I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t born with what you might call a green thumb .
I’ve killed enough houseplants to know that I am not and will never be a “plant parent”, and that’s O.K. with me. As long as plastic greenery is still a thing, I can happily fill my apartment with as much foliage as I want without the guilt of having to throw away a pot of wilted dreams every month.
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And as it turns out, I’m not the only one who thinks taking care of houseplants is a challenge.
A new survey has found that a majority of millennials find the idea of being a “plant parent” pretty intimidating.
The study , which was conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Article, surveyed 2,000 people between the ages of 25 and 39 and found that 67% believe they just aren’t suited for the responsibility of owning a plant.
Almost half of the people surveyed admitted they don’t own plants simply because they don’t know how to take care of them.
Oh, and 20% actually said they would rather sit through a root canal than take care of a plant, simply because of the pressure that comes with that super daunting task.
Quite the bold statement, and one that makes me wonder if these people have actually had a root canal before.
So what is it about being a “plant parent” that these millennials find so challenging?
The greatest concern among those surveyed was how much sunlight plants need to survive, followed by how much water they need, too.
43% of participants said the most challenging part is figuring out whether a plant belongs indoors or outdoors, and 30% said it’s the importance of pruning that plant.
Then, of course, 30% of folks said the biggest challenge is not killing the plant, because it’s just so damn *easy* to do.
In fact, the average plant parent was found to have killed around seven plants after introducing the greenery into their home. But that doesn’t mean they should just give up on their dream of living a life surrounded by beautiful plants.
Of those polled, 81% said adding plants to their space ultimately had a positive effect on their mental and physical health.
Four in five even said that taking care of their plants has actually compelled them to start taking better care of themselves, too.
So if you’re interested in reaping all the incredible benefits being a proper plant parent can offer, but are scared you’re going to end up with some brown plant babies, check out Article’s plant care guide , developed in partnership with author and plant expert Darryl Cheng.
