Flower dads from left: Raphael Wambua, Victor Karanja and Dominic Kanake.
There was a time when Kenyan men could not differentiate between a monstera, an indoor plant with showy leaves, or a snake plant, also a house plant known for its sword-like leaves. Now they do, and some have mastered the art of nurturing indoor plants.
On weekends or evenings, they set aside time to water or prune the houseplants, share cuttings with their colleagues or friends, and post their blooming flowers on Instagram.
Stanley Ogada, 33, known affectionately among fellow plant lovers as “Plant Daddy,” describes the bond he shares with his plants as something special.
“They offer companionship without judgement. And because there are so many varieties, each with different care needs, there’s a plant for everyone’s lifestyle and home,” he tells Nation Lifestyle.
Stanley’s relationship with plants goes beyond just owning them. He offers lessons on plant care, everything from watering, fertilising, potting, and even rescuing struggling plants.
“The most common mistake I see is people not giving their plants enough light,” he says. “Plants need light like we need food. You’ll see guys pushing plants into dark corners because it looks good in photos or magazines, but those setups aren’t sustainable. Most of those plants end up dying. Real care means understanding that light is vital, and once you get that right, watering and others naturally fall into place.”
Stanley’s love for plants goes back to his childhood. “We had a small garden where we grew vegetables and fruits.”
But when he moved to Nakuru, the absence of greenery made him “feel angry sometimes.” In 2022, a friend gifted him a plant. Shortly after, he brought a snake plant. “Since then, I’ve filled my home with plants.”
For Stanley, plant-keeping is more than beauty in the house. “It’s a form of therapy; calming and somewhat deeply spiritual. When I keep cuttings in buckets or vases, I care for them, and that amazes me.”
Plants, he says, have also taught him valuable life lessons: patience, the importance of seasons, and the power of nurturing growth over time. “Before I got indoor plants, I was always in a hurry, chasing quick results and feeling frustrated when things didn’t happen right away. But plants don’t work like that. They grow at their own pace, in their own seasons. Looking after them has taught me to slow down, be patient, and value the gradual journey of growth.”
“This has shaped how I approach relationships and my own ambitions. Like plants, friendships and dreams need consistent care and attention to thrive.”
Stanley admits that one of the biggest challenges for him was learning how to keep his plants safe from pests and diseases. “At first, I struggled. But I took the time to learn about pest management, which is crucial for keeping plants healthy.”
To men looking to start the indoor plants journey, Stanley says: “Start small, be patient, and educate yourself. Don’t buy too many plants at once. Choose easy-care varieties and learn how to care for them before expanding your collection. And accept that some plants will die despite your best efforts. Life is impermanent. That realisation helps you cherish every moment and memory you have with your plants.”
Devoted plant dad
Willington Mbithi’s love for indoor plants stems from his mother. The 33-year-old proudly says he is a devoted plant dad.
“Being a plant dad allows me to understand the intricacies of administering care. I find it a great hobby that promotes relaxation. It also provides a sense of responsibility.”
Though his first succulent plant died, Mbithi says he found solutions for plant caring and is currently a doting father to almost 15 plants. His “nature babies”, he says, include succulents, philodendrons, aglaonemas, calatheas, anthuriums, ferns, ficus, hoyas, and begonias.
“I love all my plants, but my favourite is calatheas [nicknamed prayer plant]. I love its strikingly patterned leaves and unique movements. And hoyas; I adore their unique leaf shapes and succulent-like textures; I have over 10 species. Truth be told, I now need a small greenhouse for my flowers,” he says.
He has found great benefits as a plant parent. Plants, he says, not only beautify his house but also reduce stress and boost his productivity. “You’d be surprised to know that plants can also reduce noise levels,” he adds.
Some common rookie mistakes for new plant parents involve struggling to find the balance between overwatering and underwatering.
Quoting scripture, he adds: “As I Corinthians 3:8 expresses, ‘The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labour.’ The greatest reward for me would be the sense of accomplishment and pride that comes with nurturing a plant and watching it grow and thrive, but also witnessing the joyful countenance of others when I gift a plant cutting or propagation.”
Names his plants after his relatives
Dominic Gift Kanake, whose home is filled with nearly 90 plants.
When Dominic Kanake bought his first plant in 2018, it was not out of a deep-rooted love for nature or a desire to join urban gardeners. It was purely for looks. A creative designer by profession, Kanake wanted his home to reflect his artistic eye.
The plant he chose was a castle cactus, a spiny little thing that promised style with minimal fuss. But beauty alone wasn’t enough to keep it alive.
“My plant care skills were poor at the time, so it didn’t last long,” Kanake admits.
Years later, he found himself drawn back. He bought another castle cactus. Then another. Today, he owns two or three of them, all thriving. “It feels good to know I’ve learned from my mistakes,” he says.
But the cacti are just the beginning. Kanake’s leafy family has grown to about 88 plants, spread across every possible corner of his home — the balcony, the living room, the kitchen, and even the bathroom. His favourite is the Syngonium, also known as the arrowhead plant.
