Imagine a luscious, serene garden. A small path guides you past green leaves and  outreaching branches, some of which are heavy with glistening and colorful fruit. You reach out and pluck a firm, pink apple and after surveying the surface for bruises and finding none, you take a bite. A large chunk breaks off into you mouth with a satisfying crunch and cool, sweet-tart juices leak from the crisp flesh. As you savor your treat, you take a deep breath, and the air smells fresh, like the promise of rain. Hanging ivy gently caresses your shoulders as you push past it to explore the garden further. It’s no surprise that this calming, botanical scene has the power to make most people smile. The sight, smell or even thought of plants brings people satisfaction, and I believe that owning and caring for plants helps to increase people’s mood and self-worth.

Since you started reading this essay, you may already be thinking of a fond memory involving plants—playing with fall leaves, perhaps, or caring for your houseplant. When I proposed my essay idea about plants to my class, pleasant chatter quickly spread like ivy throughout the room as my classmates began telling their own plant stories. I didn’t even need to prompt them to do so; the simple mention of plants was enough to spark their happy memories. I recounted the recent memory of getting new plants to go in my dorm room. I was so excited when they arrived in the mail. I peeled back the industrial cardboard to reveal the soft green ferns, wilted just slightly as if jet-lagged, but still managing to glisten as the light streaming through my blinds hit their delicate fronds. I lifted the plants from their encasement, the leaves unfurling as they escaped.

Others in the class talked about their favorite tree from their childhood home or the houseplants they weren’t able to bring with them to college. If just the thought of plants can conjure such fondness, then imagine what can happen if one is surrounded by plants regularly. Seeing bright green leaves every morning when I wake up always brings a grin to my face. There is a certain presence that all living things emanate, even plants, that makes me feel like I have some company, a few leafy companions to greet me when I come home.

An affinity for plants is nearly universal. Why else would so many homes and yards be covered in foliage, or famous paintings feature trees and flowers? I can’t think of a single yard I’ve been in that didn’t have some form of plants, whether it be grass, trees, or a vegetable garden. However, I can think of countless paintings that feature plants such as The Birth of Venus, and almost any piece by Frida Kahlo or Claude Monet. People seem to have an attraction to the intricate petals of flowers and the gentle, organic nature of leaves. The simple answer as to why we love plants is that humans innately find plants, and nature at large, to be calming and aesthetically pleasing.

When I used to go camping as a child I would always want to pick a spot with the most foliage. The thicker the canopy the better, and the greenest, most diverse underbrush was preferred. This makes sense because plentiful healthy plants indicate good places for animals, including ourselves, to live. An abundance of foliage suggests that there is sufficient water, fruits, vegetables, and animal prey. How can people not seek out plants when it’s been ingrained in our nature to need them for food, water, and shelter?

Another benefit of owning a plant is taking care of a dependent entity. Feeling like a plant needs you is a viable way to increase self-worth. In this way, plants are almost like a child. Neither plants nor children can fend for themselves and therefore require a caretaker. Gratification comes to that caretaker when they see their plant or child growing and prospering. Parents are incredibly happy when their child does well, the same way plant owners are when their plants do well. This is because caretakers know that the child or plant is doing well because of their efforts in raising them. People naturally like to see that their hard work is not in vain.

It can be argued that we are all so busy that the hard work of taking care of a plant isn’t worth it or that the extra stress is unneeded, but I find that it is this responsibility to be productive that makes having a plant so beneficial. The natural beauty and calming effect of plants, as well as the value of taking care of them, promote emotional health.

It may not always feel like it, but most people need and want responsibilities. Responsibilities make people feel needed as well as productive by giving them small daily or weekly goals. Without goals, people can easily settle into complacency, or worse, lose sight of what it is they want in life. We should probably have bigger goals in life then just watering a plant, but this a good place to start and easily accomplished goals can help people feel successful and motivated to do more. Watering my plants everyday helps me feel successful just knowing that, if nothing else, I helped a plant stay alive today. It brings me great joy to gently mist my little plants and know that they are alive and beautiful because of me.