GREEN GOODS Houseplants Hot New (and Old!) S ocial media is laden with images of plant-packed living rooms, bedrooms and studio apartments ... monstera, ficus, pothos, philodendrons and zamioculcas plants have followers that rival those of sports heroes or movie stars. So why have houseplants creeped their way into the hearts and minds of the metaverse? Houseplants satisfy so many niches. Time-strapped millennials who are looking for meaningful but easy-care relationships are plant collectors. Work-from-homers choose plants as silent and cheerful office mates. Pandemic-weary social distancers who want to connect to the great outdoors 28 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | FEBRUARY 2022 can fill that green need with leafy plants. Plus, for the homedécor minded, plants are an inexpensive way to scratch that instant gratification itch. Houseplants themselves can take some of the credit; the availability of amazing and collectible plants makes the rise of houseplants one of the big stories of this past year. All this makes houseplants a big business. A Marketplace report notes houseplant fans in the U.S. " spent $8.5 billion more on gardening-related items in 2020 than they did in 2019, an increase of 18.7%, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. " Here's what's trending in the world of houseplants.