Houseplants have played a key part in the botanical renaissance of recent years.
Whether it’s green-fingered Millennials chasing the latest rare species, TikTok plant hacks, or just people looking for some company at home, people are flocking to houseplant ownership for many different reasons.
In this article, we’ve curated the most up-to-date houseplant statistics – along with our own analysis of Google Trends – to form a current picture of the houseplant market (and the kinds of people that it comprises).
Plus, key insights from our own 2023 data study on houseplant problems.
Let’s start with the best ones.
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Top Houseplant Statistics
- Fiddle Leaf Figs are statistically the most problematic plant.
- Yellowing and browning are the most common plant problems.
- Millennials saw the biggest demographic growth in 2021 houseplant sales at 65%.
- Houseplants, tropicals, and succulents saw the biggest growth in garden center sales in 2021.
- The market size of the U.S. plant and flower growing sector was 15.23 billion USD in 2020.
- 66% of American households own at least one houseplant.
- 33.1 million U.S. households participated in indoor houseplant gardening in 2019.
- The average plant parent shopping for plants during the pandemic spent $124.50.
- 70% of plant parents talk to their plants.
- The average American plant owner spends $74 a year on houseplants.
- The average American plant owner has a lifetime spend of $566 on houseplants.
- 1 in 3 people under 40 (Millennials and Gen Z) call themselves a “Plant Parent.”
- 59% of plant buyers say that houseplants are important to their health and wellness.
- Most people in the US still prefer to buy their houseplants from home improvement stores and garden centers.
- 19% of plant purchasers plan to increase their spending at online plant stores.
- 60-70% of plant purchasers indicate a positive likelihood to gift a houseplant.
- The living room and bedroom are the most common places to keep a houseplant.
Houseplant Problems Data Study (by Terrarium Tribe)
This study analyzed 350,000 “plant + problem” Google searches to get a holistic view of houseplant issues based on real-world data.
Insights include: yellowing and browning are the most common plant problems (29% and 26.1% respectively). Though, interestingly pests appear to be a relatively uncommon plant problem. (Just 3.9% of issues were pest related).
Oh, and as it turns out, Fiddle Leaf Figs really are the most problematic plants. (14.7% of all Fiddle Leaf Fig searches included a named problem).
👉 See the full Houseplant Problems Data Study here.
Houseplant Data (Market & Sales)
1. Millennials saw the biggest demographic growth in 2021 houseplant sales at 65%.
(Garden Center Magazine)
When garden centers were asked, “How has your customer demographic changed over the past 18 months?” Millennials topped the chart with a 65% increase.
Suggesting that Millennials were the primary driver of houseplant sales growth.
Generation Z followed with a 44% increase, then Generation X at 33%.
2. Houseplants, tropicals, and succulents saw the biggest growth in garden center sales in 2021.
(Garden Center Magazine)
In the 2021 State of the Industry report, 300 independent garden centers reported that the houseplants, tropicals, and succulents sector saw the biggest increase in sales during the spring months.
Comparing 2021 spring with 2020, houseplants saw 22% growth – putting them at the top of the growth board for the first time in the reports’ history.
3. The market size of the U.S. plant and flower growing sector was 15.23 billion USD in 2020.
(Statista)
The market size of the plant and flower growing sector in the United States was estimated at 15.23 billion U.S. dollars in 2020.
This figure saw an increase over the previous year’s size of 14.18 billion U.S. dollars. Furthermore, the sector was forecast to grow to 15.85 billion in 2021.
4. 33.1 million U.S. households participated in indoor houseplant gardening in 2019.
(Statista)
A houseplant gardening participation survey running from 2010 to 2019 estimates that 33.1 million U.S. households participated in indoor houseplant gardening in 2019.
Of the total 128.58 million U.S. households in 2019, that represents 26% of all households.
5. The average plant parent shopping for plants during the pandemic spent $124.50.
(Stoneside)
In a survey of 990 people who had purchased plants since March 2020, on average responders had spent $124.50 on plants.
Generation X respondents spent the most at $133.64, followed by Millenials at $121.21, and finally Baby Boomers at $120.67.
6. On average, American plant owners spend $74 a year on houseplants.
(Craftjack)
In a 2021 survey of 1,111 Americans who own houseplants, the average annual spend on houseplants was $74.
63% of respondents also reported an increase in their plant collections during the pandemic.
7. On average, American plant owners have a lifetime spend of $566 on houseplants.
(Craftjack)
It seems that the increased pandemic spending really adds up,
With American plant owners having a lifetime spend of $566 on houseplants alone.
On average, the most a someone would spend on a plant was reported to be $110, so it’s clear that people still have quite a high appetite for spending.
