I’m a Huge Plant Person, but I Think We’re All Buying Way Too Many — Here’s Why

I’ve always had a thing for houseplants and apartment gardening. Currently I have around two-dozen plants and a Lettuce Grow farmstand inside, plus another 15 plants, including a potted lemon tree and guava tree, on my balcony. After a lot of trial and error (RIP to several fiddle leaf fig trees), I feel like I’ve finally mastered the art of keeping most of them alive. But lately it feels like we all might be overdoing it in the plant department. 

Up until a few years ago, I’d buy a new plant and then watch it die six to nine months later. This cycle continued to repeat itself until I slowly learned in real-time how to care for houseplants with the right levels of sunlight, water, and fertilizer. Now all of the plants I bought three years ago are still going strong — even my finicky fiddle leaf fig is sprouting new sprigs left and right. 

At first, I was super excited about my newfound green thumb — all my research and learning finally paid off. But as my houseplants continue to thrive, they’re now starting to take up way more space than I initially planned, making my apartment feel a bit too cluttered. Fortunately, I live in a building full of plant people, which allowed me to re-home some of them, but there are a few things I’d do differently in the early stages of my plant mom life. Here’s how to avoid going overboard with houseplants in your own space. 

Pothos plants are one of the most forgiving, easiest houseplants to care for, which is why they’re highly recommended for new plant parents. However, there are so many different types of pothos out there, and I was already four pothos deep before I realized this. 

If I had to go about it again, I’d research the different varieties and choose just a few (or even one) to start with. When pothos grow, they grow, and all of mine have fully taken over my bookshelf and hanging planters. I recently gave each of my pothos plants a good haircut, which helped make my space feel visually lighter. Instead of propagating the clippings for my own use, I shared them with my neighbors. 

Aside from clipping my pothos plants so they don’t trail too much on the floor (they’re really that big!), I’ve mostly avoided pruning my houseplants. As it turns out, though, pruning can not only help make your space feel less cluttered when you have a lot of plants, but it’s also really good for overall plant health and can result in bushier, happier greenery. Don’t skip this step!

Pothos aren’t the only plants you can propagate. Instead of buying so many new plants, I wish I’d learned how to propagate my existing ones sooner. Snake plants, spider plants, monsteras, ZZ plants, and even fiddle leaf figs are all houseplants you can propagate in water. 

Plants look amazing on bookshelves, on top of dressers, and in hanging planters or on plant stands. And while I utilize all of these, I wish I’d fit my home decor around my houseplants (especially now that I know how big they would end up getting) — not the other way around. Had I initially accounted for the amount of space they’d continue to take over, it wouldn’t feel like they’re dominating my home so much.