House plants are one of the hottest interior design trends at the moment, and it is millennials that are driving the demand for potted flora for their homes more than any other generation.

So what is causing the resurgence in the popularity of house plants, and what will help this contemporary approach to décor to thrive going forwards?

Bringing greenery to urban living

One of the biggest influences over the craze for house plants today is that of urbanization, which means that more and more people find themselves living in densely populated towns and cities, where having access to your own outdoor space is less likely.

In combination with rising property prices and the lower likelihood of millennial renters or owners having an outdoor space to call their own, indoor plants have become a lifeline that links this generation to the natural world.

It is no surprise that the furniture brands mentioned on sites like Living Cozy tend to cater to this trend as well, with an explosion in the number of tables and display pieces that are specifically built for millennials living in small apartments who want to bring the outside in with house plants.

Minimal maintenance for maximum impact

Another reason that house plants are on-trend amongst millennial buyers is that they tend to require a lot less upkeep than other types of foliage.

This has a lot to do with the environments in which these plants typically occur in nature; usually they are from regions of the world where rainfall is infrequent and sunlight is commonplace, meaning that they are perfectly happy to sit on windowsills and thrive on just a few splashes of water a few times a month.

With millennial work schedules being what they are, this kind of minimal maintenance is ideal. At the same time, it manages to tap into the push for greater mindfulness in people whose lives are otherwise moving at an accelerated pace due to the digital systems and devices which permeate every part of modern society. Setting aside a few minutes to tend to the house plants around your home is a relaxing experience, as well as one which gives you an opportunity for reflection, and draws you away from the allure of endless social media scrolling.

Influencer encouragement

Speaking of social media, it is impossible to ignore the role that it has played in perpetuating the trend for house plant purchasing among millennials.

From major interior design influencers to micro-accounts that both follow and create fashions, the past decade has seen indoor foliage rise to prominence in everything from Instagram posts and blogs to YouTube videos and beyond.

Affordability

Updating your décor can be expensive, but compared with the prospect of repainting an entire room or splashing out on a rare and beautiful ornament, house plants are incredibly cheap.

This is no doubt a factor that is helping to boost their profile with millennials, as well as with Gen Z-ers below them.

The aforementioned unaffordability of housing has left even those with good jobs staring down the prospect of spending more than half their paychecks on rent or mortgage outgoings. With less disposable income to spare, choosing house plants as the focal point of your interior design efforts is a no-brainer.

It will be interesting to see whether this trend continues as millennials get older and approach middle age; the very oldest people in this age group are just entering their 40s. Likewise it could be informative if the younger generations also adopt an interest in house plants for the same reasons as their forebears, although they might take a different path altogether.