BRITS spend more than £300 a year on houseplants – with Gen Z found to be the biggest fans.
A study of 2,000 adults found they each typically own seven indoor plants, with spider plants, aloe vera and peace lilies the most popular.
But 18-24 year-olds have an average of 10 different plants in their home.
And while the average person treats themselves to two new houseplants a month, the younger generation buys double that.
A typical monthly spend of £25.56 amounts to £306.72 a year, although 18-24 year olds spend an annual £414.84.
It also emerged 16 minutes a week – just under 14 hours a year – are spent tending to plants.
In order to take care of their shrubs, a fifth have talked to them, and one in 10 have sang a song.
The study, commissioned by Miracle Gro, found other popular foliage to keep in a home include Swiss Cheese Plants, Venus Flytraps and Weeping Fig plants.
But despite the popularity, almost half of adults admitted they have ‘killed’ an average of five houseplants unintentionally.
Too much water (54 per cent), not enough sunlight (30 per cent) and small plant pots (19 per cent) were believed to be the top reasons for failing to keep a plant alive.
David Domoney, spokesman for Miracle Gro, says, “The research shows just how popular indoor plants are nowadays – not only for decoration and colour, but for helping people’s moods and concentration levels.
“It’s clear the nation loves houseplants and wants to do their best to take care of them, hence the time and money they spend on doing so.
“There are so many benefits to keeping house plants, from having something to focus on to bringing nature inside.
“Especially the past year or so when people have been working from home, houseplants can be a great help to purifying the air, boosting creativity and helping people focus.”
TOP 50 HOUSE PLANTS OWNED BRITS
1. Spider plant
2. Aloe Vera
3. Peace Lily
4. Rubber Plant
5. Yucca
6. Moth Orchid
7. Poinsettia
8. African Violet
9. Amaryllis
10. Swiss Cheese Plant
11. Dendrobium Orchid
12. Venus Flytrap
13. Parlour palm
14. Jade Plant
15. Snake plant
16. Dragon Tree
17. Maidenhair Fern
18. Weeping Fig
19. Blue Torch Cactus
20. Natal Lily
21. Prayer Plant
22. Cape Jasmine
23. Tiger Aloe
24. String Of Pearls
25. Dwarf Umbrella Tree
26. Flaming Katy
27. Flamingo Flower
28. Sky Plant
29. Areca Palm
30. Sword Fern
31. Cape Primrose
32. King Begonias
33. Velvet Plant
34. Hearts On A String
35. Living Stones
36. Urn plant
37. Bird’s Nest Fern
38. Zebra Plant
39. Guzmania
40. Mexican Hat Plant
41. Flaming Sword
42. Sensitive Plant
43. Dumb Cane
44. Polka Dot Plant
45. Corn Plant
46. Silver Inch Plant
47. Heart Leaf Philodendron
48. Pink Quill
49. Madagascar Jasmine
50. Joseph’s Coat
The study also revealed Brits like to keep plants in their home to bring nature indoors (51 per cent), to make them feel good (36 per cent) and to clean the air (34 per cent).
And despite 22 per cent admitting they struggle to keep them alive, 42 per cent claim having plants in their home encourages a positive atmosphere.
Two in five believe being surrounded by greenery impacts their mood while 45 per cent use them as something to concentrate on.
Generally, houseplants also help their owners feel calm (45 per cent) and happy (44 per cent).
Of those who have worked from home during the pandemic, more than a quarter have bought houseplants for their work area.
More than a third of those polled via OnePoll also admitted they couldn’t imagine a house without plants, with 26 per cent striving to be a successful plant grower.
David Doomey’s exhibit at Chelsea Flower Show this September, ‘My Houseplants Changed my Life’, will explore the role indoor plants have on our physical and mental wellbeing.
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