Houseplants may be décor, but Americans don't always treat them like décor.

In a survey of 1,000 U.S. houseplant owners, 71% said they've accidentally killed at least one plant. At the same time, 46% said they talk to their plants, 38% have given a plant a name, and nearly one in four said they consider at least one of their plants something similar to a pet.

The results paint an interesting picture of America's relationship with houseplants. We buy them to decorate our homes, but many of us also become surprisingly attached to them.

Key Findings

  • 71% of plant owners have accidentally killed a houseplant.

  • 46% talk to their houseplants at least occasionally.

  • 38% have named at least one houseplant.

  • 31% have bought a plant after seeing one on social media.

  • 44% have asked someone to care for their plants while traveling.

  • 36% have kept a struggling plant alive because they were emotionally attached to it.

  • 23% consider at least one of their houseplants something similar to a pet.

  • 72% agree that having plants in their home improves their mood.

  • 29% spent at least $250 on plants and plant supplies over the past year.

  • 12% spent $500 or more on plants and plant supplies over the past year.

7 in 10 Plant Owners Have Accidentally Killed a Houseplant

Keeping a houseplant alive isn't always as easy as it looks.

Seventy-one percent of plant owners said they've accidentally killed at least one houseplant. Only 24% said they had never killed one, while another 5% weren't sure.

For many plant owners, it wasn't an isolated incident.

Nearly one-third (31%) said they had killed between two and five houseplants. Another 14% had killed between six and 10, while 8% admitted they'd killed so many that they'd lost count.

How many houseplants have Americans accidentally killed?

  • None: 24%

  • 1: 13%

  • 2–5: 31%

  • 6–10: 14%

  • 11–20: 7%

  • 21+: 3%

  • Lost count: 8%

Combined, 32% of plant owners have killed at least six houseplants or have lost count of how many they've killed.

Why Do Houseplants Die?

Forgetting to water a plant was the most commonly reported mistake, with 48% of respondents saying they've seriously damaged or killed a plant this way.

But giving a plant too much attention can apparently be nearly as dangerous.

Forty-two percent said they've damaged a houseplant by overwatering it.

Lighting was another common problem. Nearly one-third of plant owners said insufficient sunlight had contributed to a plant's decline, while 19% had damaged a plant by exposing it to too much sunlight.

Most common ways Americans damage their houseplants:

  • Forgot to water: 48%

  • Overwatered: 42%

  • Not enough sunlight: 31%

  • Didn't know what was wrong: 27%

  • Too much sunlight: 19%

  • Pests or disease: 18%

  • Left unattended while traveling: 14%

  • Temperature: 12%

  • Pet damage: 8%

The results suggest that the challenge isn't necessarily getting people to care for their plants. It's knowing exactly what kind of care they need.

Nearly Half of Plant Owners Talk to Their Plants

Plants can't talk back, but that apparently isn't stopping their owners from starting conversations.

Forty-six percent of respondents said they talk to their houseplants at least occasionally.

Eleven percent said they frequently talk to their plants, 19% do so sometimes, and another 16% said they rarely do.

Younger plant owners were particularly likely to do it.

Plant owners who talk to their plants by generation:

  • Gen Z: 58%

  • Millennials: 53%

  • Gen X: 42%

  • Baby Boomers: 31%

That would make Gen Z plant owners nearly twice as likely as Baby Boomers to talk to their plants.

And apparently we're not just talking to them. We're naming them, too.

Thirty-eight percent of respondents said they've given at least one houseplant a name.

Among Gen Z respondents, that figure climbed to 49%, compared with just 27% among Baby Boomers.

For Some Americans, Houseplants Are Basically Pets

We also asked respondents whether they consider any of their houseplants to be a "pet" or something similar to one.

Nearly one-quarter (23%) said yes.

Another 21% said "somewhat."

Combined, 44% of respondents expressed at least some pet-like attachment to their houseplants.

That attachment becomes even clearer when a plant gets sick.

More than one-third (36%) said they've kept a struggling plant alive longer than they probably should have because they were emotionally attached to it.

We also asked respondents how they'd feel if one of their favorite houseplants died.

  • Very upset: 24%

  • Somewhat upset: 41%

  • Slightly upset: 27%

  • Not upset: 8%

That means nearly two-thirds (65%) of plant owners would be at least somewhat upset if one of their favorite plants died.

Americans Are Spending Serious Money on Their Plants

Houseplants can be an inexpensive hobby, but spending adds up quickly for many owners.

Twenty-nine percent of respondents said they spent at least $250 on plants and plant-related supplies during the past 12 months.

At the higher end, 12% spent $500 or more, including 4% who reported spending at least $1,000.

