Don't Laugh At The Idea Of Naming Your Houseplants - There's A Good Reason To Do It
Houseplants are important to have in our homes. Not only do they add to our overall decor and aesthetic, they can also be beneficial to our health. Beyond improving air quality, though, houseplants can also help us emotionally. Some people even equate owning a houseplant to having a pet due to the serenity they can provide. So, if your friend has names for each of their houseplants, this may not be as silly as you think. In fact, if you want truly healthy plants, you need to form a relationship with them, and giving them names could aid in that bond.
"Naming plants is a fun and healthy way of connecting with them," 1-800-Flowers.com Vice President of Merchandising Alfred Palomares says. "It further promotes an investment in plant care — as you watch your plants flourish, you have a sense of excitement, whereas if they aren't doing so well, you may feel concern and tend to them more." When you give your plant a name, it suddenly adds to the importance of the plant. A plant that is dying or not growing well can be easily thrown away, but once that plant is named, it can be harder to get rid of. This can cause you, as the plant owner, to work harder to help it thrive.
Other benefits of naming your houseplant
Having a conversation with your greenery may feel weird at first, but talking to your plants isn't such a bad idea. Not only can it help you care for them better, but it can also make them grow faster. This is because, if you talk to them like you playfully do with your pets, it's believed that the CO2 you emit from your breath and the vibrations caused by your voice can benefit them. And it's hard to talk to something that doesn't have a name. Providing each of your plants with a unique name will make you feel more connected to them, causing you to converse with them more and thereby improving their growth.
Further, naming your plant isn't just beneficial for the plant. Forming a relationship with your houseplant can help you feel less lonely as well. "Giving something a name is a part of having a relationship," Norbert Schwarz, a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California, told the Los Angeles Times. "People anthropomorphize objects — products like their car or the trees in nature — mostly when they feel lonely or when they have an affiliation motive and want to be close to something. And it turns out that doing that has positive consequences." While some may find it strange, naming your houseplants can actually provide you with more comfort and cause you to feel less alone.
How to choose a name for your houseplant
There are no set rules for naming your houseplant, but you still want to make sure you choose one that fits. If you don't know where to start, consider the things that make your houseplant special. This can include the specific things it does, the way it grows, or even where the plant originated. If you have a unique looking houseplant that's a statement piece, lean into its distinctive characteristics when choosing a moniker. You can also get inspired by the plant's common name. For example, if you have the lifesaver plant (Huernia zebrina), you could call it something like "Doctor Green". Or, if you have an English ivy (Hedera helix), consider a British-inspired name or even lean into a Taylor Swift song lyric (we're looking at you, "Ivy").
Your houseplant can also be a reflection of you, so you can choose a name that simply speaks to you. You could also name it after something or someone you love. Go simple by giving it a plant-inspired name like Willow or get silly by choosing a human name like Steve. Whatever you decide, have fun naming your houseplants, and don't forget to tell them good morning every day.