19 Unique Benefits of Flowers According to Science (2024)

In this guide, we’ll take you through the 19 proven benefits of flowers backed by leading research studies from around the world. There’s no doubt that bouquets of flowers and flowering plants make spaces feel much more beautiful and inviting. Research shows that flowers offer all sorts of benefits. These include everything from physical and mental health benefits to flowers’ effects on the surrounding environment. By the time you’re done reading about these 19 benefits of flowers, you’ll want to fill your life with colorful blooms.

1. Flowers Can Increase Creativity, Innovation, and Productivity.

Sitting in an office all day can be difficult. It’s easy to get distracted and feel all your creative energy dissipate. Fortunately, placing a vase of flowers in your office can increase productivity and innovation.

One study investigated the effects a bouquet of roses had on office workers. One group of workers was presented with pink roses, and the control group received no flowers. Researchers then measured both groups’ various mood states.

Workers who looked at the flowers had lower confusion, fatigue, and tension anxiety levels. They also had higher levels of vigor.

While this study didn’t directly measure creativity and productivity, the ability to focus and feel relaxed often helps with productivity and creativity.

2. Flowers Can Help You Focus

Many modern jobs require long periods of directed attention. Think of tasks such as reading a manuscript and analyzing data.

While this attention is crucial to a job well done, it is also draining. That’s why you may lose your focus as the day goes on.

The good news is that there’s an easy way for you to restore some of your ability to focus. Spending time with natural elements like flowers can help you recover from attention fatigue.

The next time you’re having a hard time concentrating, go for a walk in the garden or spend a few minutes arranging a bouquet. When you return to your work, you’ll likely realize your ability to focus has improved.

3. Flowers Can Help You Sleep

People often applaud lavender essential oil for its ability to improve sleep. Multiple research studies support that inhaling this essential oil can help you sleep.

Two groups of college students were instructed to practice good sleep hygiene. One of these groups was given a lavender essential oil patch, and the other was given a blank patch. The group who inhaled lavender essential oil reported better sleep quality and awakened feeling more refreshed.

Other studies show that lavender essential oil can improve sleep quality in postpartum mothers and hemodialysis patients.

Being around and caring for flowers can also improve sleep. Interacting with flowers and other plants can lower stress and anxiety, allowing you to drift off to sleep.

4. Flowers Can Increase Energy

Feeling a little down or tired? We’ve all been there. Fortunately, flowers can help increase energy and lower fatigue.

Simply spending time working with or looking at flowers has been shown to lower fatigue and increase energy levels. Adding some flowering plants to your office could be a great way to provide a boost of mid-day energy.

5. Flowers Can Help Clean the Air

Thanks to the famous NASA Clean Air Study, it’s well known that plants can help clean the air. In case you’re not familiar with this study, we’ll cover the basics.

Since astronauts are often in enclosed spaces, NASA wanted to test if plants could remove chemicals from the air. Researchers chose a list of plants and chemicals then got to work.

They placed plants in small chambers and measured chemical concentrations over time. Results showed that almost all plants removed significant amounts of benzene and formaldehyde from the air.

If you’re wondering if these sealed chamber experiments relate to real life, you’re not alone. Since the NASA study, researchers have conducted many more experiments involving plants and air pollutants.

One study investigated fourteen different volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor offices. Results showed that when these compounds rose above 100ppb, plants reduced loads to safe levels.

Most of these studies relate to potted plants rather than cut flowers. So if you’re looking to decrease indoor air pollution, opt for flowering houseplants rather than a bouquet.

6. Flower Growing Connects You to the Natural World

As we spend more time on screens and less time outdoors, it can be difficult to connect to nature. Flower growing provides a fun and easy way to reconnect to the natural world.

If your garden is where you go for peace, you’re not alone. And there’s research to back up why spending time in a garden is so soothing and satisfying.

Studies show that gardening benefits everyone, from children to the elderly. Spending time in a garden reduces feelings of stress, anger, and sadness.

Gardening can also help you feel more rooted in a place and give you a sense of responsibility. These benefits may also be beneficial for older adults dealing with dementia.