8. Most people in the US still prefer to buy their houseplants from home improvement stores and garden centers.
(Floral Marketing Fund)
The 2021 Consumer Houseplant Purchasing Report collected a wide variety of data on plant purchases and trends from plant owners. Comparing data pre and post covid.
Despite the pandemic, home improvement stores were reported to be the most popular places to buy houseplants at 30%, followed by independent garden centers at 29%.
The strongest reported reason is the convenient location, so there is a surprising market share to be retained by brick-and-mortar stores.
Perhaps it’s the ability to inspect the actual plant before purchase?
9. 19% of houseplant purchasers plan to increase their spending at online plant stores.
(Floral Marketing Fund)
Though brick-and-mortar stores were reported to be the most popular places to purchase houseplants, 19% of houseplant purchasers plan to increase their spending at online plant stores.
So there’s clearly space for online brands to move into.
10. 60-70% of plant purchasers indicate a positive likelihood to gift a houseplant.
(Floral Marketing Fund)
The Consumer Houseplant Purchasing Report collected a lot of data on houseplant gifting practices.
Covering most likely plants, most attractive pricing, and the most important gifting occasions.
Overall, 60-70% of plant purchasers indicate a positive likelihood to gift a houseplant.
- “Get Well” being the most likely occasion at 75.1%
- “Mother’s Day” at 72.9%
- “Thank You” 71.7%
Plant Owner Statistics
11. 66% of American households own at least one houseplant.
(Statista)
According to a survey 2020 survey, two-thirds of respondents owned one or more houseplants.
A further 8% did not have any indoor plants but planned to acquire one or more.
12. 70% of plant parents talk to their plants.
(Stoneside)
Baby Boomers talk to their plants the most, at 75%, then Gen X at 73%, and finally Millennials at 66%.
And they said Millennials are lazy…
13. 1 in 3 people under 40 (Millennials and Gen Z) call themselves a “Plant Parent.”
(Craftjack)
According to the survey, 61% of people under 40 agree “pets are the new kids and plants are the new pets.”
The generational shift is really evident here, and we really care about our plant babies.
14. 59% of plant buyers say that houseplants are important to their health and wellness.
(Craftjack)
Mental health and wellness are clear drivers of plant purchasing (as is air quality).
57% of respondents also said that having houseplants specifically supported their mental health during the pandemic.
15. The living room and bedroom are the most common places to keep a houseplant.
(Floral Marketing Fund)
70% of survey respondents keep their plants in their living room or bedroom, with the kitchen being the runner-up at 47%.
Houseplant Statistics UK
16. UK households purchased approximately 7.6 billion British pounds worth of plants, flowers, and other garden goods in 2021.
(Statista)
2021 saw a huge increase in annual expenditure on gardens, plants, and flowers in the UK. Up 18% from the previous year which was itself a record high at the time.
The lockdowns clearly played a large part in encouraging green-fingered hobbies.
17. The average spend on flowers and houseplants was £18.7 and £24.8 respectively in 2020/21.
(UK Flowers and Houseplants Market Report 2021)
Compared to the U.S. annual houseplant spend of $74, the average UK spend of £18.7 or £24.8 is considerably smaller. The market appetite here in the UK clearly hasn’t reached the levels seen across the pond.
18. Online plant buying increased by 55%.
(UK Flowers and Houseplants Market Report 2021)
Interestingly, British plant buyers seem much more interested in buying plants online than their U.S. counterparts. With online plant buying increasing by 55% in 2021.
Clearly a reflection of the general move towards the online buying of goods.
2023 Houseplant Market Trends (Search Analysis)
Despite the houseplant craze of the past few years, “houseplant” searches on Google have continued to decline in 2023.
Though still much higher than pre-covid levels, this is a further indication of the indoor plant boom losing steam.
The peak level from January 2022 has dropped by 23% in 2023 – which is more than last year’s drop (peak-to-peak).
It’s certainly fair to say the houseplant mania of 2020 has passed. It’s hard to believe, but for a brief period in 2020, plants were more popular than shoes!
That said, with the world opening up again, houseplant interest and Google searches have shown remarkable resilience.
It’s clear that plants are here to stay. Terrariums, terrarium kits, and terrarium plants are still on the up too, as are shoulder niches like paludariums. That’s why we’ve launched our online terrarium store!
Sources
- https://www.gardencentermag.com/page/state-industry-report/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1174498/plant-and-flower-growing-industry-market-size-us/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1299252/houseplant-ownership-united-states/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/716535/us-houseplants-participation/
- https://www.stoneside.com/resources/articles/plant-love
- https://craftjack.com/toolbox/houseplant-statistics-2021
- https://floralmarketingfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Consumer-Houseplant-Purchasing-Final-Report-2021-For-Public_compressed.pdf
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/429779/annual-expenditure-plants-and-flowers-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/
- https://store.mintel.com/report/uk-cut-flowers-and-household-plants-market-report
