Houseplants, all over Instagram and TikTok, can provide great comfort for students across college, grad school, and beyond. But the student budget is not a girl’s best friend, and plastic doesn’t fit the saying, either. In my experience, they are both options with their pros and cons. So, which is better: Fake or real houseplants?
It depends on what you want: Aesthetic or a breath of fresh air. For example, I compromise and have one real houseplant among mostly plastic ones. As a full-time student with work and research on the side, I don’t have time to run a whole nursery. I can still appreciate the freshness of a flower vase that I maintain once a week.
Artificial plants, my favorite in bulk, have lengthy leaves, pros, and cons. While artificial plants have a moderate price tag to start, I’ve found that they cost less over time than most real plants. I’d mark succulents and small flower bouquets as exceptions. With these, I don’t have to pay for maintenance with water, fertilizer, or soil. Plastic plants are also good for the girl who doesn’t want to get her hands dirty since they skip all those steps. The big downside is that they don’t look realistic, especially not after a while. So, they’re better for the aesthetic overall.
Likewise, real plants have their trade-offs. Unlike plastic plants, most real plants start out cheaper but add up quickly. When I buy bouquets, I generally only spend $4-$8 to start somewhere like Target or Trader Joe’s, but if I don’t invest in a more expensive bouquet, I have to make that same purchase weekly. This doesn’t account for other maintenance like soil or fertilizer. However, for girls who have a green thumb, working with these lean, mean, green machines may provide a fresh hobby. I think that it’s worth the money, though; watching the flowers blossom over the week gives me the energy to push through school, work, and daily life.
To sum up, in the houseplant debate, your side depends on what you want. Some people want the aesthetic of plants, in which plastic plants are best. Others want to bloom right alongside their plants, which is when real plants are better. I see the value – and invest – in both kinds of plants in my own home. Either way, houseplants may be a girl’s best friend.