Houseplants have been proven to improve our mental health, reduce stress levels as well as fatigue by 20-25%. That’s why it’s no surprise that we Brits don’t want to kill our beloved houseplants and 11 million of us have someone come in to care for them when we go on holiday.
It seems our worries for houseplants haven’t gone unnoticed either, as the Patch Plant Hotel in London has opened up, which is a place for holiday-goers to drop their plants off so that they don’t wither away during their ventures.
Data from UNCLE reveals that Brits have spent £1.1 billion on houseplants over the last year that have since died. With 14.8 million admitting to always killing their indoor plants, it begs the question, what plants are we buying that is causing us to go so wrong, and which plants are we Googling the most?
The top 10 most-Googled houseplants
| Rank | Plant | Google Search Volume (global total monthly average) |
| 1 | Snake Plant | 712,170 |
| 2 | Spider Plant | 443,660 |
| 3 | Jade Plant | 365,630 |
| 4 | ZZ PLant | 266,490 |
| 5 | Aloe Vera Plant | 200,700 |
| 6 | Elephant’s Ear Plant | 193,790 |
| 7 | Rubber Plant | 192,060 |
| 8 | Bird of Paradise Plant | 141,680 |
| 9 | Swiss Cheese Plant | 127,010 |
| 10 | Croton Plant | 98,860 |
Whilst a snake plant comes in as the most-Googled houseplant, the plants we’re searching how to care for the most are different. ‘How to care for Poinsettia’ is one of the most-Googled terms with over 12,130 average monthly searches worldwide*.
Following that, there are 11,310 searches for how to care for a peace lily which is no surprise as too much sun can scorch the leaves, but it enjoys indirect sunlight. Snake plant comes in third place with just over 10,000 monthly worldwide searches on average.
The plants we’re Googling how to care for the most
| Rank | ‘How to care for X’ terms | Google Search Volume (global total monthly average) |
| 1 | How to care for Poinsettia | 12,130 |
| 2 | How to care for Peace Lily | 11,310 |
| 3 | How to care for Snake Plant | 10,270 |
| 4 | How to care for Christmas Cactus | 8,670 |
| 5 | How to care for Jade Plant | 7,280 |
| 6 | How to care for Spider Plant | 6,730 |
| 7 | How to care for Fiddle Leaf Fig | 6,670 |
| 8 | How to care for African Violet | 4,740 |
| 9 | How to care for Aloe Vera | 4,160 |
| 10 | How to care for Calla Lily | 3,410 |
With nearly a quarter (22%) of millennials being obsessed with houseplants, and nearly another third (32%) of people not knowing how to care for indoor plants, perhaps it’s worth comparing your star sign against the likelihood of killing a plant.
While Virgo’s are most likely to kill their plants, Taurus’ are more likely to talk to their plants, with over a quarter (26%) admitting to this. One in 5 (20%) Gemini’s have even set up a social media account to show off their plants.
The star signs most likely to kill their houseplants
| Star sign | % of star sign that always kill their plants |
| Virgo | 39% |
| Taurus | 34% |
| Gemini | 32% |
| Pisces | 30% |
| Sagittarius | 28% |
| Cancer | 27% |
| Libra | 27% |
| Aries | 25% |
| Leo | 25% |
| Aquarius | 23% |
| Scorpio | 23% |
| Capricorn | 20% |
The data reveals that 10.5 million Brits don’t know how much water or sunlight to give their indoor plants, which is surprising, as 6.8 million treat them like their children.
It’s no wonder we’re frantically Googling how to look after our houseplants and query which are the easiest to look after. So which plants are every country’s most-Googled? You can find the global results here.
Commenting on the research, Ryan Prince, founder at UNCLE:
“A fifth of Londoners buy a new houseplant each month, considering the majority let them die, that number is staggering. Not only do we think money is growing trees, but we’re essentially pouring it down the drain, too.
“It’s great to see that uplifting your living space with houseplants has helped nearly a third of people with their mental health, especially during recent months in lockdowns. It’s also proven that having plants in and outside your property can help it appeal more to potential buyers and tenants.”
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
*searches are based on an average monthly search volume on a worldwide basis from the past 12 months.
Methodology:
Using a seedlist of houseplants we searched for the name of each plant e.g Aloe Vera Plant in each country on Google Keyword Planner. Search volume is the monthly average from the past 12 months. Data correct as of July 2021 and is available on request.
Survey research was conducted by Censuswide with 1000 general consumers nat rep between 23.07.2021 – 26.07.2021. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.
Data:
Data available on request.
About UNCLE:
UNCLE is a residential rental company that makes living easy. It is owned and managed by the Realstar Group, a Canadian real estate investment and property management business with more than 45 years of experience in the industry.
In Canada, Realstar is one of the most respected real estate companies owning over 25,000 apartments across the country. Since launching in the UK in 2002, the company has invested in the primary healthcare, student accommodation, hotel and rental residential sectors, including co-ownership of 13,000 hotel rooms throughout the UK.
UNCLE wants to take the ‘lord’ attitude out of the word ‘landlord’. Their approach to renting is simple, straight-talking, and no-nonsense, by offering a transparent, fair and simpler process to all residents.
There comes a time in every tenant’s life when the cheap rent no longer justifies all the landlord-related bullsh… it’s time for UNCLE. Renting, as it should be.
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