A quick scroll on Instagram and you see them right away: houseplants that look like they just came from a showroom. Shiny leaves, perfect symmetry, not a speck of dust or discoloration in sight. As if each plant lived in a photo shoot. But let's face it: how many of these plants do you see like this in your own living room?
In this article, we dive into the world of the supposedly perfect plant on social media. How does that image affect our expectations? And why is a plant with a spot, a crack or a crooked leaf actually just as beautiful, or maybe even more valuable?
Beauty with a filter
Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are all about images. Plants are photographed at the perfect moment: just in bloom, freshly watered or in just the right light. Then filters and photo editing create the ideal picture. You don't see the reality. Think of that yellowed leaf that fell off, the mildew that showed up last week, or the potting soil that was actually just a little too dry.
This creates the idea that plants should always look like this. Always in bloom, with only shiny green leaves. Even a small scratch no longer seems acceptable. While all that is perfectly normal in the life of a plant.
Plants are alive, they are not plastic decoration
A plant is not a stationary object. It is a living organism that grows, changes, repairs and adapts to its environment. A damaged leaf tells a story. Perhaps the plant temporarily had too much or too little light. Maybe it was a reaction to a move, or a sign that you saved it from drying out just in time.
You can compare it to a scar on a human being. It does not mean that someone is unhealthy, but rather that something has been overcome. Plants show this too, and that is what makes them special.
The pressure of perfection is paralyzing
If you are constantly confronted with plants that supposedly look better than yours, you start doubting yourself. You wonder if you're doing something wrong or if you don't have a green thumb. In some cases, a person even gets discouraged, when in reality the plant is just doing a good job.
These skewed expectations sometimes cause plants to be discarded or replaced sooner. A shame, because often it is just a temporary or innocent change in the growing process.
Plant love is also room for imperfection
Anyone who has worked with plants longer knows that there is no plant without imperfections. And that is precisely what makes them fascinating. A torn leaf is not a disaster, but a consequence of growth or movement. A yellowed leaf means the plant needs its energy elsewhere. And if it doesn't bloom for a while, it's not a sign of decline. It is simply a phase.
When you start looking at your plants without those polished images in your head, your confidence as a caregiver grows as well.
Dare to show the real side of your plants
Maybe it's time to share the real story a little more often online, too. Show not only the perfect pictures, but also the plant that has been growing with you for years. The plant with a crooked stem, or that rare specimen that grows slightly differently than you expected.
Because true beauty is not in perfection. It is found in life, in resilience and in character.
