It’s no secret that house plants have skyrocketed in popularity in the last five years alone, with many opting for indoor plants over outside gardens. And they’re everywhere! On Pinterest, Instagram, Tiktok, plantfluencers have certainly made themselves at home on our feeds.

So, exactly how (and why?) have indoor plants become our new go-to for home décor? Especially among younger generations. Let’s dive in.

Millennial & Gen Z – Leading the Plant Parade

Leading the indoor plant movement is, unsurprisingly, the younger gens – Particularly Millennials and Gen Z. But why? If you cast your mind back to just a few short years ago, when social distancing was highly recommended, many of us picked up a mish-mash of hobbies. One of these hobbies or ‘adoptions’ was buying house plants.

With regular upkeep and a gentle touch, some house plants can live for 10 – 20 years. With the added health benefits (which we’ll get to a little later...), it’s unsurprising that something that is both calming and looks good has become so popular.

According to The Social Shephard, nearly 80% of millennial women (30–35-yearold's) use Pinterest for home décor inspiration. What’s more, the Global Web Index explains that users use Pinterest to find home décor inspo more than anything else on the site! Additionally, trends born on the site take off faster than any other app – increasing by 56% compared to 38% anywhere else.

Competitors like Patch and Primrose regularly post their indoor plants, products, and even inspiration on Pinterest. You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to connect the dots here!

What’s making Indoor plants so popular?

Alongside the ever-growing popularity of house plants on social media, I think it comes down to one overlooked explanation... they’re pretty! It’s like saying ‘Why are flower bouquets so popular?’. They add colour, interest, and act as a living décor item. What’s not to love?!

Have a bare spot in the living room, but you’ve run out of nick-nacks? Buy a pretty pot and a plant and you’ve got a new focal piece. Need to decorate some shelves but are running out of ideas? Many house plants have trailing leaves that will look perfect on the shelf!

Plus, many indoor plants will survive in unique environments. Whether you need something low maintenance or need one that thrives in shade, high humidity, or sunlight. There are hundreds of plants that are perfect for homes anywhere in the world, depending on your home.

The Benefits of House Plants

Something else that’s a popular trend among millennials is ‘wellness’. This can include a range of practices, but they all serve a purpose. To help you feel calm and content. Whether that’s through meditation, exercise, therapy, or through an enjoyable hobby – like plant care.

Compared to the rigorous online climate and the need for instantaneous gratification, growing plants is the complete opposite. It takes constant nurturing and time to grow a house plant yourself. A perfect remedy to the fast-paced life many of us live online.

It goes deeper than that, though. Indoor plants can even improve the air quality in your home. According to a study carried out by the RHS, “indoor plants have been found to reduce the concentration of harmful pollutants to a healthier concentration.”Adding a house plant or two to the main rooms of your home can have huge health benefits for your family, improving airflow as well as looking fantastic.

Replacing the need to nurture

Many young couples are now turning to owning pets and plants as an alternative to having children. This switch-up is unsurprising, considering the price of living steadily (or extremely) increasing in just the last few months. In fact, a survey conducted by The New York Times reported that the main reason for fertility rates being at a record low is affordability.

They also go on to say, “Some people fear that overpopulation contributes to climate change and much more environmental damage, as well as fearing that it might not be good for a child to be brought into the world at this time.”

So, if you think about it, many people find the need to curve the damage to the environment to something less impactful, like owning an abundance of blooms and plants.

Click here to shop our houseplant range.

References

1 - https://thesocialshepherd.com/blog/pinterest-statistics#:~:text=Pinterest%20is%20Pretty%20Popular%20With%20the%20Millennial%20Generation&text=Nearly%2080%25%20of%20Millennial%20women,use%20the%20platform%20for%20inspiration.

2- https://bloggingwizard.com/pinterest-statistics/

3 - https://bloggingwizard.com/pinterest-statistics/

4 - https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/gardening-in-a-changing-world/environmental-projects/plants-indoor-air-quality

5 - https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/opinion/fertility-rates.html