Does being around plants truly improve your happiness and well-being?

As a botanist, one of my closest-held beliefs is that plants improve the quality of my life, says James Wong. But does science back me up?

By James Wong

EVERY month in my column, I look into a claim that is ubiquitous in the media, exploring the often surprisingly shaky foundations behind long-held positions we take for granted. This month, though, I wanted to set myself the challenge of examining the evidence behind one of my own closest held beliefs, to see how hard it can be to be objective.

As someone who not only shares his tiny flat with an ever-expanding collection of 500 houseplants, but who also makes a living from writing and presenting about plants, I am perhaps unsurprisingly deeply invested in the idea …