A maturing market

The houseplant market has been one of the strongest and most rapidly growing sectors in plant sales over the past several years. And while growth is still there, it’s not as drastic as it has been in recent years.

In our houseplant report, originally published by sister publication Garden Center magazine, roughly half of IGCs plan to increase their houseplant offerings in the coming year; that’s down from nearly three-quarters of IGCs increasing stock in 2022.

IGCs have also indicated what kind of houseplants they retail, with beginner/low-care plants and low-light plants by far the most commonly sold. (Holiday plants, rare/unusual varieties and pet-friendly options are also popular). They also indicate that spring is the strongest season for houseplant sales.

So what does this mean for growers supplying IGCs? While sales have slowed some, houseplants are still a strong market. And while some IGCs report strong year-round sales, there is overlap between the traditional spring season and houseplant sales the rest of the year.

— Matt McClellan

Read on for more insights into your retail customers' houseplant sales.

SLOWING GROWTH

For the first time since Garden Center magazine began this report in 2020, garden centers are reporting significantly less growth than in previous years, and more are reporting a decrease in sales than ever before in the history of the report. For the past three years, only about 3% of IGCs saw a decrease in sales compared to the year before. This year, nearly a quarter of garden centers sold fewer houseplants than the year before.

The number of stores that increased their stock in 2022 was also down by about 10 percentage points compared to 2021, and down 25 points from 2020. And this year, far fewer garden centers are planning to increase their offerings in the coming year than last year.

It’s important to note, however, that the explosive growth of the market over the past few years has left sales little room to grow, and customers’ homes have filled up with houseplants since the buying boom of 2020.

Forecasting sales for the rest of this year, 69% expect to see an increase in sales, so the market is still growing, just not as much as it did during the pandemic boom.

SLOWING GROWTH

While garden centers might not be increasing their sales as much as the past few years, prices are continuing to climb. In 2022 and 2021, nearly 90% of IGCs raised their plant prices, while in previous years only less than 70% upped their price tags.

HOT HOUSEPLANTS

We asked garden centers which plants were their top sellers in 2022. Here are the 10 most popular options from the last year.