Hi Marguerite, I'm in UK where flowers and plants are banned in wards. I've been told it's because of infection but I wonder if it's to save staff from having to change water, clean vases and get rid of dead flowers. Funnily enough I was just thinking about this last night

Not in the US. Flowers and plants are welcomed. Hospital gift shops always have a big floral case so anyone who forgot can stop and pick something up.

Of course, places like the ICU are different, but in general rooms, for sure.

I do not think the carbon dioxide plants release is enough to pose any sort of hazard, but it is true that plants can potentially be an infection risk for patients who are immune suppressed. I think it makes a lot of sense to ban live plants in intensive care, cancer wards, transplant wards, HIV wards, etc.

So far though it is fine in America to bring plants in general medical units. I think having greenery around can do a lot to relax and calm an anxious patient.

I must say, I wondered the same as you, Averil, was it the work the plants implied. If you, summersunshine and writersblock can have plants in ordinary wards and rooms, I don't understand the thinking this side oof the pond. I do know I would have been much happier in hospital if I could have had a plant to look at, I've been looking it up online, and there seems to be no evidence to bolster the restriction. Thanks for the replies.

No info to contribute, besides the hilarious mental image this discussion conjured... the panicked plant-o-phile arriving at the hospital in an ambulance... with a trailer full of plants hooked on the back. "I'm not going in w/o my Ficus and Schefflera - and don't forget my Sans!"

purpleinopp, laughter aside, it actually felt a bit like that. I have people at home to look after my plants, but I still really miss them. I asked if I could have one fastened into a closed container and the answer was in the negative. It's hard to understand. If people in the US can have plants in ordinary, non-intensive care situations, I can't understand the thinking here, although I readily admit that we do not have many house plant aficionados in Ireland, certainly not like in England or, going by this forum, in the U.S.

This is interesting.I worked in ICU and often we would keep plants that patients would leave and take care of them.Some of them left them voluntarily and others not. It was kind of a comfort thing to try to keep a plant alive after a deceased patient left.

In Australia the hospitals make their own rules. Except for Intensive care units (where generally even flowers and fruit gifts are not allowed), most do not allow potted plants. It's because of the risk of harmful bacteria and pathogens in the soil. Flowers are allowed but they prefer smaller arrangements as most rooms have minimum space for patients personal items at best. I know the hospitals prefer that flowers come provided with a container however the on-going upkeep isn't usually a bother - most hospitals have volunteers who come in and look after the floral arrangements, change water, tidy them and do other little jobs for people.
On the other hand, most of the hospitals I've visited in my own area have nice floral displays in their public areas, and nice outside gardens for mobile patients to walk and sit in - even sensory gardens

sorry, my first post got the hiccups

This post was edited by alisonoz on Tue, Oct 21, 14 at 3:10

Marguerite, just few days ago was thinking of how you were doing. I am glad you are back home.
In Latvia hospitals have potted plants and also cut flowers. Now that I think I didn't see potted plants in rooms, but in general area, yes, and they looked well taken care off. Also nurse table always had a vase filled with fresh cut flowers.

My (UK) company has one or two hospital contracts.

We used to have more (one of ~70 plants, one of ~150), but lost them due to either the hospitals deciding to look after themselves or going to cheaper competition.

I did always wonder about the whole hygiene thing, but wasn't going to rock the boat.

I believe the biggest danger from house plants would be if the soil was harboring harmful fungus. If your immune system is not healthy, fungal infections can be extremely serious and can cause death.

This makes me wonder if it would actually be safer for patients if plants in hospital settings were grown in hydroculture rather than soil. I would expect (but can't prove) that hydroculture inert media would not harbor as much fungus as soil does.

Fungus and certain bacteria in the soil and on the plants are the issue; as time goes on and more "ordinary" patients have weak immune systems from chronic illness, we may start to ban all live plants in US hospitals. Of course if they sat there and no one ever touched them, no risk. But that won't happen.

Nursing staff no longer has time (much less the inclination) to change water and weed out dead stuff, and I never see volunteers doing such things. The patients' families rarely do either, they seem to expect the nurses to.

And, my particular pet peeve -- flowers from the home garden -- inevitably the source of gnats and sometimes worse in the ward.

Lil-sama, thank you for the kind thoughts, I've been bouncing in and out of hospital, I hope to stay put at home now. summersunshine, I do see your point about funguses. I'm not sure I can see why completely sealed-in bottle gardens should be part of the ban.

To all, many many thanks for the discussion. You are a great and informative bunch.