Impact of the cool and warm colours of flowers on the plant wall on indoor human health

Abstract

This study investigated how different flower colours in plant walls, warm and cool, could affect human health. The experiment involved constructing three types of plant walls, warm flower plant wall, cool flower plant wall and green leaf plant wall (control group), using virtual reality (VR) technology. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to measure psychological reactions. Heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure (BP) were used to measure physiological reactions during the plant wall viewing. The findings indicated that the cool flower plant wall could significantly reduce anxiety compared to the warm flower plant wall (p = 0.001). The warm flower plant wall considerably reduced high frequency (HF) of heartbeat (p = 0.011) compared to the green leaf plant wall and the physiological recovery effect was less pronounced. No significant differences were observed between the cool flower plant wall and the green leaf plant wall. These findings suggested that prioritising cool-coloured flowers and green leafy plants while minimising warm-coloured flowers on indoor plant wall designs may enhance mental and physical well-being, particularly for indoor occupants. This study contributes to the understanding of the relationship between indoor plant walls and health, providing empirical support for designing healthier and more comfortable indoor environments.