'Plant branding' and the revenge of the granny plant

LONG seen as dull and old-fashioned "granny plants," monstera, actaea and various cacti are having their moment and their revenge as they head back into fashion, even becoming trendy signallers for home interiors.

The plants we choose for our home interiors can speak volumes about who we are. In fact, the latest outward sign of success is none other than a plant with large leaves with a natural pattern of cutouts.

After being shut up at home riding out the various waves of restrictions and lockdowns, plants have become a must-have accessory in "home branding" a byproduct of the personal branding seen on social media. And, with Zoom meetings ever present, our backgrounds have become our only means of showing off our supposedly amazing lives and how, in spite of everything, we're still accomplished human beings, close to nature.

The trend hasn't gone unnoticed by brands. Jacquemus, for example, caused a buzz back in March when the luxury brand opened a flower shop in Paris selling bouquets of ranunculus flowers with the ultimate must-have fabric wrapping from offcuts of previous years' collections. All for €30, nevertheless.

From granny plant to hype home accessory

This taste for monstera plants sometimes known as Swiss cheese plants isn't new. This granny plant started to break through on Instagram with a little hashtag #monsteramonday that hit the big time (approx. 600,000 results). Probably as much for their aesthetics as their easy care, the monstera has become the leading symbol of "plant branding."

Other beloved plants include areca palms and dracaena, another palm-like plant. These all have two essential qualities: they're easy to care for, and they look cool a godsend for gardening novices looking to jump on the trend. And for anyone unlikely to keep up with watering, the trend extends to dried flowers and cacti. However, there's no mercy for geraniums, which have failed to shake off their outdated air. Fashion has its reasons...