Troublesome Vegetation: Clashes, Pests, and Infestations (Unfiltered Findings)

When you're stuck trying to diagnose a plant issue, Google is the go-to for plenty of plant parents. Searching for things like "help, my Pothos leaves are turning brown" or "thrips on Monstera" gives us a peek into what's going wrong in the plant world. And when we analyze over 350,000 of these searches? Boom - a comprehensive view of houseplant issues based on real-life data!

Curious about the top plant problems? Here they are, broken down for ten popular plants. Ever wondered which plants give you the most trouble? Well, now's your chance to find out. Compare and crown the ultimate "bulletproof plant."

Enjoy some gossip about problematic plants, and stick around for fascinating data visualizations.

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Plant Problems Highlights and Breakdowns

First off, we've gathered all the "plant + problem" data for the plants we've analyzed. This gives us a broad look at common plant issues across the board.

Across all plants, yellowing and browning are the most common plant issues (29% & 26.1% respectively).
Generally speaking, pests are less of a common issue (3.9% of problems).

Next, we delved into the data for each individual plant to get a clear picture of their respective problem spectrum. A comparison of these issues in the chart below (my favorite part!) shows us how they stack up against each other.

Monsteras are much more pest-prone than Pothos and Philodendron (6.6% vs. 1.7% & 2.2%, respectively).
It's Jade Plants that have the most significant pest problem (20.5% of associated plant searches).
The Chinese Money plant has almost no pest issues (0.8% of searches). But it's also the most susceptible to both curling and drooping (18.1% & 16.8%, respectively).
Snake Plants are particularly prone to rot (11.6% of searches).
Conversely, Spider Plants are extremely prone to turning brown (65.1% of all related plant searches).

For a dash of fun, we calculated a "Problematic Plant Score" by taking all of the problem searches for each plant and then expressing them as a percentage of all searches.

It turns out, Fiddle Leaf Figs really are the most problematic plants (14.7% of all Fiddle Leaf Fig searches included a named problem).
Philodendrons are the least problematic plants (just 1.6% of Philodendron searches named a problem).

For more detailed insights, check out the findings below!

Worst Pest Problems

We've done the same with our pest data. Aggregating all the "plant + pest" searches for each plant in our analysis gives us an overview of the most common pests affecting our beloved plants.

Mites are the most common pest issue (28.4% of pest issues).
Though mites, scale, and thrips are all quite similar in prevalence (28.4%, 25.2, and 21.6%, respectively).

Then, just like with the plant problems, we created a pest breakdown for each plant to get a clear picture of their potential pest issues.

Though the dataset gets less accurate with fewer searches, and there's much less here - so take it with a grain of salt.
Scale is the only pest issue that affects every plant. Plus, of the plants we analyzed, scale often ended up being among the most significant (if not the most significant) pest.
Gnats had a very low prevalence amongst the plants we analyzed.

These plants are most likely to experience the following pests:

Monstera - Thrips (50.9%)
Philodendron - Thrips (43.2%)
Pothos - Scale (38.1%)
Snake Plant - Mites (29.5%)
Fiddle Leaf Fig - Mites (61.5%)
Peace Lily - Mealybugs & Scale (equal small search volume - 46.2%)
Spider Plant - Scale (52.6%)
Jade Plant - Mealybugs (46.3%)
ZZ Plant - Scale (37.5%)
Chinese Money Plant - Mites, Aphids, & Scale (equal small search volume - 33.3%)

Our Study Details

In this study, we wanted to analyze Google search behavior to get real data on what problems people's plants are experiencing.

To find the data, we used Ahrefs Keyword Explorer to search for the "plant + problem" to find the search volume for each problem and plant combination. The dataset was accessed and created in February 2023.

We chose the most popular plants to attain the most significant search volume, data, and relevance.

Wherever possible, we've chosen specific plants, but for others, we've aggregated the data under the genus name, e.g., Monstera, Philodendron, and Pothos. This was done on a case-by-case basis where we felt it was necessary to get a large enough dataset or where common names were too similar.

When comparing data between plants, the problem data for each plant (e.g., "wilting") is compared relative to their respective totals for all their problems. This allows the plants to be compared to each other, regardless of total searches.

To keep the dataset consistent, we aggregate:

Plural forms of problems where necessary, e.g., "spot" and "spots."
Tense variations of each problem, e.g., "yellow leaves" and "yellowing leaves." But we remove any irrelevant outliers, e.g., known cultivars.

Plant misspellings were ignored, as there's no way to standardize it (i.e., each variation would need to be guessed on a per-case basis).

*Disclaimer: The Ahrefs keyword dataset we used for this study is not 100% complete and, therefore, not fully representative of all Google searches. This data study is aimed at producing relative comparisons as indicators of user experience - this is not a comprehensive scientific study looking to prove or disprove any thesis.

Overall Enrichment Data:

Based on real-life Google search data and recent insights into popular houseplants, the most common problems that plant owners face include:

Yellowing Leaves - Often the result of overwatering, underwatering, or nutrient deficiencies, signaling stress from improper care conditions.
Wilting - Caused by underwatering, root rot from overwatering, or pest infestation.
Pest Infestations - Indoor plants often attract pests which can deteriorate their health. Common pests include aphids, spider mites, and scale insects.
Fungal and Bacterial Diseases - Diseases like powdery mildew, blight, and leaf spot (caused by fungi and bacteria) result in visible damage such as discolored spots on leaves or wilting and can spread rapidly if untreated.
Problems specific to popular houseplants - Specific popular plants show characteristic problems often searched for:
Peace lily requires regular watering and can suffer if neglected, often showing droopy leaves.
English ivy is noted for air-filtering but can be toxic to pets and may develop pest issues indoors.
Gerbera daisies need plenty of direct sunlight, and issues with soil moisture (too wet or too dry) are common.

Underlying Causes:

Improper watering habits (too much or too little) are the leading cause of yellowing leaves and wilting for many indoor plants.
Lack of awareness and consumer education about specific care needs contributes to poor plant health and the prevalence of common problems.
Seasonal and environmental variations like light levels, humidity, and temperature fluctuations can stress plants and provoke diseases or pests.
Transport and quality issues in the indoor plant supply chain may introduce stressed or diseased plants to consumers, increasing the likelihood of problems soon after purchase.

Curious to find out which plants might require special care due to common issues? Here are the top problems for ten popular houseplants, which include yellowing and browning leaves. Ever wondered about the plants that give you the most trouble? Well, now's your chance to compare and crown the ultimate "bulletproof plant."

For instance, Monsteras are known to have more pest problems such as thrips compared to Pothos and Philodendron. On the other hand, the Chinese Money plant has almost no pest issues but is very susceptible to curling and drooping. For a more detailed breakdown, check out the findings below to discover which plants are the most problematic and which ones are the least!