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19 Key Houseplant Statistics: Original & Industry Data

19 Key Houseplant Statistics: Original & Industry DataPhoto from Unsplash

Originally Posted On: https://natureofhome.com/houseplant-statistics/

 

Household plants are on the rise. With changes in how we work and how we learn, people are spending more time inside, which has created a refreshing interest in household plants.

Just how big is the plant market? And what impact can these plants have on our health, wellness, and overall lifestyle?

Let’s examine 19 fascinating statistics that show the popularity of houseplants, as well as the ways people benefit from a little indoor greenery…

13 Industry / Marketplace Houseplant Statistics

First, we will cover thirteen houseplant industry statistics that cover the marketplace and reasons for purchasing.

1. The Money Tree Is the Most Searched Houseplant in U.S.

We analyzed Googled search data for the following houseplants using software that, analyzes 7.2 billion search terms ¹ to determine what plant was the most popular:

Search Term Monthly Searches
Money Tree 215k
Snake Plant 208k
Bamboo 157k
Aloe Vera 118k
Spider Plant 117k
Pothos 88k
Prayer Plant 57k
Swiss Cheese Plant 49k
Calathea 46k
String of Pearls 43k
Corn Plant 33k
Fiddle-Leaf Fig 4.9k
The Money tree plant had the highest search volume, followed by the snake plant. This could be due to all the meanings of Money trees, which are common gifts. 

2. Monstera Deliciosa is the Most-Searched Plant in 16 States

We looked at Google search trends and data to reveal what houseplant was each states favorite. Here are the results:

Favorite House Plant States
Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa) Alaska, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia
Calathea Arizona, Colorado, Texas
Fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin
Aloe vera Delaware, Mississippi
Prayer plant (Maranta leuconeura) Florida
Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides) Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington
Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) Illinois, Monyana, New Jersey
Money tree/Guiana chestnut Kentucky, Nebraska
String of pearls (Senecio rowleyanus) Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan
Corn plant (Dracaena fragrans) Maine, New Mexico
Snake plant (Sansevieria) Virginia
Bamboo Rhode Island, Wyoming
Pothos South Dakota

We found that the monstera deliciosa, also known as the “Swiss cheese plant” for its hole-filled leaves, was the most searched-for plant in 16 states.

We aren’t sure why people were curious about this plant, but it’s relatively easy to maintain and has a unique appearance, making it ideal for first-time houseplant owners.

3. U.S. Houseplant Industry Increased by $1 Billion Between 2020 and 2021 ²

Statista, a major data resource, reports that the market size for plants and flowers (indoor and out) in 2020 was 16.15 billion, which is certainly a large number. However, the market grew to 17.17 billion in 2021. However, when looking at houseplant sales statistics Statista says the market is expected to decline to 17.08 billion in 2022.

Regardless of the exact numbers, it’s clear that household plants drive a significant market in the United States.

4. Nearly 88% of People Have at Least One Household Plant ³

Most people own at least one plant. According to a 2021 report from the Floral Marketing Fund,  nearly 88% of all survey respondents own one plant or more. Here’s how the numbers shook out:

Amount of Plants Percent
0 11.3
1 52.1
2-5 24.7
6-10 6.2
11-15 5.6

Respondents with a single plant were the largest group, but people with at least one plant represent over 87% of the entire survey.

5. In 2020, 48.8% of Respondents Took Gardening and Landscaping as a New Hobby

From the same resource (Floral Marketing Fund) comes a figure showing that nearly half of all respondents took gardening and landscaping as a new hobby during the COVID pandemic.

Other popular new hobbies included games (33.8%), arts and crafts (32.9%), and music (31.4%)

“Gardening and landscaping” refers to both indoor and outdoor activities, but it shows just how popular plants have become since the pandemic.

6. In 2020, 37.6 Million U.S. Households Participated in Indoor Gardening

Dovetailing perfectly with the previous information, Statista’s research department says that 37.6 million households in the U.S. participated in indoor plant gardening during 2020.

This is surely a reflection of the desire to connect with plants and nature without being exposed to the COVID virus.

