TheTRUTH Behind Trendy HOUSEPLANTS

Greenery that Thrives on Neglect and Reason for Popularity

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Plenty of home and alone time during the early part of COVID created opportunities and desires for new types of parenting to help break the isolation between four walls. Some people became first-time pet parents; others seeking a little less responsibility opted to adopt plants instead.

The fast-paced horticulture business of 2020 and 2021 has slacked off a bit as those plant parents have returned to work and gotten busier.

“People are just trying to appreciate the plants they have and to keep them happy,” said Heather Jones, a container gardening designer for Esbenshade’s Garden Center in Lititz. “They aren’t necessarily going to keep buying at the level they were.”

Perhaps that explains a new plant trend for 2023—to parent plants that require even less work and a slightly less of a green thumb.

Forget that finicky fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) that was the darling of the COVID era. Enter instead the hardy cactus and Pothos plants, which Jones says are “extremely easy to take care of.”

“If you don’t know anything about plants and buy a Pothos as your first plant, you’re going to gain a lot of confidence because it’s hard to kill. It’s been really popular here since summer and we’re selling a lot,” Jones said.

Colors That Pop

Another hot trend? Hot colors. People want plants not necessarily with yearround blooms, but with eye-popping foliage colors—think neon, marble, golden, and jade Pothos. The names conjure the brilliant hues of the leaves.

Regardless of whether someone seeks color or bloom, it’s important— especially for those who seek easy care—to remember the challenges of indoor gardening. Plants that can endure low light, lower humidity, and fluctuating temperatures will do best. That generally means the hardiest houseplants come from the tropics, the desert, or the understory of the jungle, explains Karl Gercens, East Conservatory Manager for Longwood Gardens.

Gercens says prospective plant owners seek “absolutely indestructible plants,” so if that’s what they want, they should consider snake plants (Sansevieria, now known as Dracaena), which are perfect for people who struggle to keep anything alive.

“You can have a collection—different colors, textures, shapes, and sizes,” Gercens noted. “You can create little families of these plants and realize that they are so different. Even though they are in the same genus, so much is different. Can you believe these are related?”

If the snake plant’s not for you, Seth Pearsoll, Creative Director for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Philadelphia Flower Show, agrees that one of the many varieties of Pothos is the way to go.

“I’m seeing a lot of people nerding out into the world of Pothos, which was at one point a very entry-level houseplant—a gateway plant,” Pearsoll said. “There’s quite a bit of room in the market to test your collection without worrying about it. Pothos is always the place to start.”

Hardy Heritage

What’s old is new again and that means grandma’s plants are as cool as grandma, and hardy too, Gercens says of Begonias, African violets, peace lilies (Spathiphyllum), and Boston ferns (Nephrolepis exaltata). Other forgiving plants Gercens recommends include the cast iron plant (Aspidistra), Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema), dumb cane (Dieffenbachia), Anthurium, and of course, succulents, like the “super cute” string-of-pearls (Senecio rowleyanus), a hanging succulent. Pearsoll also raves about the trend towards foliage drama that people can attain with the bright greens and purples of begonias and Calatheas.

“I feel like people are coming to Calatheas the way people were going to orchids,” he said. “They have incredible foliage and incredible patterning.”

Similarly, Cheryl Burill—chief operating officer of Royer’s Flowers and Gifts with locations in Camp Hill, Carlisle, Chambersburg, Columbia, Ephrata, Harrisburg, Hershey, Lancaster, Lebanon, Reading, Shillington, Wernersville, and York—agrees that while the peace lily evokes days yonder, it is the most popular plant Royer’s carries.

“Everybody likes them and they’re so easy to take care of. With those little white blossoms that it has and its name, people like to send them for a lot of different occasions,” Burill said.

Since Esbenshade’s has greenhouses that also produce vegetables, it was deemed an essential business during the pandemic that could remain open. At Royer’s, however, people had to wait, so once they were able to go back into the stores, Burill says, “Oh, the questions they had,” noting that succulents were quite popular then.

Although Pearsoll sees a move towards more feathery ferns, that passion doesn’t come without warning: while they’ve got a lot of personality, the maidenhair (Adiantum) and asparagus ferns (Asparagus setaceus) require a lot more love and attention.

Pearsoll also notes what he describes as an “almost anti-trend” in the current houseplant market, and that is to find one small houseplant to love and nurture, remembering that a small plant that might come from even Home Depot is going to grow with good care. He suggests “creating relationships with that one friendly plant you’re committed to.”

If my pandemic babies are any indication of how plant parenting is going, these experts seem to have described my every experience; not to mention the plants I chose: Pothos, peace lily, and snake plant. Time at home gave me the opportunity to develop a watering routine, and as a result, my plants have flourished, including a no-longer-trendy fiddle leaf fig that thrives in my bedroom window. Eh, who needs to follow trends. In 2023, we can be the trendsetters.