One in 10 Brits ‘do a King Charles’ and speak to their houseplants – with one-fifth of millennials going so far as to name them.
The habit of chatting to plants is something younger generations are more likely to do, with one in five claiming to do so – compared to just 10% of those aged 55 and over.
These younger ‘plant parents’ are following in the footsteps of climate-conscious King Charles who famously revealed in a 1986 interview that talking to his plants helped them grow.
Just 7% of Brits name their houseplants but 21% of the millennials who do, name them after their favourite authors.
The names of book characters are first choice as monikers for 17% of 18-24 year olds and 22% of 25-34 year olds.
Film characters and celebrities also prove to be a good source of inspiration for 25-34 year olds, with 19% opting for Hollywood namesakes.
Of the 2,000 Brits quizzed in the survey, commissioned by luxury bedroom retailer Feather & Black, 11% claimed they value their houseplants the same way they would a pet.
Orchids were crowned the UK’s favourite plant in the survey, followed by cacti, peace lilies, spider plants and aloe vera.
The survey revealed the majority of the population spend between £1-50 on their houseplant collection while 1% of Brits fork out more than £500 on their houseplants.
Of those quizzed, 50% said the most popular place for displaying houseplants is the living room.
Other favourite spots are the kitchen (23%), hallway (7%), bedroom (5%) and bathroom (4%) and home office (4%).
Despite Britain being a nation of plant lovers, a whopping 63% of people regularly forget to water them.
Houseplant therapy is especially popular among Gen Z with 36% claiming to use houseplants for mindfulness.
Half of people simply feel the desire to incorporate nature into their home, while 38% said they incorporate houseplants into their decor for aesthetic purposes only.
Air purification and mood boosting rounded out the top five main reasons for decorating with houseplants.
The poll also revealed one in ten men use plants to boost creativity, explaining why 7% of blokes keep plants in their home office.
In comparison, fewer women get plants in order to boost creativity with only 5% of women claiming to do so.
Laura Burnett, buyer at Feather & Black, said: ‘There are many studies suggesting plants have multiple health benefits.
‘Our findings add weight to the importance of incorporating houseplants into interior design.
‘Seeing that such a significant proportion of the population use houseplants to boost their mood and improve wellbeing will hopefully encourage people to expand their collection.’
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