Who decides which snacks are in your office’s vending machine? How much is a suburban elm tree worth, and to whom? How did Girl Scout Cookies become a billion-dollar business? In bite-sized episodes, journalist Zachary Crockett looks at quotidian things and finds amazing stories. Join the Freakonomics Radio Plus membership program for weekly member-only episodes of Freakonomics Radio. You’ll also get every show in our network without ads. To sign up, visit our show page on Apple Podcasts or go to freakonomics.com/plus.
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episode 39: 39. Houseplants
Interest in houseplants has exploded in recent years. But what causes floral trends, and prices, to grow? Zachary Crockett sows a few seeds.
- SOURCES:
- Justin Hancock, director of research and development at Costa Farms.
- Brian Williams, co-owner of Brian's Botanicals.
- Sarah Williams, co-owner Brian's Botanicals.
- RESOURCES:
- "Bidding Wars and $1,000 Succulents: The Wild World of Rare Houseplants," by Hannah Holland (The Washington Post, 2023).
- "Houseplants Boomed During the Pandemic. Gen Z and Millennials Say the Popularity Is Here to Stay," by Lucia Starbuck (KUNR, 2022).
- "The Most Iconic Houseplant Trends Through the Decades," by Wretched Flowers (Architectural Digest, 2021).
- "Meet the Plantfluencers," by Penelope Green (The New York Times, 2018).