7. Flowers May Help You Physically Heal

Flowers are often used as a component of horticultural therapy. This type of therapy is used to help patients dealing with physical and mental ailments.

People who receive horticultural therapy often see improved moods, which increases the body’s ability to heal itself.

One study examined the effect of horticultural therapy on people in a cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program. After completing one session, patients showed improved mood as well as decreased heart rate. This shows that flowers can improve both mental and physical health.

Another study examined hospital patients who were recovering from appendix removal surgery. Some of these patients had plants and flowers in their room, while others did not.

Researchers monitored the participants’ blood pressure and heart rate as well as pain intensity, anxiety, and fatigue.

Results showed that patients with plants in their rooms experienced less pain intensity and pain distress. This was especially true on the third day post-surgery. Patients with plants in their rooms also reported less anxiety and fatigue.

So why is this? It might relate to mental outlook. Compared to patients in bare rooms, patients with plants in their rooms reported their rooms were more calming, attractive, and colorful.

The next time a friend or a family member falls ill, remember these studies. Sending them flowers not only shows you care but can also speed up healing.

8. Flowers Can Help Heal the Common Cold

As you know by now, looking at flowers can help relieve stress and improve sleep. This will help your body relax and give it a better chance to fight off the common cold.

Additionally, numerous flowering plants have antiviral properties. While researchers didn’t always look at the viruses that cause the common cold, they did find out that medicinal plants could help fight off other viruses.

Plus, some flowers may shorten the length and lessen the severity of the common cold. Echinacea can reduce the length of a cold by a few hours and make you feel a little less sick.

9. Flowers Can Help Improve Mood

If you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed, you’re not alone. In 2019, almost 20% of US adults were dealing with some form of depression.

While there are all sorts of ways to improve mood, flowers are one option. Simply looking at flowers and inhaling certain flower scents can lead to decreased stress, anxiety, and depression.

Researchers at Rutgers University investigated how flowers can help improve mood.

In the first study, they presented women with flowers, a fruit basket, or a candle. They then measured the womens’ smiles after the presentation and measured their moods three days later. All of the women who received flowers exhibited a smile, and this group of women also reported the largest increase in a positive mood.

10. Flowers May Help Improve Memory

It’s no secret that being stressed can lead us to forget small details and significant events. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to improve memory: flowers!

As part of the Rutgers study mentioned above, researchers gave elderly participants zero, one, or two flower bouquets. They then asked the participants basic questions about booklets they received in the mail a few weeks prior.

This study showed that people who received flowers remembered more than people who did not receive flowers.

Since this study only investigated episodic memory, the memory of past events, it’s hard to say if flowers help short-term memory.

11. Flowers May Help Dyslexia

While there hasn’t been much academic research conducted on the subject, some people state that flowers can help with dyslexia and other learning disorders.

These people believe that flower essences can help individuals with learning. One tutor reported using clematis flower essence to help a child focus and learn.

12. Flowers Can Aid Relaxation

If you’re stressed or anxious, it’s hard to relax fully.

Spending time with flowers can also help improve lower stress in children. After spending just five minutes completing a horticultural task, children experienced less stress and more relaxation.

This same study also examined the impact a smartphone game had on childrens’ moods and found spending time with plants was more relaxing. So the next time you’re tempted to pick up your phone to relax, consider working in the garden or looking at a bouquet instead.

Another study showed that spending time with flowers can lower salivary cortisol levels While cortisol is necessary for many functions, it’s essential for helping humans deal with stress and danger. Therefore, decreased cortisol levels may indicate people feel more relaxed.

13. Flowers Help Bolster Your Relationships

It’s no secret that flowers are popular gifts. While it’s usually clear the recipient loves their gift, have you ever thought about if flowers can improve relationships?

Researchers wanted to examine how flowers could ease social tension and improve relationships in the Rutgers flower study. To do so, they observed people riding an elevator.

Elevator riders were either given a gerbera daisy, exposed to a basket of daisies, given a pen, or not given or exposed to anything. The researchers then recorded social interactions such as conversation, smiles, and movement.