7. 48% of Millennials Own Houseplants for Air Quality, 45% Because They are Calming

Surveying people ages 25-39, Article found that  45% of respondents found plants to be “peaceful and calming,” but the largest reason (48%) was a motivation to improve air quality. The survey included over 2,000 respondents, so it was a relatively large sample size.

This seems to connect with the overall trend for self-care and wellness. This survey doesn’t say whether plants are calming or improve air quality, only people’s motivation for purchasing them.

8. 22% of Gen-Z Houseplant Owners Have Them to Improve Air Quality

Gen-Z houseplant owners have similar motivations. According to statistics from Civic Science, an opinion-research firm, 22% of Gen-Z houseplant owners have them because they can improve air quality.

Again, this study doesn’t say that plants improve air quality, only that people believe they do and purchase accordingly.

9. The Hardest Plant for Owners? 61% of Fiddle-leaf Fig Owners Failed to Keep it Alive

Keeping a houseplant can be difficult, and this information from Homes & Gardens supports the belief that some are harder than others. 61% of people with these plants say they failed to keep them alive. Other plants on the list include the gardenia (54%) and the Boston fern (52%).

People love their houseplants and want them to live as long as possible, but the fiddle-leaf fig plant is known to be one of the most difficult to maintain.

People who want long-lasting greenery for their homes should consider a different option, especially if they are less experienced with plants. We recommend starting with selecting one of the different pothos varieties.

10. In 2020, Sales for Potted Foliage Plants Rose 23%

We’ve talked a lot about the rise of planting during the pandemic. Business Insider ran a report on the overall status of the market, citing a variety of statistics. One fact that stood out is that sales for potted foliate plants rose 23% in 2020.

This is in line with overall trends, as it appears houseplants have become an important part of home decoration and personal wellness.

The video also highlights that nearly 50% of houseplants die in the supply chain. This is a significant issue because many resources (such as water and fertilizer) went into growing those plants. Which is all turned into waste.

11. Urban Gardeners Lose 43% of Plants; Rural Gardeners only 30% ¹⁰

It appears that maintaining plants in urban areas, which often requires indoor planting and upkeep, is more difficult. Information from Home Advisor says that urban gardeners report losing about 43% of their plants, while rural gardeners only lose 30%.

Access to soil and direct sunlight may play a role in this difference.

12. People with Houseplants Spend About $74 Annually ¹¹

CraftJack surveyed over 1,100 Americans who own houseplants to learn more about their buying habits. They found that the average houseplant owner spends roughly $75 a year on their plants.

This shows that plant ownership is a relatively affordable hobby. It seems almost certain that people across the United States spend more than $75 on other forms of recreation.

13. Men & Women Both Represent Half the Plant-Buying Market ¹²

You might assume that one gender or another would have disproportionate participation with plant purchasing, but this is apparently not the case. Approximately 50.5% of all plant buyers are women while 49.5% are men according to research from Zippia, a career-information website.

This shows that the market is not for one demographic or another. This is important for many people, especially sellers who need to market to all types of people.

6 Health, Wellbeing, and Lifestyle Household Plant Statistics

But what about the science of plant ownership? Are there actual benefits to having a plant in the house? Let’s look at a few important statistics related to household plants and overall wellbeing…

1. Indoor Plants Increase Productivity by 15% ¹

A study from researchers at the University of Exeter found that creating a “green” office  could increase productivity by 15%. It appears that plants support employee engagement and make them more involved in their work.

This information is important for office managers, but at-home workers should also keep this in mind when designing their in-home office.

2. Plants Can Reduce Nitrogen Dioxide by 20% ²

We saw a couple of stats showing that some people purchase plants to improve air quality. Studies like this one from the University of Birmingham support this assumption. This study found that plants can reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by as much as 20%.

This information could be used for many reasons. It could support marketing materials, create cleaner indoor spaces, and help push planting and gardening as a hobby.

3. Working with Plants Reduces Blood Pressure by About 7 Points Compared to Working with Computers ³

A study from researchers at the Chungnam National University (South Korea) wanted to see the difference between working with computers and working with plants.

Among many data points, they found that working with plants created a diastolic blood pressure of about 65 mmHg, while working with computers created about 72 mmHg.

