A survey of 1,111 Americans who own houseplants wanted to find out which varieties are most popular and how much people spend on the hobby, but they also found out how much they anthropomorphize their leafy little friends.
During the pandemic, 68 percent of Millennials took up a new hobby and nearly as many grew their houseplant collection.
Perhaps that's become part of the new cultural dynamic. 57 said having a houseplant supported their mental health while 81 percent say houseplants are a reasonable substitute if they are far from nature.
And many want partners who share those values; 35 percent of singles say owning a houseplant is a "turn on," while 1 in 3 married people say having a houseplant helps them wait before having kids, which means they're not thinking about planned parenthood, they are thinking about "plant parenthood."
6 in 10 agree "pets are the new kids, and plants are the new pets." The most popular male name for the new plant pets: Fred. The most popular female name: Karen.
Pro-tip: If you want to get a date at the local greenhouse, don't talk about how the CO2 inside the building is 5X what the IPCC says is a disaster for all life on earth, that's a downer and so 2019. Talk about plants instead. Need some help? Just like borrowing a dog to visit the park can aid you in a pinch, the top three houseplants owned by singles are Succulent, Aloe Vera, Cactus, so namedrop one of those.
