June 2020 - 12

perspectives
BY ALLISON ZEEB
The Houseplant Utopia
Our world has been progressing indoors. We've gone from
ancestors who've farmed, living in small huts and communicating
with a person no further than three miles away, to the present
work of desk jobs, never-ending emails and worldwide
communication of plants. Even as I type this article now, I've been
in contact with plant suppliers from Holland to Africa and Japan
and in between. While our world continues to
change, our shared love of plants
has not.
Like us, plants have not only
stayed outdoors, but have slowly
progressed their way inside. Point
in fact, the 23 plants currently
lining my apartment window. If
I can't be outdoors, then I must
bring the outdoors in.
As the business manager for
Allison Zeeb is
business manager
of potted plants and
cut flowers for Ball
Horticultural Co.
and a member of
GPN's 40 Under 40
Class of 2019. She
can be reached at
azeeb@ballhort.com.
tropical and foliage plants, I've
just started my dive into the
wonderful world of indoor plants.
And let me tell you, it's a jungle
out there.
Between 'Pink Princess' philodendron
cuttings selling for over $250 and Brown ZZ
plants replacing the normal green, it's the
tropical and foliage Wild West. Here are three
reasons why you should grab your cowboy
boots, buckle down and join the frenzy of
indoor #plantparents.
MILLENNIALS AND GEN X
We've seen a huge growth in the new
" plant parents " market. With millennials
(Note: Although I'm not overly fond of the term, it does help
narrow a group of people. For all the millennials out there, we can
cringe together), urban apartments are on the rise. Combine that
with environmental conscious passions and people's newfound
awareness for plants, indoor plants are booming.
Indoor plants are the " Gateway to Gardening " drug. One
houseplant leads to two, which leads to three, which eventually
leads to #plantparents with over 100 plants to take care of.
According to the National Gardening Association, " Houseplant
sales have increased 50% in the last three years. " For plant
parents, these plants offer meaning and fulfillment with
commitments that are not as intense as pet ownership. My plants
will survive a week when I work out of town; my dog would need
a caregiver.
KEY VARIETIES
The true plant parents are looking for the weird, unusual,
uniquely different plants not found in every household. Monsteras,
philodendrons, caleathas and String of Dolphin are on the rise.
12 JUNE 2020 GPNMAG.COM
Tillandsia
xerographica
A running joke with most Florida suppliers is that " string of
anything " will fly right off the shelves. They're looking for tags
with the plant's Latin name or " one-of-a-kind " plant auctions held
in the warehouses of Miami.
Many of the new plant buyers have never purchased many
houseplant staples. Pilea and peperomia have continued to rank
high on indoor plant charts, with their
pancake-shaped leaves and unassuming
demeanor. Spider plants have been creeping
their way through apartments, setting up
homes on bedroom nightstands or kitchen
windows. Tillandsia - air plants - are
dropping from ceilings in Macramé hanging
baskets. My own Tillandsia xerographica
currently sits in my kitchen sink soaking up
the faucet mist.
For both parties, the key is to be unique.
Monstera
Variegation and new color combinations of
current staple plants are becoming hot. Now
let's bring forth BIG. Robust and majestic
houseplants are filling up magazine spreads
and movie sets. There is a market for new
variations of houseplants. I think the biggest
opportunity is for new unique varieties of the
staple options since growers can still grow
the old faithfuls and make money.
MARKET POTENTIAL
Although I am no wolf on Wall Street, I
truly think the houseplant trend will continue
to expand. Foliage plants are at their all-time
high, with data suggesting millennials are the
biggest generation to purchase houseplants.
Why is this? Let's take a look at what we - as millennials -
are doing.
People are staying in urban areas and waiting to have families
of their own. We've traded our own flesh-and-bone kids for furry
babies and high maintenance plants. And, just like your own kids,
I don't believe this attachment will fade away anytime soon.
Take a gander at social media platforms like Instagram and
Pinterest. These picture-based platforms push the trend by making
interesting plants visible to the masses sooner and social media is
not going away anytime soon. The connections people are creating
with similar #plantparent interests broadens our community reach
and creates a trend that will not fall to the wayside.
JOIN THE WILD WEST
Grab your best cowboy boots and throw your hat into the
ring. Delve into an expanding market just waiting for new plants,
unique cuttings, and old-fashioned houseplant love. Even
though our world is constantly changing, our shared love of
plants will not.
http://www.GPNMAG.COM
June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2020