The results showed that participants that received flowers were the most likely to engage in social behaviors. They were more likely to start conversations and smile at others.

If you’re looking to get someone near you to open up, consider giving them a flower!

14. Flowers May Improve Your Sex Appeal

Think showing up with flowers is outdated? Think again.

Flowers can boost your sex appeal and make you more attractive to others. And it’s not just flower companies who think so.

One French scientist conducted multiple studies involving flowers and their impact on the perception of others.

In the first study, women were shown a video of a man. Half of the women were in a room with flowers, and the other half were in a room without flowers. The women who had flowers in the room rated the man more physically and sexually attractive.

In the second study, women were shown a video and then instructed to discuss the video with a man. Like in the first study, half of these women were in a room with flowers, and half were in a room without flowers.

The man, who was in on the experiment, then asked each woman for her phone number. More than 80% of the women who had flowers in their room gave their number. Only 50% of the women in rooms without flowers offered their number.

15. Flowers Can Boost the Humidity In the Air

If you’ve ever experienced itchy, dry skin or cracked lips, you know how unpleasant dry air can be. While relative humidity around 50% is comfortable for humans, the air is often much drier than this.

Flowers and other plants can help by increasing the relative humidity. One study showed that by adding plants to just 2% of the room, the relative humidity increased by 5%.

Flowering plants can be especially beneficial in the winter when indoor air is dry. Rather than adding a humidifier, try adding some potted flowering plants.

16. Flower Gifting Can Make Someone Else’s Day

When you’re feeling overwhelmed or down, receiving a gift brightens your day, especially if you receive flowers!

Giving someone a bouquet or a flowering plant will let them know you’re thinking of them. That alone is enough to make their day.

Additionally, the flowers themselves will help boost the recipient’s mood and decrease their levels of stress. And we can all agree that’s something to smile about.

17. Flowers Can Compliment Interior Design

Whether you live in a minimalist studio apartment or a large rustic cottage, you want your house to feel like home. Interior design helps your home feel beautiful while also maintaining functionality.

Natural components such as flowers are a key component of successful interior design. No matter your style and space, there are ways to incorporate flowers into your home.

Try placing a large vase of flowers on a side table or placing small vases down the length of your dining room table. You can also incorporate floral prints to bring a long-lasting touch of the natural world.

18. Flowers Make Others Want to Help You

We know that flowers make you feel better, but how do they impact how others perceive you? If you guessed that flowers make others develop positive feelings about you, you’re right!

Researchers wanted to examine the effect flowers had on social relationships, so they devised a study. Participants were carrying a bouquet, a t-shirt, or nothing at all. They were then asked to drop a cardholder.

The results showed that other people were more likely to help individuals who were carrying flowers. As a follow-up, researchers examined the effects of a potted plant versus flowers and found only flowers had a positive impact.

Did others think these people were delivering flowers to a loved one? Did they associate flowers with vulnerability or kindness? We don’t know.

However, this study shows that flowers can increase others’ aptitude to help.

19. Edible Flowers Can Improve Health

Not only do edible flowers dress up your food, but they can also improve your health.

Hibiscus is often consumed as a flavorful red tea. Not only is this tea delicious, but hibiscus may provide numerous health benefits. It may lower blood pressure and improve metabolism, plus it acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.

Roses are also often consumed as rose oil, rose water, or herbal tea. The rose fruits, also known as rose hips, are also edible.

Rose oil may decrease anxiety and pain while also promoting relaxation. Rose hips can also improve health with a potent dose of vitamin C.

If you’ve ever wanted to dress up salads or cakes, you might turn to the delicate pansy flower. Not only are these flowers beautiful, but they also contain antioxidant compounds.

Wrapping Up the Benefits of Flowers

Along with being gorgeous, flowers provide many welcome benefits. They can improve mood, boost energy levels, and help you focus. Plus, they help build relationships and let others know you care.

The next time you’re trying to brighten someone’s day, send them some flowers. A bouquet will help them more than they even know.

For more, see our comprehensive guide to the Benefits of Gardening and the amazing Benefits of Plants.