Growing Trend: Houseplants for Your Home, Office

If you purchased an indoor plant recently, you are part of a growing trend that began several years ago and exploded during the pandemic.

The popularity of houseplants was already on the rise before 2020. Young adults who couldn’t afford to rent or buy a house turned to indoor plants as a way to enjoy gardening in the limited space of an apartment. Many people of all ages turned to houseplants as a way to “unplug” from our high-tech world.

And then COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown happened.

Much like the boom in pet adoptions, people started to purchase more and more houseplants, turning their homes and patios into veritable jungles. Research by Garden Center magazine, which surveyed 250 independent nurseries (like Warner’s), showed that 91% of them saw a dramatic increase in houseplant purchases in 2020.

Another survey of almost 1,000 plant owners by Stoneside, which makes blinds and shades, reported that 12% of these purchases were by first-time plant owners. It also had some interesting statistics on why plant purchases were up.

As expected, beautifying a home was the top reason, but people also said they got plants to distract themselves, because they had time on their hands due to the lockdown and because garden centers were one of the few retail stores open during 2020.

They discovered, as many houseplant owners have over the years, that there’s a lot to love about indoor plants. Besides their beauty, study after study shows that plants are good for our health.

Some people report increases in creativity and productivity in offices where there are plants. Others note that exposure to plants reduces stress levels (again, much like interactions with pets). Even the soil helps us; multiple studies indicate that exposure to mycobacterium vaccae, a microbe found in plant soil, boosts the production of serotonin (the “happy chemical”) in the body.

What often keeps people from enjoying these many benefits is that they fear that they have a “black thumb” and can’t grow plants.

The good news is that there are many plants that don’t require extensive maintenance to keep alive and thriving.

Here are some of the easiest plants to grow, even for those of you who are new to indoor plants. As many of us are returning to office settings, we’ve also noted which of these plants are tolerant about light conditions and might make a nice addition to your workspace.

Zamioculcas zamiifolia (better known a ZZ) is one of the most forgiving plants you’ll find in our nursery. Miss a watering (or three) and it still shows off its glossy, feathery wings. It can do this because its underground stems, or rhizomes, hold a lot of water. It also isn’t particularly fussy about its soil or lighting, making it a popular office plant.

Sansevieria goes by many names, including the Snake Plant and Mother-in-Law’s Tongue. Whatever you call it, this bold and beautiful plant has long, slender upright leaves typically edged in a lighter green-gray color. It’s also quite forgiving; you really can’t kill a Sansevieria unless you overwater it. This is another good office plant.

Spider Plants are great as a hanging plant or in a pot. They like indirect sunlight, as direct sunlight can burn the tips of their leaves. They also like even moisture, so a good potting soil mix is essential. These guys grow fast, so you might want to repot them every once in a while so they don’t get root-bound.

Pothos and Philodendron are often confused with each other, even though technically they are different species. Both are easy to care for, are on vines that can trail or climb and have only one demand: don’t overwater them. The big differences you should be aware of are: Pothos are hardier and will grow faster than Philodendron and Philodendron can thrive in lower light conditions, making them terrific for offices.

Other easy-going plants that do well in low light conditions, and therefore are great for offices, are the Peace Lily, many varieties of ferns, and Dieffenbachia.

If you would like to explore the world of indoor plants or just add to the collection you’ve already started, please stop by Warner’s. We have a wide selection, and our staff has plenty of useful advice, whether you are brand new to the joy of houseplants or have been cultivating them for years.

Happy Gardening! FBN

By Misti Warner-Andersen

Misti Warner-Andersen is the manager of  Warner’s Nursery & Landscape Co., located at 1101 E. Butler Ave. in Flagstaff. To contact Warner’s Nursery, call 928-774-1983.