#houseplant: 10 Best Hashtags to Explore on Instagram

Does it feel overwhelming to try to keep up with Instagram’s houseplant hoarders as their leafy photos flash by in your feed? Here are 10 key hashtags to bookmark—from #monsteramonday to #crazyplantlady—so you can scroll through the best collections of houseplants when it suits your schedule, not Instagram’s.

#houseplantclub (334,000 posts)

I love the idea that there’s a club where we houseplant mavens all can go to rave about our favorite Peperomias and compare notes on ferns. Of course, scrolling through many of the pictures will make you wonder why no other members are fighting a losing battle against mealybug or why there are never any brown-tipped leaves. But remember, this isn’t real life, it’s Instagram! And the best thing about plant people is how generous they are with their knowledge: Pop a comment on that post about a six-foot-tall variegated banana, and the owner is bound to offer up all manner of growing tips and advice.

#plantsonpink (36,000 posts)

Lotte Van Balen’s account @plantsonpink first popularized this simple yet beguiling idea: Take a lush leaf or a spiky cactus and place it against a pink backdrop, and suddenly the plant is elevated to something Instagram-worthy. With pink declared the shade of choice for millennials, it’s not surprising that this hashtag gets so much love.

#pilealovers (6,000 posts)

If you are still lusting after Pilea peperomioides, the Chinese money plant, but struggling to find one (or perhaps not convinced about shelling out for one), get your fix with this hashtag. Compared with many of Instagram’s hit houseplants, the Chinese money plant is bordering on the dull—no variegation, after all—but there is something beguiling about those coin-shaped leaves. And let’s not forget the other members of the Pilea clan, such as the mysteriously misnamed Pilea glauca, which also deserve a mention.

#fiddleleaffig (75,000 posts)

The iconic fiddle-leaf fig takes center stage in so many houseplant scenes on Instagram that it’s not surprising this hashtag is trending—although I suspect many people take lots of shots of their new plants before they start to suffer from the browning tips and yellowing leaves that can befall this most desirable yet diva-like of plants. The fig’s Latin name #ficuslyrata is not so popular at just 16,000 posts.

 #succulentlove (770,000 posts)

Whether it’s a rainbow of tightly packed plants or the cascade of fractal, fleshy leaves that is a burro’s tail, succulents are an enduring hit on Instagram. Their rosette shapes seem to fit a square image perfectly, and most of us can manage to keep them alive long enough to get a few decent shots of them onto our photo streams. It’s worth noting that #cactuslove at 420,000 posts, while still huge, is not quite such a smash hit.

#plantshelfie (20,000 posts)

I can’t stand the pouting exhibitionism of the selfie, but a #plantshelfie is always a fascinating insight. You may wonder how that fern will survive next to a cactus in that dark corner of a room, but maybe— just maybe—someone has gathered all their best-looking plants in one place for the perfect shot. No harm in that, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a long-term solution that will work for your cacti. Doubt me? One word: #etiolation.

#monsteramonday (58,000 posts)

Plant-specific hashtags are handy ways of seeking inspiration for displaying particular species—and this is the granddaddy of them all. Whether your Monstera is a little baby whose leaves are yet to split, or a huge monster that’s tapping its aerial roots on your ceiling, you can join in, but extra bonus points if you have one of those much-coveted variegated Monsteras—oh, and other species such as M. adansonii also count. See also #philodendronfriday (6,000 posts) and #sansevieriasunday (2,000 posts).

#interiorrewilding (35,000 posts)

Above: Toronto-based artist Jeannie Phan (@studioplants) writes, “The first morning of spring seemed like the perfect time for some plant maintenance as the houseplants are waking up.”

You may have thought re-wilding was all about reintroducing apex predators such as wolves to compromised landscapes, but interior re-wilding seems to consist mainly of huge ferns.

#houseplantsofinstagram (70,000 posts)

This one pretty much does what it says on the tin—add the words “of Instagram” to the end of anything from dogs to cupcakes and you’re harnessing a potentially huge following. If you’re looking for broad-brush houseplant inspiration, this is the hashtag for you: from air plants to interior green walls, it’s all here.

#crazyplantlady (239,000 posts)

I am not exactly sure when being a crazy plant lady (CPL for short) became a thing—an offshoot of being a crazy cat lady, one presumes—but apparently “Being a CPL is about more than liking houseplants—it’s an identity.” The odd thing about this hashtag is that not many of the pictures that bear it actually contain an image of said lady—and when they do appear they tend to completely sane. (If you want more IGg images of actual women with plants, check out #girlswithplants.) Incidentally, #crazyplantman only has 420 posts right now—time for the male houseplant fans to step up?

…And while you’re scrolling, stop by to say hello to me, @j.l.perrone.

See more of our favorites at 10 Houseplant Lovers to Follow on Instagram and 10 Garden Ideas to Steal from Instagram. For tips to grow houseplants, see our Houseplant 101 guides to Monstera, Aralia, Asparagus Fern, and Echeveria.