Youths adopt plant parenthood: Inside the world of enthusiastic gardeners raising vegetation as kids raise pets
Plant Madness is the Latest Craze among the Youth
In the realm of social media platforms like TikTok, videos tagged with #houseplants and #plantparenthood are raking in millions of views. Young folks are turning plants into an integral part of their life - it's no longer just a pastime. This fad took off during the COVID-19 pandemic when millions of us were stuck at home and developed a newfound fascination for houseplants, even among Gen Z. However, not all our green efforts bore fruit.
In circumstances like Russia during lockdown, the demand for houseplants on Avito surged by double. Meanwhile, the number of young gardeners in the US boosted by 44% between 2018 and 2021.
Plants: More Than Just a Green Accessory
According to scientific research, plants are an excellent method of self-care, reconnecting with nature, showcasing your eco-consciousness, and even participating in the global trend of sustainable living.
As the interest in gardening continues to grow, 71.2% of American youth, as per studies, planned to extend their gardens or add more plants to their homes by 2024. Another poll found that 18-29-year-olds in the UK spent a whopping £451 (around 52,000 rubles) on plants and gardening decorations every spring, more than other age groups. Most young Brits admitted to getting into gardening via social media, with 39% snapping their green pets every day. They also expressed happiness in caring for plants.
The Rise of Plant Parents
Plant Parenting has emerged as a popular cultural phenomenon among youth: 21% of Gen Z and millennials in the US consider themselves plant parents. They don't just maintain them but name them and converse with them while watering. Special days like the plant's "birthday" are marked with humor. On social media, a thriving subculture is blossoming: young people create accounts for their plants, share their growth stories, and exchange care experiments.
This "parenting" helps foster attachment, joy from nurturing a living entity, and witnessing the fruit of one's labor. Research also confirms that taking care of plants fosters responsibility.
A viral story on a banned social media platform spoke of a guy who "adopted" a moss named Valera, who his owner reportedly boiled water for, talked to, and bought housing for.
Plant Parent Maria Filayeva (28)
"My journey began when my friends vacated a loft and left me with numerous plants to look after. Now I have close to a hundred: scheffleras, diffenbachias, coleus, palms, succulents. Each has its unique character, though none bear names. They are all 'dude' for short.
Taking care of plants has given me a fresh perspective on life: initially, it's frightening to repot, fearing you might break it, but then you realize you can handle it. It's like a gentle test of my strength. It's soothing to witness life in the inanimate – it's not just watching, it's influencing, creating.
During our vacation, my partner and I anxious about our plants left in the care of a friend, waiting for updates. It was important to know everything was okay.
I often worry about my plants, especially succulents. They require watering just once a month, yet I can't resist watering them more frequently. Of course, this causes inconvenience, but the desire to participate, be involved, know precisely what's best - it's intensely human. There's something parental about it."
Plants: A Stress-Buster
Youngsters who grew up in a digital world, surrounded by constant information noise, are particularly susceptible to mental health issues. In their bid to cope with anxiety and digital overload, Gen Z has found alternative means to restore balance. One such alternative is indoor plant care. This allows them to take a break, isolate from electronic screens, and focus on simple, rhythmic activities (watering, repotting) or observing plant growth.
Research indicates that even minimal greenery can lower stress, both psychologically and physiologically[1]. Just 15 minutes of interaction with plants reduces sympathetic nervous system activity by 7% and lowers diastolic blood pressure from 71.75 to 65.26 mmHg[2]. Living plants have a more potent therapeutic effect than other green elements[3].
The calming effects of plants are utilized in the Japanese "forest bathing" practice, which is considered part of preventive medicine. For urban youth, plants become an affordable alternative to this therapeutic effect, helping to lower cortisol levels, cope with seasonal affective disorder, and manage stress. The sight of visible progress - a new leaf or a first bloom - provides a sense of achievement and control over at least a tiny aspect of life, which is crucial for young people in these ever-changing times.
Moreover, supportive communities are forming around plant cultivation: young people are connecting via chats, sharing advice, and exchanging plants. This fosters a sense of belonging and strengthens social bonds, further promoting emotional balance.
Plant-loving Sasha Radugins (15)
"School is exhausting in terms of both energy and nerves, and plants became a way for me to unwind. Watering them functions as a break, a form of relaxation, a stable distraction that offers a visually appealing and pleasing experience, freeing me from stress, especially during the cold, grey winter months."
A Beautiful Oasis
Plants seamlessly fit into the trend towards minimalism and natural aesthetics that many zoomers and millennials crave for their interiors. On social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, photographs and videos of cozy rooms adorned with ample natural light, neat green compositions, and furniture in boho or Scandinavian minimalist style earn millions of views, while hashtags like #PlantDecor and #UrbanJungle inspire young people to fashion their own green havens.
Plant Expert Ilya Gomyrantsev
In the 1990s, few young people would have considered spending money on buying plants, but the rise in prosperity and the expansion of market offerings have enabled today's youth to choose options that are more attractive than their grandparents' old Decemberist cacti. Though their grandparents' cacti are making a comeback today as nostalgic reminiscent of happy childhood memories. New plant varieties with pink, yellow, and spotted leaves, as well as succulents requiring limited maintenance, have surfaced on the market. If we rank the top 3 popular plants among zoomers, they are aglaonemas, echeverias, and ferns. Ferns flourish even in dimly lit spaces, creating a sense of a home forest. All these varieties blend well into modern apartments with white walls and minimalist design. Some require slightly more intricate care, so educational resources like "How to Plant an Orchid," "How to Repot an Echeveria," or "How to Prune Plants Properly" have gained popularity among zoomers.
