While in-person events may not have flourished during the pandemic, one passion that seems to have genuinely laid down roots across the world this past 12 months is that of plant care – and if you feel like you’ve gotten closer to your plants this year, you’re not alone.

Since the 1970s, there’s been a popular theory that the vibrations of audio content can stimulate growth in plants. 

For people who have unearthed their newfound passion for plant parenting this past year, Spotify’s Music for Plants playlist offers plenty of good vibrations for your homegrown foliage.

New listening data and audience research* from Spotify shows just how popular houseplants and their care have become over the past 12 months worldwide.

Plant Playlist Passion

During the past 12 months, streams of Spotify’s “Music for Plants” playlist grew nearly 1,400%, with over 2.9 million user-generated playlists on Spotify related to plants and gardening. A global survey from Spotify showed that 21% of plant-owners even tried talking to their plants last year.

Listening data showed that Morning is the most popular time for Spotify users globally to play audio to their plants from the playlist.

Audience data found 21% of Spotify users in Egypt have tried using audio content to care for their plants in the past year, while 16% have been talking to their houseplants more.

Many Spotify users also created their plant playlists, with the most popular houseplant saw playlists created for it worldwide being Jasmine and Ivy.

32% of those surveyed in Egypt also said they felt caring for houseplants offers people more purpose in life, while 30% said they would carry their passion for houseplants into the future.

Green-Thumb Guidance

Despite this newfound passion for plants, Spotify’s audience data found that 27% in Egypt find it difficult to know how to care for their houseplants.

30% of those surveyed in Egypt believe they have better care for houseplants during the past 12 months, while 31% said they actively looked for tips to help them care for their houseplants – whether through online videos or books and other information.

Despite this, 29% in Egypt didn’t know the best way to help their houseplants grow, while a similar number, 25%, said they did not know how to spot signs of over-watering.

Spotify’s Music for Plants playlist, offering mellow vibrations for green leaves, green thumbs, and green ears, including music and soundscapes carefully handpicked to help encourage growth.

Some of the top plant playlist categories on Spotify from users:

1. Jasmine
2. Ivy
3. Cactus

The top 5 songs appearing on users’ plant playlists globally:

1. New Slang – The Shins
2. The Only Living Boy in New York – Simon and Garfunkel
3. Don’t Panic – Coldplay
4. Let Go – Frou Frou
5. Such Great Heights – Iron & Wine

Top 5 genres of music for plants on Spotify globally:

1. Fourth world
2. Art pop
3. Background music
4. Ambient
5. Lo-fi beats

Spotify has also pulled together some of the other plant-related trends cropping up on the platform:

Botanical beats: Popular song picks for these playlists reflect a variety of genres. Check out some of the most-added tracks:

“Ivy” by Frank Ocean, “Such Great Heights” by Iron & Wine, “BUTTERFLY EFFECT” by Travis Scott, “Mr. Brightside“ by The Killers, “Garden (Say It Like Dat)” by SZA, “Here Comes the Sun – Remastered 2009” by The Beatles, “Secret Garden” by Bruce Springsteen, “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley & The Wailers, Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran, “Rose Garden” by Lynn Anderson and “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac

Perennial pick: Streams of Mort Garson’s 1976 classic plant album Mother Earth’s Plantasia (featuring tracks like Symphony for Spider Plant and Concerto for Philodendron & Pothos) are up more than 40% this year.

The Spotify Music for Plant’s playlist is available to listen to now:

* Spotify worked with independent third-party research company, YouGov, to survey 26,872 people aged 18+ across 23 countries between 29th April and 12th May 2021