The Four Hundred: The Millennial Plant Pandemic
Westend61
Sunlight floods through the windows and Philodendrons occupy space in cream, ceramic bowls while Monstera leaves hang delicately in orange clay pots. The floors are lined with worn Bohemian rugs, giving the spotlight to the lush greenery that rests inside.
Seed to Stem, a small botanical store in Worcester, Massachusetts, located appropriately on 138 Green Street, is just one of the many ‘Instagrammable” greenhouses popping up all over the world.
As the world retreated indoors amid the pandemic, young people turned to their green thumb to help lessen the stress of isolation. According to the National Gardening Survey, annual nursery and garden sales amass $48 billion a year, with Millennials responsible for 31% of those housplant sales.
Owning housplants is not a new trend and has been documented in Ancient China, Egypt and Japan where the upper class planted in their courtyards for decorative purposes. But the scene has changed dramatically, with an elevated peak in online plant sales.
“The plant market is massive, dominated by big box retailers with outdated sales methods and a lack of personalized service,” Ron Radu, Co-Founder of online plant shop ‘Leon & George,’ stated, “[We’ll] change that by offering an experience that modern consumers have come to expect in today’s tech-driven economy.”
The sleek online garden shop features designer-curated plants potted in planters made from premium materials and all are made to order.
“We set out to reconnect people with nature by offering indoor greenery that fits busy lifestyles, enhances indoor spaces and supports socially conscious business,” Leon & George’s website states.
The phenomenon for the plant sale boom can be viewed with multiple psychological lenses. Some see it as therapy to distract themselves from other bad habits, creating a hobby that is relaxing in nature. Others might crave the nurturing aspect, as taking care of something often makes us feel that we have a larger purpose.
According to the American Horticultural Therapy Association, horticultural therapy helps with both physical and mental rehabilitation, such as improving cognitive skills, memory and socialization. It was even found that in the 1940s and ’50s, war veterans found horticultural therapy to be beneficial in their rehabilitation with PTSD and other mental illnesses caused by war.
“Bringing plants into my home not only gave me a therapeutic indoor garden but showed me that I am capable of keeping something alive. While they’re not as complicated as babies or puppies, that doesn’t stop me from treating them as such,” plant owner Andreana Bitsis said in her blog entry, “Confessions of a Millennial Plant Mom.”
This new wave of plant owners and who are now coined, “Plant Influencers” are finding solace in the natural aesthetics and experience of owning their own mini forest in their homes, sharing their collection proudly online.
Sarah B, an Orange County plant owner who also goes by her Instagram name “@plantsiren,” proudly displays her lush indoor jungle, complimented by her colorful decor including a large lavender standing mirror and a transparent coffee table with a small terrarium tucked inside.
She also shares her tips and tricks for keeping her ‘plant babies’ alive, “Turning on the fan for air circulation. . .If you have a problem with root rotting, this could prevent it. It dries up your soil fast,” she captioned a video of her 3-year-old Philodendron plant.
The plant owner community is large, and it facilitates a supportive and helpful crowd that is willing to share ways that plants have been integral in their lives and how it can be that way for others.
Darryl Cheng, author of “The New Plant Parent” and self-proclaimed “houseplant engineer,” focuses on the details of each of his plants while sharing advice on how best to display your houseplants. He also suggests frugal furniture that plant owners can turn into stands to fit even more plants into their homes.
His Instagram feed, “@houseplantjournal,” captivates with budding dracaenas and strong black coral snake plants, coupled with a little humor from Cheng as he poses with them as if they were his children.
“Plants aren’t only aesthetically pleasing; it’s fascinating to watch them grow and you’ll develop a real connection as you share your home with them!” Cheng writes in one of his Instagram posts.
These influencers have propelled the growing obsession with houseplants amongst young people, even creating promising partnerships for some.
Hilton Carter, plant and interior stylist, grew in popularity in 2017 after sharing his love for greenery on Instagram, displaying all 180 of his plants in his small Baltimore apartment.
Since then, he has grown his collection to more than 200 plants and recently collaborated with Target on his own designer collection of chic products for plant parents and plant lovers.
Carter’s line will debut in Target stores on May 14 featuring minimalist, naturally-colored planters, a wide range of small to large faux plants and propagation vessels.
“Even though I knew the plant and interiors community here have always been so kind to me, I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you how humbled and overwhelmed I was with the love sent my way after announcing my Hilton Carter for Target collection,” Carter wrote on his Instagram.
Jill Sando, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer at Target, stated that searches for plants on Target’s website increased more than 300% since the beginning of the pandemic, and this new collaboration aims at people’s desire to bring the outdoors in.
This is a new kind of partnership for Target, but only reflects the shift in plant owners prioritizing design as well as modernism when it comes to nurturing their ‘plant babies.’
As my own Instagram feed gets greener and greener, it might even influence me to dip my thumb in plant parenting.