The History of Houseplants

Houseplants have existed for millennia across many cultures (one particularly ancient example would be the Japanese art of bonsai, which first originated in China around 700 AD). In the Western world, long before they were known as houseplants, scented and flowering plants were often brought indoors to mask bad smells and add decoration. Houseplants later became more formalized in the 1600s in Britain. In fact, by the 17th century in Britain, citrus trees had become a status symbol among the wealthy, who often built ostentatious orangeries and greenhouses to protect the plants during the winter and show them off to guests. In the 18th century, spring bulbs grown indoors in pots became popular as houseplants, spurred by the fact that the warmer conditions inside a home often helped the plants flower. The century also saw a growing market for decorative pots, stands, and cabinets in which to display houseplants. In the 19th century, increasing numbers of tropical and subtropical plants were brought back to England from all around the world. These were often coveted as houseplants. Around this time, some houseplants became more affordable while others continued to be reserved for the very rich. Overall, it seems that Victorians appreciated houseplants for their ability to bring a little nature into their dark, often heavily polluted city dwellings. Soon, the nursery trade began to emerge and public botanical gardens in England also got their start around this time, including Kew’s Palm House, which opened in 1840. Houseplants played an increasingly important role in interior design at this time as well. Beginning in the 1850s, ferns became extremely popular and “fern fever” or “pteridomania” gripped Victorian Britain along with most of the English-speaking world. They were so popular that a black-market fern trade sprang up and building ferneries became a new trend among the wealthy. Those without the funds to build ferneries often used Wardian cases to display their ferns within the home. In the late 19th century, orchids were valued above all other flowers, but this sadly led to many species being wiped out in the wild by indiscriminate collectors. After World War I, plant-filled interiors fell out of fashion as more modern design principles took hold. Cacti and succulents, however, fit the aesthetic of the day and were often kept as houseplants. In the 1950s, more people than ever were living in apartments and houseplants became quite popular once again. Why? The trend was partially due to the human longing to add some nature to the home (which was often difficult due to the lack of garden space offered by apartment living) and partially due to the rising popularity of Scandinavian design, an aesthetic which embraced houseplants. While the popularity of houseplants has waxed and waned over the last few decades, it exploded during the Covid-19 lockdowns. It turns out that humans today and those living in congested 17th century cities have more in common than we may once have thought — and that no matter the century, humans seem to instinctively gravitate towards the healing power of houseplants!