“Cardening” Is the Instagram Plant Trend Coming to a Vehicle Near You (But Maybe It Shouldn’t)

updated May 17, 2021
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These days, you can practically have a garden anywhere; it can be in the yard, around your house, or even in a corner of your office desk. And for those on the move, it can (surprisingly!) even be in a car.

Over on Instagram, there’s apparently such a thing as “carden,” a garden that’s located inside a vehicle. Yes, it sounds absurd but it’s true. Some have turned their dashboards and cupholders into miniature gardens for the green thumb who’s always on the go.

It’s an interesting concept. Whoever came up with it must really love plants to the point that they needed to bring them everywhere with them.

But oddly cute as the idea might seem, it is probably not recommended. There is, of course, the issue of safety. Most cardens are placed on the dashboard and/or in the glove compartment, and it’ll only take one sudden stop or airbag deployment to send all those cacti and dirt flying towards you.

It’s not only unsafe for humans, but for the plants as well. Cars left parked under the sun can have cabin temperatures of up to 116 degrees F (46 degrees C), which means that even cacti could wilt under such intense heat. 

And there’s the damage the soil and water can do to your car’s interior. I mean, where does the water even go without proper drainage?

Thankfully, not a lot of people are taking cardens seriously. A faux carden with plastic succulents and cacti that are safely attached to surfaces seems like a good compromise if you’d like a little greenery without the risks.