that people have in their dorms. They are usually very little and can fit right in the window sills. These plants are slower growing, but faster than the previously mentioned snake and zz plants. Succulents and Cacti prefer bright light, and can go a week or two without water. These plants do not do well being soaked so when in doubt, dry it out. There are so many different kinds of succulents and cacti that come with many different shapes and sizes. There are tall, spiky dark green succulents. Or, there are light green ones that look like bear paws. You could find a cactus with many pricks and needles, or one that is soft to the touch.
2. Aloe Vera
This plant has similar needs and qualities to succulents. They need bright light, and can do without water for a couple weeks. Aloe is another slower growing plant, similar to the succulent growing speed. These plants have thick stems with a few spikes on them (careful!). They are a light green and grow out in many directions. This plant can actually have a leaf cut and you get aloe vera from the inside. This plant really brightens up a space and literally has healing qualities (lol).
1. Pothos
Another very popular plant many people have is a Pothos! This plant needs bright light and requires water more often than the other plants on this list. These plants are nice because they droop their leaves when they need water. It is a fast grower, often putting out a leave every couple weeks. There are a lot of different pothos. There are neon, green with white, green without white, green with yellow, overwhelming white, and the list could go on forever. These plants have a nice quality that makes them good for a shelf. When they are eventually long enough, they begin trailing over the pot. If you put this on a shelf you would have the leaves go down past into open space. These plants really lighten the room and add a lot of character to your dorm. I particularly love these plants because of their perkiness and fast growth pattern.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article all about plants. While this is a “ranked” list of plants, any of these would do great and thrive in your dorm! …Chat with ya rats later!
MCL Feature: Houseplants In Your Dorm
I think it’s a safe assumption that plants improve our quality of life. I mean, we couldn’t live without them (the whole photosynthesis and producing oxygen thing, you know). They also are visually appealing. Most plants have a main color that is green, but lots of plants have different colors and even different shades. There’s green, white, red; the list goes on. Many of these colors are often seen in the same plant.
Typically, there are many plants in people’s yards and all around their house, but a lot of people also keep their plants inside (known as houseplants). When we moved here, we probably left our cherished plants at home, but I brought mine.
Houseplants can be shockingly- easy to take care of in a dorm room. When you’re in your dorm, they are always in the same room, so you can keep an eye on them. Dorm rooms only have a few windows, but they provide a lot of light and keep plants happy. Plants also need water and some tell you they need more water by drooping their leaves. With others, you can look at the soil and see if it’s dry. Plants have a way of easily communicating what they need; you just have to listen!
Besides providing decor for your room and having a positive air quality in your room, plants have other benefits they provide. They have been shown to reduce stress levels, which is particularly helpful in college when stress can be at an overwhelming all-time high. Plants can improve your attentiveness and ability to concentrate when you study at home. Plants also can boost your productivity and overall feelings towards work.
Don’t believe me? Here are some thoughts from your other peers in the freshman class:
“They brighten up the entire space and give me something to take care of other than myself.” – Chelsea Liebenthal ‘27
“Goated” – Brinnan Smith ‘27
“I have a lot of respect for people who can keep real plants alive, especially in a tiny dorm room. Couldn’t be me. But I’m jealous of your aesthetic.” – Maria Balhara ‘27
Overall, plants have a lot of positive impacts on your health and outlook on life, which can be particularly crucial when we’re in college. They are also low-commitment, requiring little effort to keep them alive.
After reading this, I hope you might be considering going to get a plant. Be careful, though; once you get one you usually want more. You might want to get more than one since plants can actually talk to one another! (But that’s a story for another article) …Chat with you rats later!