Controlling stress has become a major issue in modern society. With lifestyles that are unhealthy compared to earlier generations, it appears that more people can benefit from lower stress and slower heart rates. Perhaps plants can be part of the stress solution.

4. Indoor Plants Can Decrease Heart Rate by almost 10 bpm

In addition to blood pressure, it looks like household plants can improve heart rate as well. In an effort to find the effects of horticulture therapy, scientists at New York University found that heart rate fell by 9.6 beats per minute after working with plants.

This further reinforces plants as a legitimate health booster.

5. 59% of Houseplant owners Feel Plants Help Wellness  

If perception is reality, then houseplants can certainly help with wellness. The same survey from CraftJack (cited earlier) found that 59% of houseplant owners say that plants are important to their wellness.

6. 72% of Plant Buyers Report that Plants Make them Happy

Ultimately, houseplants should make people happy. This statistic shows that they do. 72% of plant buyers report that plants make them happy according to a report from Grower Talks, which referenced a study from five industry businesses.

This is important because it speaks to the heart of plants and plant owners. All details aside, if plants make people happy then they are a useful, practical, smart purchase.

References

Industry Houseplants Statistics

1: Soulo, T. (2022, February 10). Ahrefs’ Keyword Data: More Coverage, Accuracy, and Utility Than Ever Before. SEO Blog by Ahrefs. https://ahrefs.com/blog/keyword-data-improvements/

2: Plant & flower growing market size US 2022 | Statista. (n.d.). Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1174498/plant-and-flower-growing-industry-market-size-us/

3, 4 : Consumer Houseplant Purchasing Report 2021. (n.d.). Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://floralmarketingfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Consumer-Houseplant-Purchasing-Final-Report-2021-For-Public_compressed.pdf

5: U.S. houseplants participation 2020 | Statista. (n.d.). Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/716535/us-houseplants-participation/

6: SURVEY: Decorating with Houseplants | Articulate. (2020, January 23). SURVEY: Decorating With Houseplants | Articulate. https://www.article.com/blog/survey-decorating-with-houseplants/

7: Revitsky, L. (2020, April 20). Gen Z Houseplant Ownership Stems from the Desire to Care for Something Alive. CivicScience. https://civicscience.com/gen-z-houseplant-ownership-stems-from-the-desire-to-care-for-something-alive/

8: H. (2021, January 11). The 5 hardest house plants to keep alive – and to avoid if you don’t have green fingers. homesandgardens.com. https://www.homesandgardens.com/news/hardest-house-plants-to-keep-alive

9: Americans kill nearly half their houseplants. So why do we still spend billions on them each year? (n.d.). Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/houseplant-industry-americans-billions-die-2022-3

10: Is Gardening Easier or Harder Than It Looks? [Survey] – HomeAdvisor. (2021, September 21). Home Improvement Tips & Advice From HomeAdvisor. https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/gardening-expectations-vs-reality-survey/

11: Study Reveals Houseplants Are the New Pets. (n.d.). Study Reveals Houseplants Are the New Pets. https://craftjack.com/toolbox/houseplant-statistics-2021

12: https://www.zippia.com/plant-buyer-jobs/demographics/

Lifestyle Houseplant Statistics

1: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140901090735.htm

2: Lee, M. S., Lee, J., Park, B. J., & Miyazaki, Y. (2015, April 28). Interaction with indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress by suppressing autonomic nervous system activity in young adults: a randomized crossover study. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40101-015-0060-8

3: Lee, M. S., Lee, J., Park, B. J., & Miyazaki, Y. (2015, April 28). Interaction with indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress by suppressing autonomic nervous system activity in young adults: a randomized crossover study. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40101-015-0060-8

4: Effects of horticultural therapy on mood and heart rate in patients participating in an inpatient cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program – PubMed. (2005, October 1). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1097/00008483-200509000-00008

5: Study Reveals Houseplants Are the New Pets. (n.d.). Study Reveals Houseplants Are the New Pets. https://craftjack.com/toolbox/houseplant-statistics-2021

6: Houseplant Purchasing Trends. (2022, January 1). Houseplant Purchasing Trends. https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=25546

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