Houseplants have been growing in popularity in recent years – particularly among Gen-Z and millennial foliage enthusiasts. Based on data gathered by the National Gardening Association, it’s been reported that the number of said young people tending indoor gardens increased from 25% to 34% between 2018 and 2023, while Miracle-Gro concluded in 2021 that 18-24-year-olds had an average of 10 plants in their homes.
Perhaps this is related to all that free time we had on our hands during the pandemic. In that report, Miracle-Gro found that UK adults spent an average of £300 per year on their houseplant collection. Now that we’re so readjusted to normal life to such an extent that companies are looking to return to office working, plants possibly aren’t getting quite as much TLC as they used to. Remember: a peace lily is for life, not just to fill time between banana bread and Netflix.
Luckily, the LeafyPod, an AI-assisted self-watering plant pot exhibited at this year’s reliably wacky edition of the CES tech convention in Las Vegas, is designed to do the hard work for you.
It looks like a regular plant pot – albeit with water-droplet-shaped light on the front – but the device is much smarter than your average terracotta. After potting your perennial pal, you download the LeafyPod app, tell it what you’re looking after and let it get to know the plant in question. The planter’s reservoir can hold water for up to four weeks; after a few drenchings, it will become acquainted with the plant’s needs and create a bespoke watering routine.
Via the app, your little green friend can even talk to you – kind of. If your plant needs more light or to another spot in the house due to change in the atmosphere, it’ll be sure to let you know. This has been likened to a 'Tamagotchi from Hell', but it surely beats a home filled with pots of soil that just remind you of the unfortunate plants you let down.
And there’s clearly an appetite for the invention, which was funded via Kickstarter, with 124 backers combining their efforts to the tune of almost £21,000, more than double the company’s £8,107 goal. It’s not truly the first of its kind, as the similar Parrot Pot, priced $99, was exhibited at CES way back in 2016. Unlike the rechargeable LeafyPod, though, the older device was powered – shock, horror – by four AA batteries.
Of the newer invention, LeafyPod CEO Cleo Song has said: 'Our vision is to harmonise technology with nature, creating an intuitive smart home device that allows anyone to connect with plants effortlessly… LeafyPod makes plant care stress-free and deeply satisfying.' The company even pushes a wellness angle, highlighting the 'natural, calming atmosphere' that plants create.
The Leafypod devices are available to pre-order at $148 (£120) each. You have to wonder how many of those 18-24-year-olds will plan to spend well over £1000 on tending their 10-strong collection, but the plant babies themselves might be a bit happier.
