Planta is a Swedish free-to-use plant care app, designed to help the green-fingered keep their collection of house and garden plants at optimum health. The app gives novice and seasoned plant owners a basket full of digital tools necessary to ensure their plants thrive year-round.
These include a plant identifier (users submitting in-app a photo of an unknown plant and receiving instant analysis, likened by some to ‘a Shazam for flora’), smart watering schedules tailored to each plant, and each user’s needs, recommendations for light intensity (using the in-app light meter), step-by-step guides on repotting and preparing plants for the different seasons, and a chatbot to help users obtain guidance on issues their plants are experiencing.
Planta was founded in Sweden in 2017 by Tove Westlund and Martin Wählby. After realizing that they had numerous unknown ailing plants in their homes and offices, they were surprised to discover that there were no apps available to provide horticultural advice. Spotting a niche in the market, Planta was developed and launched in 2018.
Between 2020 and 2021, Planta has launched in more than 45 new countries on both iOS and Android, including India, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, and is offered in 10 languages. Additionally, downloads have more than tripled since the pandemic started in 2020, from 1 million to over 3.3 million, and maintains over 62,000 5-star ratings across iOS and Android app stores. Today, Planta has over 16 million plants registered on the app, and is able to identify 90% of all known indoor and outdoor plant species.
A 2021 study by gardening brand Miracle-Gro, found that the average adult in the UK spends more than £300 a year on houseplants, with Gen Z seen as the biggest house plant advocate. The 18-24-year-old Gen Z’ers have, on average, 10 different plants in their home. Since the pandemic, Planta has seen its demographic change in line with the findings of this study, and also witnessed an influx in users based in urban environments. This can partly be attributed to the benefits nature has on mood and mental health: a 2018 study by the Royal College of Physicians confirming the long-held belief that observing plants, nature, and even natural scenes can benefit an individual’s overall mental wellbeing.
Features and integrations
Anyone can download Planta from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for free. The free version of Planta offers users access to some of the app’s key features, including the ability to add their houseplants to the app, check out the personalized care information, and access the smart water schedule.
For users keen to take plant ownership to the next level, Planta offers a paid subscription, which is available for: 1 month (£5.99); 3 months (£13.50); 1 year (£27.00).
For more information:
Planta
www.getplanta.com