Houseplants a growing inspiration for younger generations. Here’s some age-old advice

Recently on a cold, dreary winter day, I felt the need to be surrounded by green. I took myself to a local greenhouse stocked with lush houseplants. Foliage was vibrant, with bold shades of green, a variety of variegated whites and golds, and even splashes of pinks and red. Brightly colored foliage and flowers had me refreshed and renewed for a few more weeks until the arrival of spring.

I reminisced as I drove away from my visit and several thoughts entered my mind. One, I might have been the oldest person shopping, and two, the plants were purchased and being enjoyed for a different reason than the need to see green. Let me explain.

For years houseplants were thought to be a grandparent hobby. Houseplants were for the elderly. It is how they passed their time. Being of grandparent age myself, I realized I was surrounded by 20- and 30-somethings.

Houseplants are now being embraced by much younger generations. It is one of the better fallouts of the pandemic. A hobby that many believed was slowly dying has been rejuvenated as younger people experience the joy of tending plants.

Caring for living plants feeds and nourishes the soul. The practice that brings happiness to me and many others has now been embraced by new generations, the age groups we associate as typically more attached to cell phones and video games than nurturing a living plant. It did my heart good to see so many younger people enjoying being in the greenhouse and shopping for plants.

Eavesdropping on conversations is where my other revelation came into focus. As I was shopping, I was thinking about where I would place the plant once I got home. I was attempting to match my available sunlight and window space to the needs of the right plant. This houseplant was going to be an investment — a plant I hoped would thrive and grow for many years to come.

Listening to the conversations around me I quickly learned that with the new generation ,the plants were more about fitting into home decor’ than creating a lasting relationship. Plants were selected for their interesting shapes, leaf patterns, and colorations. They were fun. There was no mention of the optimal light requirements needed to sustain the investment.

Did I say investment? Houseplants are not inexpensive. Ranging in price to upwards of $100, the new generation did not seem to be fazed by price.

Maybe this lack of knowledge about plant growth requirements is a learning process. It was all I could do to not jump into the conversation and say, “Do you know that to maintain these vibrant leaf colors you will need extremely bright light, which is very difficult to find in a home?” I kept my mouth shut.

Their shopping experience included finding the perfect container to accent home decor. My thinking was that if you want a healthy plant lasting more than six months to a year, you should know that the plant needs to be placed in front of a very bright and sunny window. That designer container you are selecting is secondary to the success of the plant.

It is a learning process. We all start out making mistakes. The good news is our younger generation is learning to embrace and appreciate the process and joy of growing.

Dennis Patton is a horticulture agent with Kansas State University Research and Extension. Have a question for him or other university extension experts? Email them to garden.help@jocogov.org.