It's not Hoarding if it's Houseplants

A home feels more alive with a bunch of leafy companions. I believe that nurturing houseplants is more than a hobby, perhaps one of the healthiest addictions you could embrace! Houseplants can boost mental health, make you part of a community, and bring harmony into your life, transforming your space into a sanctuary of growth and connection.

As a houseplant enthusiast, I’ve spent years observing how plants and humans coexist in harmony. Full disclosure: I have over 100 houseplants, so that makes me a little more than your typical "enthusiast." But this is where science, culture, and spirit converge to nurture both body and soul. I think keeping houseplants might just be the world’s most wholesome obsession, fostering clean air, mental health, and a sense of belonging.

A Timeless Tradition

Houseplants have been cherished since ancient times, their roots entwining with human history. Ethnographically, the practice stretches back to ancient Egypt, where potted plants adorned homes for both utility and beauty. Greeks and Romans filled their villas with greenery, while in Victorian England, houseplants became a status symbol, showcasing wealth and refinement. Across the globe, Chinese Feng Shui traditions carefully position plants like Jade or Ming Aralia to enhance family dynamics, financial success, and even marital harmony. These cultural threads reveal a universal truth: humans have long invited plants into their homes to cultivate meaning and connection.

A Social Sprout: Building Community

Beyond their historical significance, houseplants foster community in delightful ways. We houseplant enthusiasts are known to swap a pothos cutting with a neighbor or share propagation tips in an online forum buzzing with plant collectors. These interactions, whether through local plant clubs, family traditions, or digital spaces like #PlantTok, create bonds that transcend geography. Similarly, seed saving and trading, a practice as old as agriculture, thrives in modern plant communities, where collectors exchange rare hybrids or heirloom varieties.

Houseplants also serve as a canvas for identity expression. No two collections are alike, each reflecting personal tastes and stories. Some chase the thrill of owning a tissue-cultured new release, some of these rare gems fetching thousands of dollars, signaling social status.

Others cultivate carnivorous plants, driven by scientific curiosity about their quirky adaptations. For me, this is something I LOVE to do. I have several pitcher plants that bring weird natural energy inside and I love it! Nepenthes Pitcher Plant cultivar, "Miranda"

For many, plants like jade carry cultural weight, passed down through generations as symbols of luck or family legacy. I too have one of these. People's plant collections become a living portrait of who they are, inviting conversation and connection.

A Mystical Connection

From a mystical perspective, houseplants are more than decor—they’re conduits to the Earth’s spirit. In traditions like Feng Shui, plants are believed to cleanse negative energies, enhance intuition, and foster spiritual grounding. Caring for a peace lily or snake plant becomes a meditative act, a quiet ritual that aligns you with nature’s rhythms. Long-time plant owners often name their leafy companions, claiming to sense their “personalities.” While this might sound whimsical, science hints at a deeper bond. Recent studies, including experiments with EKG-like instruments, suggest houseplants may adjust their bioelectric frequencies when their owners are nearby—within two kilometers! This provocative finding challenges us to rethink plants as sentient partners, not just passive greenery. Could your fiddle-leaf fig know you’re coming home? The possibility is as enchanting as it is grounding.

A Psychological Oasis

Psychologically, houseplants bridge the gap between our modern, screen-heavy lives and the natural world. Biophilia, our innate love for nature, explains why a single fern can transform a sterile apartment into a sanctuary. Research, such as a 2019 study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, shows that interacting with plants reduces stress hormones like cortisol, boosting mental health. The act of watering, pruning, or simply gazing at greenery restores focus and soothes anxiety, offering a gentle antidote to urban disconnection.

Houseplants also foster responsibility and sensory awareness. Their care requires observation—noticing a drooping leaf or a thirsty stem—honing skills of patience and planning. This makes them accessible to everyone, from children learning responsibility to the elderly seeking purpose, and even neurodivergent or physically handicapped individuals who find joy in nurturing life. The tactile pleasure of soil, the visual delight of new growth, and the subtle scent of a blooming orchid stimulate the senses, grounding us in the present.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Ecologically, houseplants contribute to clean air, though their impact is modest. NASA’s 1989 Clean Air Study found that plants like spider plants can remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from indoor environments, improving air quality. Beyond science, they remind us of our role as stewards of the Earth, fostering awareness of biodiversity and sustainability. Each plant is a small act of defiance against environmental disconnection, a living link to the planet’s ecosystems.

Why Houseplants Are a Healthy Addiction

One of my favorite houseplants holds my own family history. My grandmother had a plant in her family room that I enjoyed looking at when I was a kid. It was in a white milk glass hobnail flowerpot, a tangly weird climbing aloe. She told me that she’d gotten that plant when her husband, my grandfather, left to go fight in WWII.  It had been with her ever since. She gave me a piece of it and I’ve treasured it for 40 years. Even though they’re both gone, that plant lives on. It has moved with me 12 times and it’s still going strong. I have not been able to find an exact clone of the white hobnail flowerpot that it originally lived in, but I’ll find one, I know it. That plant is over 80 years old! And every time I tend to it I think of my grandmother’s houseplants and her bountiful gardens of fruit trees, flowers, and vegetables. Interestingly, I have not been able to identify the species of my houseplant. It seems to be some sort of relic survivor from eras past. And now I’ve given a piece to my own daughter, the fourth generation in my family to care for it.

My bizarre unnamed WWII era climbing aloe

In a world brimming with habits—some less wholesome than others—houseplant collecting stands out as uniquely beneficial. It’s an obsession that nurtures rather than depletes. It fosters community through shared cuttings and stories, expresses identity through curated collections, and grounds us spiritually and psychologically. Whether you’re chasing a rare hybrid, honoring a cultural tradition, or simply tending a humble pothos, you’re cultivating more than plants—you’re growing harmony.

Children delight in watching a seedling sprout. Elderly gardeners find purpose in daily care. Neurodivergent individuals may find solace in the predictable rhythms of plant care, while those with physical limitations can engage with accessible setups like self-watering pots. Houseplants invite everyone to the table, offering a universal language of growth and care.

Your Journey Starts Here

So, why not start your own plant adventure? Grab a hardy Snake Plant or a cheerful ZZ and let it teach you. Notice how it shifts your mood, sparks a conversation, or quiets your mind. Houseplants aren’t just a hobby—they’re a gentle rebellion against disconnection, a way to weave mental health, community, and harmony into your life. As you water and feed your first plant, you’re not just nurturing it—you’re nurturing yourself, your home, and your place in the world, and connecting to another dimension of life on earth.