Annual spending on plants and plant supplies:

  • 0–24: 8%

  • 25–49: 13%

  • 50–99: 20%

  • 100–249: 30%

  • 250–499: 17%

  • 500–999: 8%

  • $1,000+: 4%

While most plant owners aren't spending thousands of dollars, the results show how quickly a relatively inexpensive hobby can turn into a meaningful household expense.

Social Media Is Driving Plant Purchases

Nearly one-third (31%) of plant owners said they've purchased a houseplant because they saw one on social media.

Instagram was the most commonly cited source of inspiration among those shoppers, followed closely by TikTok.

Social platforms influencing plant purchases:

  • Instagram: 48%

  • TikTok: 41%

  • Pinterest: 32%

  • YouTube: 24%

  • Facebook: 21%

  • Reddit: 13%

The effect was much stronger among younger respondents.

More than half (56%) of Gen Z plant owners said social media had influenced a plant purchase, compared with just 12% of Baby Boomers.

That means Gen Z plant owners were more than four times as likely as Boomers to report making a plant purchase influenced by social media.

72% of Plant Owners Say Plants Improve Their Mood

For many people, keeping plants isn't just about decorating their homes.

Seventy-two percent of respondents agreed that having plants in their home improves their mood.

Forty-one percent strongly agreed with the statement, while another 31% somewhat agreed.

Only 9% disagreed.

"Having plants in my home improves my mood."

  • Strongly agree: 41%

  • Somewhat agree: 31%

  • Neither agree nor disagree: 19%

  • Somewhat disagree: 6%

  • Strongly disagree: 3%

It's important to distinguish perception from causation here. Our survey asked plant owners how they feel about having plants in their homes. It doesn't establish that houseplants cause improvements in mental health.

What it does show is that a large majority of plant owners believe their plants have a positive effect on their mood.

Americans Would Rather Receive a Plant Than Flowers

Houseplants aren't just something Americans buy for themselves.

When respondents were asked what they'd rather receive as a gift, 41% chose a living plant compared with 22% who preferred fresh-cut flowers.

Another 25% said they'd be equally happy with either.

Which would you rather receive as a gift?

  • Living plant: 41%

  • Fresh-cut flowers: 22%

  • Either equally: 25%

  • Neither: 12%

Plants are already a common gift, too.

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of respondents said they've given someone a houseplant as a gift.

Meanwhile, 61% said they'd previously received a houseplant as a gift and liked it.

Low-Maintenance Plants Win

What are Americans actually looking for when they choose their next houseplant?

More than anything else, they want something they can keep alive.

Ease of care was the most frequently selected characteristic, with 61% of respondents identifying it as one of the most important factors when choosing a plant.

Appearance came second at 54%.

What Americans want from a houseplant:

  • Easy to care for: 61%

  • Appearance: 54%

  • Doesn't require frequent watering: 38%

  • Price: 36%

  • Low-light requirements: 31%

  • Long lifespan: 26%

  • Safe around pets: 25%

  • Small size: 21%

  • Unusual or interesting: 18%

  • Attractive container: 16%

  • Makes a good gift: 12%

Those preferences help explain the popularity of low-maintenance plant varieties. People like having something living in their homes, but they don't necessarily want another major responsibility.

How Many Americans Know What a Marimo Moss Ball Is?

We also wanted to see how familiar American plant owners are with marimo moss balls.

Just over one-third (34%) said they'd heard of marimo before taking the survey.

Only 4% said they currently own one, while another 7% said they'd previously owned one.

Awareness varied considerably by age.

Marimo awareness by age:

  • 18–24: 49%

  • 25–34: 44%

  • 35–44: 36%

  • 45–54: 27%

  • 55–64: 21%

  • 65+: 16%

Nearly half of the youngest plant owners surveyed had heard of marimo, compared with only 16% of respondents 65 and older.

That makes awareness roughly three times as high among the youngest respondents as it is among the oldest.

What America's Plant Habits Tell Us

The results paint a picture of houseplant ownership as something more involved than simply decorating a room.

Americans spend money on their plants, worry about keeping them alive, give them names, talk to them, buy them after seeing them online, and sometimes develop surprisingly strong emotional attachments to them.

At the same time, plant owners overwhelmingly prioritize simplicity.

Ease of care was the most desired quality in our survey, while forgetting to water and overwatering were the two most commonly reported ways people damaged their plants.

Whether Americans see their houseplants as décor, a hobby, a gift, or something closer to a pet, one thing stands out: for many owners, the plants sharing their homes matter more than we might expect.

Methodology

ModMoss surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults who currently own at least one living houseplant in September 2026. Respondents answered questions about plant ownership, spending, care habits, gifting, social media, and their relationships with their plants.

Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Questions allowing respondents to select multiple answers may total more than 100%.