What seems like a modern trend—filling homes with potted plants—actually has roots stretching back millennia. Over time, indoor plants have been symbols of status, refuge, science, and comfort. This is their journey, and ours.

At Planteka, we believe caring for plants is more meaningful when you know their stories. Through our workshops, services and courses, we help you not only keep plants alive—but also appreciate their heritage.

Early indoor gardening

Humans have brought plants indoors for practical as well as aesthetic reasons almost as long as we’ve had vessels to contain them:

• In ancient Egypt, ornamental and fragrant plants, such as lotus and papyrus, were cultivated in pots, often for use in temple or palace decorations.
• The Romans and Greeks used terracotta pots and moved citrus, laurels, ivy, and other ornamental shrubs into atriums or indoor courtyards to enjoy greenery near human dwellings.
• Across Asia, particularly in China, potted plants and miniature bonsai have a history dating back over 2,000 years, often serving as displays of harmony and art.
• Some accounts tie indoor plant culture to the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon, though that is more myth than proven fact.

These early practices laid the foundation: if a plant adds value where you live—beauty, fragrance, shade, or symbolism—people will try to bring it closer.

Orangeries, bulbs, and Latin flair (17th–18th centuries)

As European wealth and global trade grew, so did the desire to grow fragile, exotic plants. This era brought significant innovations in indoor plant cultivation:

• Citrus trees became status symbols. Wealthy estates built orangeries—special glass or conservatory structures—for lemon, orange, and other fruit trees indoors to survive cool weather. 
• Spring bulbs such as tulips, hyacinths, and narcissi were forced indoors to bloom out of season. Potting them became a fashion for decorating interiors during the winter months. 
• The creation and design of decorative containers grew in parallel: “cachepots” (ornamental outer pots), tiered plant stands, and designs meant for indoor displays became prevalent. 

In effect, indoor plants became part of interior design, not just gardens transplanted indoors.

Plants in art history: symbolism, meaning, and hidden messages

The Victorian craze: ferns, Wardian cases, and indoor jungles

By the 19th century, houseplants had exploded in popularity—especially in Victorian England—driven by industrialization, urban life, and sentimental desires to bring nature into gaslit homes.

Pteridomania, the fern obsession

Victorians developed a fascination with ferns. Potted ferns and fern-filled cases (often glass) were everywhere—in drawing rooms, parlours, and “fern houses.” This passion was called “Pteridomania”. 

The Wardian Case: a botanical revolution

A key turning point was the invention of the Wardian case by Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward in the 1830s. Ward observed that plants could survive for long periods sealed in glass jars. He then developed small wood-and-glass enclosures—like portable miniature greenhouses—that protected plants from salt spray and harsh sea conditions during long voyages. 

Because of these cases, exotic tropical plants could successfully travel from Asia, Africa, and the Americas to Europe. This dramatically expanded plant trade, botanical collections, and the diversity of houseplants. 

Then the Wardian case itself migrated indoors as decorative glass cases filled with ferns, orchids, and other delicate species—creating little worlds inside homes. Read more about this piece of history in our article:

The history of terrariums: from accidental discovery to indoor gardening revolution

20th century shifts: modern homes, mass horticulture, and the houseplant revival

The 20th century saw indoor gardening become more accessible:

• With better glass, heating, and tropical plant breeding, plants like palms, aspidistras, ferns, and early genus Araucaria became common in living rooms. 
• After World War II, indoor plant culture became more democratised: commercial nurseries began mass production of easy, hardy species for apartments.
• In the 1960s–1970s, houseplants merged with interior design trends—macramé plant hangers, jungle aesthetics, and “green interiors.” The idea of “bringing the outside in” became a design mantra.
• In recent decades, social media and the wellness movement have created renewed interest in houseplants—trending species, the “plant parent” culture, and plant communities. 

Why this history matters for you

Knowing this lineage gives your plant care deeper meaning:

• Many common houseplants (ferns, palms, philodendrons) were once rare treasures—plants to be preserved or shown.
• The ways people historically displayed and protected plants (terrariums, orangeries, conservatories) can inspire how you tailor spaces today.
• You’re not just caring for a plant—you’re inheriting a centuries-long relationship humans have had with indoor greenery.

Indoor plants are not a passing trend—they’re a tradition. Each plant you nurture continues a story that stretches from ancient courtyards to glass Victorian parlours to the digital plant communities of today.

Share with us: what was your first houseplant? We’d love to hear your story in the comments.

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