The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Houseplants help add ‘ joy and life’ to homes as COVID- 19 lingers on
In April, a month into the coronavirus pandemic, Jodie Riccelli placed an order for houseplants to add greenery to her surroundings. By September, she had amassed 130 plants in her 980- square- foot South Philadelphia home.
“My favorite changes, honestly,” said Riccelli, 44, “but right now, I’m in love with my philodendron Micans” — a vining, green- bronze houseplant with heart- shaped leaves that feel like velvet.
As the pandemic continues, plant retailers have reported a barrage of sales prompted by what they said was consumer desire to care for a living object and create a tranquil indoor sanctuary in an uncertain and stressful time.
“We all need a little bit of joy right now,” said Laurelynn Martin, co- owner of Logee’s, which grows indoor and outdoor plants in its 128- year- old antique greenhouse. Logee’s had year- overyear growth of 8% from April to August, she said.
The global flower and ornamental plants industry is expected to grow by $ 29 billion over the next four years with a compound annual growth rate of 5.9%, largely as more customers seek decorative greenery, according to a report from the market research firm Tech na v io.
The Sill, a popular plant company started in 2012 that sells greenery online, at three locations in New York City, and two in California, said customers had bought merchandise at a rate that out paced wholesale supplier capacity, said founder Eliza Blank.
Most houseplant enthusiasts said they had grown their collections by visiting chain and locally owned stores.
“I get at least one plant a week,” said Helen Lam, 38, of Northern Liberties, who had 10 plants last year and added 110 more during the pandemic.
Others with less than optimal home lighting crammed in as many plants as they could — about 30 in her apartment, said Lydia Sigmon, 24, who lives in Old City and works as an associate national bank examiner for the U. S. Treasury’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
“I wanted to bring joy and life into my apartment to create a more focused and enjoyable workspace,” she said. “It also gave me something productive to focus my free time on with the lack of social outings. My collection more than doubled.”