“I love plants!” says twenty-one-year-old recent college graduate, Jenna Bien. A self-dubbed plant lady, she says her love of plants began after watching her mother’s perennial garden return each year even bigger than the year before. The joy stemming from putting hard work and care into each plant drove her to purchase her first indoor plant, and she’s never looked back since.
According to the 2016 National Gardening Report, six million new Americans took up gardening in 2015. Out of that six million, five million of them were millennials! millennials have even outpaced their grandparents. Thirty-seven percent of millennials grow plants and herbs indoors compared to 28% of Baby Boomers.
So, the question begs to be asked—why the uptick in this plantmania? Part of the answer lies in house hunting, or more accurately, the lack there of it. Data shows that millennials are buying fewer homes, and instead moving to cities where they opt to rent apartments. These tiny spaces in city hotspots make it hard to immerse oneself into nature, so this younger generation has made moves to bring greenery inside instead.
Jenna points out that her plants were the only way she was able to turn her basement room with barred windows into a habitable and peaceful place. “I’ve moved myself and I’ve moved my plants with me over the summer. I’ve moved them to the mountains, I’ve moved them to Florida, twice, and multiple houses. They just add an amazing element to a space. They liven up a space and bring this green vibrant life into a room. It’s bringing nature inside and that’s awesome.”
When asked what is her favorite plant she replied that she has plants that she has a deep connection with and then plants that she thinks are the prettiest. As her roommate, I knew the exact plant she would say first—her Philodendron. It’s been “through the ringer” with her as she’s gone through hard life experiences, breakups, moves, and not to mention, funguses and bugs. Each time it comes back after a little TLC. She even talks to it sometimes.
Jenna points out an insightful truth when explaining why she stuck with her plant-centered lifestyle. “A plant’s almost like us. They get diseases or funguses—rough shit happens to plants too. But you know all it takes is some love and care and you get right back on track.” Looking after plants means taking care of something other than yourself. Without the money to start a family or buy a house, millennials have turned to caring for plants instead. It’s a step towards adulthood, but without such a high risk. A New York Times column explained that when traditional signs of adulthood are out of reach, it is quite comforting to come home to something that depends on you.
There’s another reason too—aesthetics. Millennials are a #selfie generation, to say the least. We enjoy posting photos of picturesque landscapes for Instagram, and so why not a photo of your living room jungle? There are endless Instagram photos of air plants, succulents and Philodendrons. For instance, many younger people that come into my work at 5th Season will show me photos of their house or describe where they imagine the plant will go before asking which one to buy. Plants have become the latest accessory!
Millennials are also keen on the latest “wellness” trend that incorporates everything from yoga to organic foods. We want to surround ourselves with things that make us happy and calm. Having indoor plants around has great health benefits, which only added to their popularity. Plus, when we see the flourishing foliage and lushness of the outdoors brought indoors, we are reminded to take a deep rejuvenating breath and relax.
For this young generation living in the flux, there seems to be this sense of shifting boundaries and horizons. Who knows where we'll be in five years, or what we'll be doing. Will we have landed an awesome job or be living with our parents while we're on the fifth month of job searching? It's unclear. But one thing is for certain. When we invest in a low risk, high yield hobby like gardening or indoor plants, we're able to put effort and love into something that brings peace, calm and most importantly, growth.
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