Flowers do more than brighten a room—they may actually help people heal! Research suggests that flowers can reduce stress, improve mood, support recovery, and even enhance memory. For patients recovering in hospitals or seniors experiencing loneliness, a simple bouquet can be a source of comfort and joy. Here is a list of 5 healing benefits of flowers.
- Reduced Pain
A randomized, controlled trial compared 90 post-op patients during their hospital stay. Half of the group was placed in a room with flowers, and the other half without. Postoperative patients exposed to flowers required less analgesia and reported lower pain levels (Park & Mattson, 2008). Taking fewer analgesics after surgery means fewer side effects and the potential for better patient outcomes.
2. Reduced Stress and Faster Recovery
In the same study, patients exposed to flowers rated their anxiety and fatigue lower than those without flowers. They also had lower systolic blood pressure and heart rates than the control group. They described their room as a calming, positive, healing environment (Park & Mattson, 2008).
3. Improved Mood
Another study divided 147 women into three groups. One group received flowers, one received a candle, and one received a basket of fruit. The flower group showed the strongest positive emotional response compared to the group receiving the candle or fruit. They were also the only group that showed a longer-term increase in positive moods (Haviland-Jones et al., 2005).
4. Enhanced Memory
Beyond emotional well-being, flowers may also support cognitive function. In a study of 113 senior retirees, a group that received a bouquet was compared to those who did not. The group that received the flowers demonstrated significantly higher episodic memory scores (recalling specific events) than the comparison group (Haviland-Jones et al., 2005).
5. Increased Relaxation
One study examined how red, yellow, and white flowers affected the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s “rest-and-digest” response. The researchers found that viewing red and yellow flowers significantly increased parasympathetic activity, promoting a greater state of relaxation (Xie et al., 2021).
Flowers provide more than just aesthetic beauty. Research suggests they can support emotional well-being, enhance our memory, encourage relaxation, and aid in recovery in meaningful ways. This simple, inexpensive, noninvasive intervention can brighten hospital rooms, comfort isolated patients, and bring joy in difficult times. The next time you need a lift, you may want to stop and smell the roses!
Help RAFI Deliver Kindness Through Flowers
Random Acts of Flowers Indianapolis (RAFI) is a non-profit organization with a mission to bring moments of kindness in the form of a beautiful floral bouquet. They repurpose donated flowers and vases into new arrangements and deliver them to patients in nearby healthcare facilities. If you are interested in supporting RAFI, click on the link below to donate.
Sources
Park, S. & Mattson, R. H. (2008). Effects of Flowering and Foliage Plants in Hospital Rooms on Patients Recovering from Abdominal Surgery. HortTechnology, 18(4), 563–568. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH.18.4.563
Xie J, Liu B, Elsadek M. How Can Flowers and Their Colors Promote Individuals’ Physiological and Psychological States during the COVID-19 Lockdown? Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Sep 29;18(19):10258. doi: 10.3390/ijerph181910258. PMID: 34639557; PMCID: PMC8507779.
Haviland-Jones, J., Rosario, H. H., Wilson, P., & McGuire, T. R. (2005). An environmental approach to positive emotion: Flowers. Evolutionary Psychology, 3, 104–132. https://doi.org/10.1177/147470490500300109