Sales Blossom at Guilford Garden Center with Indoor Plants

By Alexia Bucciarelli

There is no debate that the green movement is having its moment in the sun. Houseplants have always been popular, but in the digital age, social media puts the spotlight on what exactly was trending yesterday, what’s hot right now and what will be tomorrow’s new darling.

"String of pearls, Pilea, Monstera, fiddle-leaf fig and new varieties of Philodendron are the trendiest,” said Christina Larson of the Guilford Garden Center in Greensboro, N.C.

Younger generations are, not surprisingly, the driving force behind these trends. Millennials work in open-plan offices with clean lines and “living walls” brimming with plants and greenery — and they want their homes to promote the same environment.

Green spaces are particularly beloved for the unique ways that they instill feelings of peacefulness and calm. Popular Instagram hashtags like #PlantLove, #PlantsOfInstagram and #PlantHoarder show that beauty reigns supreme. Guilford Garden is no stranger to this trend.

“Our houseplant room has an #UrbanJungle sign above the door for Instagrammers,” said Larson.

Plant groups are sprouting up on Facebook, too, as newcomers to the green movement look for dedicated communities where they can buy, sell and get inspiration about plants. Young customers want to learn to help their plants thrive, and sellers are responding in kind.

Guilford Garden has held classes and workshops, including one from a guest instructor on the Japanese art of Kokedama.

"Houseplants 101 and 102 were very popular courses — 101 being very introductory and including hard-to-kill plants like Sansevieria,” said Larson. “Houseplants 102 delves into some of the tougher plants, bugs and troubleshooting.”

This combination of longtime collectors and eager new plant lovers has forced a definitive spike in the market over the past three years. According to Larson, 2018 saw a sales increase of 27%, while 2019 brought a jump of 43%.

“One of the keys to keeping this going is to vary the buying of new and different plants,” she adds.

Given that millennials are known for delaying major life events like homeownership and having babies, it makes sense that 70% of millennials consider themselves “plant parents.” Whether they want something to nurture or just love a pop of color, the younger generations cannot get enough of #PlantsPlantsPlants.