So, obviously, a beginner wants to start with a hardy plant, and I guess a cheap one, and one suited for the conditions the houseplant will be living in, and one they like the look of. But my intention with this hobby is to become more connected with my environment, not to exploit it in the way most convenient for me. I want to understand: what is a good, or minimally harmful, houseplant? Are the ecological footprints very different between different houseplants? I’ve been told that if you live above a certain floor on an apartment planting natives isn’t important since pollinators don’t get up to your level anyway–is that accurate? Do people ever uhhh…just like scoop up plants growing around them and just pot them and grow them at home? Are all plants that would thrive as houseplants commercially available or is what’s commercially available mostly influenced by other factors like subjective/cultural aesthetic value & hardiness under transport conditions & stuff like that?

  • @Plum@lemmy.world
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    91 month ago

    Get a cutting from a friend’s pothos. Dig up a tiny local sapling and learn about bonsai. Make a moss terrarium. Go get more if they all die catastrophically. Think locally if you’re worried about the ecological/ethical footprint. And don’t buy miracle gro.