Eco-Conscious Living
For young people, ecology is not just an abstract issue but a genuine concern that dictates their behavior and choices. According to a study by the Skolkovo School of Management, 69% of zoomers and 70% of millennials "respond positively to sustainable development issues and are eager to do more for nature and society," with almost all of them willing to pay an additional 10% for an eco-friendly product or switch to a more expensive but eco-friendly alternative[4].
The desire to live more consciously is also reflected in the trend of eco-friendly consumption: instead of artificial decorations, live plants are incorporated into interior design. Biodegradable or recycled materials are preferred over plastic pots, and mindful purchases are replaced by exchanges and shared cultivation.
For zoomers, sustainability signifies finding ways to minimize waste. More and more young people are interested in home composting, converting plant waste into useful fertilizer. This not only reduces waste but also closes the consumption cycle, allowing plants to grow on organic food.
On social media, ideas of sustainable living have become part of trends: many popular accounts share information about eco-friendly greening and plant care without chemicals and minimal waste[5].
Public Green Spaces
Plant lovers are not limited to indoor greening. Worldwide, public gardens are emerging - large spaces where people cultivate vegetables, fruits, and flowers, discovering new connections and meaning in collective labor.
These green zones have become what sociologists term the third place - a space outside home and work where people can meet, interact, and slow down. Such gardens allow individuals to alter their pace of life, step away from screens, and feel part of a community.
In the UK, the Incredible Edible Todmorden project has transformed urban spaces into community gardens: residents grow vegetables and herbs freely and engage in educational initiatives[6]. Berlin's Prinzessinnengarten is an example of a garden developed on a former wasteland, where locals grow plants together, learn about ecological farming, and participate in cultural events[7].
These spaces cater to the needs of the younger generation - balancing individuality and the desire to be part of something greater. In Singapore, over 200 buildings are equipped with green roofs and vertical gardens, helping reduce noise and temperature levels in the city. Vertical farms and city gardens are popping up worldwide, aiding local production and minimizing environmental impact. And community gardens and green spaces are becoming new hubs of attraction.
Ksenia Budina, Director of the Green School at Gorky Park
"The Public Garden at the Green School commenced in 2017. I was inspired by similar projects worldwide and decided we needed something like this too. Initially, the project was conceived as family-oriented, but we receive visitors of all descriptions, including young people."
"Sometimes, we nurture this youth ourselves: for instance, we have a case with a girl who spent her entire childhood in the Green School, enrolled in MARCHI for landscape design, and in her third year, returned to us as an employee – to care for the plants in the greenhouse."
"However, I believe that it's not the Zoomers, but the Millennials who truly understand how to care for plants. Zoomers prefer forest bathing – walks in the woods, which they perceive as a form of cleansing."
Plants as a Recruiter's Edge
Zoomers currently make up about a quarter of the Russian labor market. Environmental friendliness, support for mental health, and work-life balance have become essential considerations for young employees when choosing a job. For example, analysts from the Skolkovo School of Management found that 28% of Zoomers and 29% of Millennials consider an employer's responsible attitude towards the environment to be an important criterion. In a tight labor market, employers are compelled to take the values and demands of young workers into account and implement eco-initiatives such as separate waste collection, plastic reduction, and corporate greening programs. Biophilic design, characterized by an abundance of plants, is becoming the standard in modern offices, helping to reduce stress levels and increase employee productivity.
Alexei Sandu, Founder and General Director of the architectural consulting bureau "Archistra"
"Today's person spends 93% of their time indoors. This percentage seems unsound, given the history of human development as a species. Stress management and burnout among young employees are significant challenges addressed in the design of office spaces. Establishing a more stress-resistant environment to support mental health is a crucial aspect in companies' competition for the best talent. Consequently, plants that have a beneficial impact on employees' mental state have become indispensable components of office design."
Editor's opinion may not reflect the author's viewpoint
References1. Plant-based healing: An evidence-based systematic review of randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of indoor plants on physiological and psychological health outcomes2. Planting green: How urban gardening affects stress and strain in modern life3. A meta-analytic review of the impact of green spaces on health4. The impact of sustainability on buyers' behavior5. Plant-based, sustainable, and eco-conscious: Instagram influences on wellness practices of young women6. Incredible Edible Todmorden7. Prinzessinnengarten
- In contemporary times, plants serve multiple purposes beyond just being a decoration, offering self-care, a connection to nature, an expression of eco-consciousness, and a means of sustainable living.
- The trend of homemade gardens among young individuals extends beyond a mere pastime, as a growing number of American youth plan to expand their gardens or add more plants to their homes by 2024, according to studies.
- The plant parenting culture has emerged as a significant phenomenon among the youth, with many acknowledging responsibility and fostering attachment through the practice of cultivation.
- For Gen Z, particularly susceptible to mental health issues due to their digital environment, indoor plant care has emerged as an alternative means to cope with anxiety and digital overload, providing stress relief and a connection to nature.
