Letters | Boom in demand for indoor plants has a dark side
- The new obsession with indoor plants is driving poaching of wild plants and increasing production that carries a large ecological footprint
- To be more sustainable, indoor plant lovers can propagate plants themselves from seeds or cuttings and swap plants with people in the community
First, the obsession with indoor plants, especially succulents and cactuses, has encouraged poaching of wild plants around the world with potentially disastrous effects.
While indoor plants grown in nurseries remain the major source of such plants, the desire of some plant collectors for plants of special colours and shapes has led to a rising demand for wild plants. These plants have survived in their natural habitats for decades, and it can be difficult to replicate them by artificial means.
Another issue of concern is how sustainable the production of indoor plants is. Large-scale farms and greenhouses around the world have helped meet the skyrocketing demand for indoor plants. After the plants are harvested, they are then shipped from different corners of the world to be sold online and in stores.
While this massive scale of production helps drive down prices, it also represents a significant ecological footprint.
Popular indoor plants are selected for their low maintenance, fast growth and ability to endure neglect. However, the very qualities which make them “unkillable” will threaten our fragile ecosystem when they do leave the house.