Millennials are choosing plant life over parenthood, according to the latest report from Better Planter. Recent statistics show that “elder Millennials” are leading the way in plant ownership, with people over the age of 40 owning the most plants out of any age category. Just over 33 million Americans have houseplants. Of these, seven in 10 Millennials label themselves a “plant parent.”

In 2020, the plant and flower sector grew to $15 billion, up from $14 billion the year before. COVID-19 has been the main driver of plant ownership during the past three years, causing a surge of 18 percent. Of plant buyers, 50.5 percent are women and 49.5 percent are men. 

People are choosing to buy plants for a variety of reasons, with 72 percent saying they buy plants to help them feel better and 44 percent believing it gives them greater optimism about the future. 

Homeowners spend an average of $75 annually on houseplants, with 63 percent of respondents saying their collection has increased since the pandemic. Garden centers report an increase in sales of more than 20 percent on indoor plants, an 18 percent increase in 2021. 

The most common purchaser of plants based on ethnicity were white Americans at 70.9 percent, followed by Hispanic at 11.4 percent and African American at 8.7 percent. 

The most popular houseplant purchases were broad-leaf foliage, bromeliads, cacti, flowering plants, ferns, indoor palms, air plants, narrow-leaf foliage, succulents and trailing/climbing plants.