With so many people stuck at home due to COVID-19 restrictions, there’s been an even bigger resurgence in the popularity of houseplants. After all, with many people trapped inside with a lot more time on their hands, they are finding joy in rediscovering their love for plants, either as a decorative tool or possibly even to grow food.
A new study by NeoMam Studios, a digital marketing agency in London, looked at the top 10 cities for houseplant lovers and put together an interactive map from their research (budgetdirect.com.au/blog/where-are-the-houseplant-lovers-of-the-world.html). The data used was collected from Instagram posts, and it found that New York City, London and Berlin each had more than 1,000 Instagram posts every day devoted to houseplants.
“All the top cities on our list are densely populated urban habitats where space is at a premium,” says Jonny Addy, production team lead at NeoMam Studios. “It’s possible that living in such tight proximity to everyone else and having to share the few busy parks these cities have has caused people to create their own little green havens indoors.”
Rounding out the top 10 are São Paulo, Brazil; Paris, France; Los Angeles; Warsaw, Poland; Singapore; Amsterdam; and Toronto, Canada.
One thing Addy recommends for florists looking to take advantage of this information is to check out the most common houseplant guides that NeoMam Studios offers.
“If you want to stock plants that will sell, choosing ones based on popularity is a safe bet,” Addy says. “Our most common houseplant guides show which plants people are adding to their homes. Unsurprisingly, succulents are popular (as ever), but flowering plants like Crocus, Fuchsia and daffodils are all featured in our top 10, giving florists a nice checklist of what’s good to stock.”
Instagram can also give florists ideas on what to carry. For instance, Echeveria is the top houseplant posted about on the site, with more than a million pictures. Addy said the perennial’s plush leaves radiate in rows from the center, forming the kind geometric patterns the Instagram format loves.
Crocus is the second-most-posted-about houseplant, with more than 500,000 photo uses on Instagram currently. Addy notes Crocus bloom in late winter-early spring, making them ideal for brightening gloomy days stuck indoors.
Capitalizing on Instagram Influencers
Another thing that florists could be doing with the help of Instagram is team with the specialty houseplant influencers who post regularly and stock up on the most Instagrammed houseplants around the world.
“Modern florists can immerse themselves in the online plant-lovers community by following these influencers,” Addy says. “Seeing what these influencers and their followers post about and discuss can help florists see what potential customers are likely to be interested in. Also, engaging with the Insta-plant community can help florists build their brands, be recognized as experts and gain new customers.”
For example, the No. 1 houseplant influencer is Darryl Cheng, who has amassed almost 450,000 followers with his friendly, accessible tone and helpful answers to his followers’ questions. Some of his recent posts have dealt with the whale-fin snake plant (Sansevieria masoniana), the Monstera deliciosaleaf unfurl and thoughts on harnessing the power of plants.
The Potted Jungle (@thepottedjungle) has more than 440,000 followers, and the San Diego influencer posts on its love for all things green.
According to NeoMam Studios’ study, to become a successful Instagram influencer, one needs to possess a blend of houseplant knowledge, interior design flair and friendliness.
For more information or to dig deeper into the research, there are more than 200 plants organized by their popularity at bit.ly/instagramurbanjungles.
