For Black People, Plant Parenthood Is Deeper Than Instagram

We can commune and engage with plants in both spiritual and practical ways

Photo: Artem Varnitsin/EyeEm/Getty Images

I, like many others, became a plant mom during quarantine. At first, I thought my interest in plants was just a reaction to the stressors of life today. However, while researching plants I was considering buying, I reflected on my ancestral relationship with houseplants, land, and farming, realizing my interest was not simply a reaction. Plant parenthood for myself and other Black people is deeper than beautifying our spaces or having a prop for Instagram posts. Engaging with the natural world through houseplants, gardening, or growing food for ourselves is a radical act of self-sufficiency. Connecting with our ancestors by returning to African agrarian practices and bringing plants native to our ancestral homelands into our environment is healing for Black people in a world that often denies us access to greenery, frivolity, healthy food options, and full access to our history.

Founders of Grounded, a Black-owned plant shop in Washington, D.C., Danuelle Doswell and Mignon Hemsley, want to help their consumers — Black consumers especially — to disconnect and decompress while educating them not only on the mental health benefits of houseplants, but also the connections between plants and Black…