The Most Popular Plants on Instagram

Household plants have always been an important part of many shelves, balconies and living rooms. Following lockdown however there was a plant boom as millennials fought to keep their connection to nature and now it’s all about the #plants on Instagram.

House plants appeal to younger generations particularly because they offer an opportunity to nurture something coupled with lower cost implications. The beauty of plants is that not only do they help us remain connected to nature, they also reduce our levels of stress and improve mood.

Why House Plants?

Plants have become so popular that they are recognised as the new pets for many ‘plant parents’. They have names and they’re part of the family.

Ancient civilisations used potted plants so this isn’t a new trend but growing plants indoors gained traction in the 17th century when new species of plants were introduced by explorers and sailors returning from their adventures.

The competition to introduce the most new plants was on and Britain imported species from all over the world, ultimately expanding the Kew Gardens home to the biggest botanical collection in the world. This inadvertently triggered the cultivation of indoor plants.

When nurtured in the right way houseplants can live for centuries. The oldest houseplant in the world lives in Kew Gardens and was brought over from South Africa back in 1775, this Eastern Cape giant cycad is now over 240 years old.

Which Plants are the Most Popular on Instagram?

JustServicesGroup.com was intrigued by the plant obsession surging across Instagram and researched the most Instagrammable plants of the moment. This is what they found:

  1. #cactus – 18,240,292
  2. #aloevera – 4,465,338
  3. #monstera – 2,742,426
  4. #philodendron – 1,702,614
  5. #eucalyptus – 1,661,163
  6. #begonia – 740,646
  7. #airplants – 704,610
  8. #calathea – 685,058
  9. #anthurium – 659,442
  10. #pothos – 653,636
  11. #peperomia – 406,762
  12. #snakeplant – 377,792
  13. #fiddleleaffig – 344,393
  14. #bromeliad – 280,779
  15. #spiderplant – 231,255
  16. #africanviolet – 225,816
  17. #peacelily – 187,569
  18. #stringofpearls – 186,662
  19. #hoyaplant – 184,624
  20. #stringofhearts – 184,047
  21. #zzplant – 153,501
  22. #prayerplant – 149,654
  23. #rubberplant – 131,432
  24. #jadeplant – 125,728
  25. #croton – 121,181
  26. #staghornfern – 119,634
  27. #swisscheeseplant – 98,801
  28. #chinesemoneyplant – 63,081
  29. #elephantearplant – 56,861
  30. #maidenhairfern – 50,063
  31. #englishivy – 41,548
  32. #polkadotplant – 41,239
  33. #chineseevergreen – 37,929
  34. #basilplant – 35,389
  35. #nerveplant – 35,164
  36. #zebraplant – 32,470
  37. #arrowheadplant – 29,943
  38. #mothorchid – 27,359
  39. #roseplant – 26,586
  40. #ponytailpalm – 26,305
  41. #bambooplant – 25,050
  42. #birdsnestfern – 24,532
  43. #rexbegonia – 23,606
  44. #bonsaiplant – 19,036
  45. #umbrellaplant – 17,517
  46. #birdofparadiseplant – 16,574
  47. #rattlesnakeplant – 13,191
  48. #cornplant – 12,145
  49. #peacockplant – 8,436
  50. #castironplant – 4,678

Cactus

Cactuses lead the way with over 18 million posts. They are part of the Cactaceae family which is made up of approximately 127 genera with 1750 known species. Almost all cactuses are succulents which means they have thickened parts that have adapted to store water more effectively.

@viveroplantasdelpilar

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is in second place with almost 4.5 million posts. Aloe vera is a succulent plant species from the genus Aloe which has 500 species. Aloe is considered to be invasive in many world regions. Originating from the Arabian Peninsula and wild growing, aloe vera is commonly known to be used for healing the skin.

@feey.pflanzen

Monstera

Monstera otherwise known as the Swiss Cheese Plant are easy to care for and reward you with beautiful leaves with unique hole formations. Monsteras enjoy indirect light but can also thrive in fluorescent lights. They are climbing plants so will want space to explore as they grow.

@sisiliareads

Philodendron

There are two types of philodendrons, climbing and non-climbing. Their leaves are glossy and large and are part of hundreds of species of foliage plants. The climbing variety can grow several feet and requires a support structure whereas the non-climbing variation does quite well in a pot.

@t0mmj

 

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus originated in Australia and has multiple medicinal uses because it is high in antioxidants, can relieve cold symptoms, may treat dry skin and can promote relaxation. Eucalyptus is a fast growing evergreen plant whose foliage often accompanies flower arranging.

@paloma.design

 

Begonia

Begonia grows quickly and showboats with pretty foliage and flashy flowers. They are a big focal point because of their colouring and need moist soil that isn’t too wet for them to thrive. The Begoniaceae family contains more than 2000 different species!

@zb_dona_flor

Air Plant

Air plants are cool. They are unique with their scifi leaves and their ability to survive in just air! What sets them apart is the fact that out in nature they grow on other plants. There are hundreds of species and different varieties ranging from silver foliage to colourful species that have coral leaves.

@macramebymindy

Calathea

Sometimes called the prayer plant as they are related to the maranta plant, calathea belongs to the Marantaceae family. The topside of the leaves have intricate details with varied shades of green with the undersides of the leaves a deep red colour.

@greenerystory

Anthurium

Anthuriums like to live in well lit areas but aren’t fans of direct sunlight. Popularly known as the flamingo flower or laceleaf, anthurium is usually found in the wild in the warmer areas of South America and the Caribbean.

@southseaorchids

Pothos

Pothos or Devil’s Ivy is easy to care for but it is poisonous. It is a beautiful trailing vine with unique heart shaped leaves and prefers low light and infrequent watering. Out in the wild you will find pothos in south-east Asian forests predominantly.

@piagravelund