Why we love indoor plants and the relationships we form with them

Today, indoor plants are a common sight in homes and workplaces. The worldwide indoor plants market is expanding rapidly and is expected to exceed US$28 billion (A$44 billion) by 2031.

People bring indoor plants into their homes for many reasons: as decoration, to purify the air and to ease stress. My colleagues and I wanted to explore this more closely. What kinds of relationships do people develop with indoor plants? And what might these relationships reveal about the links between humans and nature?

Our survey of indoor plant owners in Australia found that many people build deeply meaningful bonds with their leafy companions. Some regard their plants as family members, worry about their wellbeing and grieve when a plant dies.

A blooming hobby

People have cultivated plants indoors for millennia.

Evidence indicates that Egyptians were bringing plants inside by the 3rd century BC. Remains from the former city of Pompeii show indoor plants were used there over 2,000 years ago. In medieval England, people used indoor plants for medicinal purposes and in cooking.

Indoor plant keeping became popular around the world during the latter half of the 20th century. It was especially widespread throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, probably because people wanted a connection with nature when their access to outdoor green spaces was restricted.

The advantages of indoor plants extend beyond connecting people with nature. Research suggests they may boost positive feelings, lower stress, improve productivity and even reduce physical discomfort, including pain.

Yet, as research by my colleagues and me demonstrates, people do not all feel the same degree of connection to their plants.

Why we love indoor plants

We surveyed 115 Australian adults, who were recruited through social media posts and poster advertisements at the University of South Australia. About 69% of participants were female, 30% were male and 1% were non-binary, with ages ranging from 18 to 69.

Participants owned an average of 15 indoor plants each. While some had just one indoor plant, one person had an impressive 500.

Collectively, respondents kept 51 types of house plants. Succulents, devil's ivy and monstera were the most frequently owned. Most participants kept their plants in a living room, kitchen or bedroom.

Participants identified 11 benefits of owning indoor plants in total.

Half of respondents mentioned the visual appeal of indoor plants. They said indoor plants were "nice to look at", "soften rooms" and "add colour". Participants also identified benefits for air quality and said they found indoor plants calming.

Benefits mentioned less often included helping respondents establish routines, improving physical health, offering a distraction, easing fatigue and providing a pleasant scent.

4 types of relationships with indoor plants

Our research found four kinds of relationships that people have with their indoor plants:

1. Highly connected (14% of respondents)

These respondents generally reported a strong personal bond with their plants. Their comments included:

They are like my children. (male, 28)

I often water them and take care of them as family members. (female, 26)

Well I cried over my plants leaf getting broken off today, so you could say I'm pretty attached
to her. (female, 21)

I feel terrible if one dies, I feel as though I have let it down and generally bury it in the garden. (female, 34)

2. Engaged (42% of respondents)

These participants took pleasure in and cared for their plants, though they were not deeply emotionally attached to them. For instance:

Watering them and watching them grow is exciting, I feel proud to keep them alive so long (female, 22)

I get sad when one dies or is looking droopy, I feel happy when they look alive and freshly
watered. (female, 22)

3. Limited engagement (23%)

These respondents liked having indoor plants, but devoted little time to their care and described only limited emotional ties. As one participant put it:

Feel like indoor plants are fine but through our large windows we can see our outdoor plants and that's more important to us. (female, 45)

4. No relationship (12%)

Participants who reported no relationship with their indoor plants said:

Hardly watered it as it's a succulent. (male, 21)

They are all gifts rather than something I've gone out to buy. (male, 21)

(The responses from the remaining 9% of participants were invalid for the question about their relationship with house plants, so they were excluded.)

Unlocking the potential of indoor plants

Our findings indicate that indoor plants may enhance our lives in ways that we are only starting to appreciate.

It is important to recognise that the study data were gathered in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. That setting may have affected the findings. For instance, participants may have felt a particularly strong attachment to indoor plants because their access to outdoor green space had been limited. Further research is therefore required in a post-pandemic setting.

Human–nature relationships are a developing area of research. Better understanding the connections between people and plants may help reveal how nature can improve health and wellbeing.

Brianna Le Busque, Lecturer in Environmental Science, University of South Australia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.