Once a week, he checks his plants, feeling the soil, scanning for pests, and noting any yellowing leaves. Succulents, he explains, can wait longer between drinks, while tropical plants tend to be thirstier. Once a month, he sprays them as a preventative against pests. “I let the plants tell me when they need water,” he says.
In his home, plants are not just décor — they are family. Many of them carry names: his sisters Tina and Kush are immortalised in leafy form, as are his children Zook and Zion, who each have a ZZ plant in their honour. The act of naming them, he says, comes naturally. “When you spend that much time caring for something, it stops being just an object. You form a bond.”
For Kanake, tending to his plants has become a form of therapy. During stressful periods, he has found comfort in the quiet ritual of pruning, watering, and arranging. “They’ve been therapeutic, helped me manage my mental health, and given me a sense of purpose,” he says.
His favourite moments are the small, almost invisible victories — the appearance of a new sprout, the unfurling of a fresh leaf. “Every few days, I’ll notice fresh growth,” he says. “Standing by my window and seeing my balcony arrangement always brings joy.”
A dad of 100 plants
Raphael Wambua has turned his Kitengela home into an indoor jungle, caring for over 100 plants that he calls his constant companions.
When Raphael Wambua, 36, walks into his house in Kitengela after a long day, it’s never quiet. His place is packed with plants; an indoor jungle he has built with care.
“I’m a happy plant dad,” Wambua says. By day, he works at Monvid Insurance Agency; by night and on weekends, he is a full-time caretaker of over 100 plants — about 75 indoors and 30 more on his balcony. The outdoor collection has kitchen herbs and spices, while the indoor one is for pure aesthetic pleasure.
His plant journey began online. “I saw beautiful indoor plants on the internet and something just sparked in me,” he recalls. He started small, with a spider plant, a snake plant, and a few succulents. Some did not survive, but the spark never dimmed. “The love for plants stayed and grew stronger,” he says.
Now, his favourites include the Medusa plant, the queen of the night, and a variegated monstera. His daily routine revolves around them: after work, he does a slow lap around the house, inspecting each plant, pruning dead leaves, and misting the foliage. Weekends are for the big jobs — watering, cleaning leaves, and adding fertiliser when needed.
Unlike some plant parents, Wambua does not give his plants personal names. “I thought about naming them, but realised it made parting with them harder when I gifted them to friends or family,” he says.
Postpone vacations
Being a plant dad has reshaped his lifestyle. Vacations are no longer spontaneous; they require careful planning to make sure his plants survive his absence. He has even cut trips short just to come home and check on them.
“You can’t leave some that require regular watering for too long,” he says.
The learning curve has not been without heartbreak. Overwatering claimed many of his first plants, leading to root rot. “I was too overcaring, too loving,” he says.
He believes more men should take up plant parenting, not only for the beauty but for the benefits: stress relief, a deeper connection to nature, cleaner air, and better sleep.
“Some plants, like snake plants and peace lilies, even produce oxygen at night,” he says.
As a bachelor, he says, plants have become constant companions. “My free time, attention, and energy can be focused on them, and they fill my home with life.”
Fussy plant companions
Victor Karanja has embraced plant care since moving into his new home in 2020.
When Victor Karanja, a tech manager and a lifestyle content creator, moved into a new house in 2020, he found himself drawn to the idea of making the space feel alive. “I wanted to explore my interior design aesthetic,” he recalls, “and one thing that really stood out was, if you wanted to have life in your house, then you need to have a real plant in the house.”
His first choice was a ficus benjamina, a graceful indoor tree with glossy leaves. That plant lived for about a year and a half before wilting, but it sparked a habit he still nurtures today. Now, four years later, Karanja’s home is dotted with greenery: another ficus benjamina, a cactus, and two snake plants—one large and one small. The ficus remains his favourite. “It doesn’t need a lot of maintenance. You just need to water it once a week, make sure it gets sunlight, and it really blossoms and looks nice. I like the tree aesthetic in the house.”
For Karanja, plant care is about understanding each one’s rhythm. Snake plants, for example, only need watering every two to three weeks, while his cactus gets water about once a month. The ficus demands more attention—1.5 litres of water weekly, regular pruning, removing dead leaves, and eventually changing the soil after a few years. “It’s more delicate,” he says, “so I give it a little bit more care.”
While none of his plants have caused him headaches, he admits the ficus can be fussy. Still, all except that very first one are alive and thriving. “I feel like they’re part of my family now,” he says. “Once the benjamina gets bigger than what it is right now, I think I’ll plant it somewhere I have land so it can grow into a full tree and live for generations.”
Karanja prefers plants to pets. “Plants don’t interfere with your routine. You don’t need to take them for walks or give them constant attention. You just water them, give them sunlight, and once in a while, check on them. They’re perfect for someone who’s busy and doesn’t want that extra weight of being needed.”
20 to 30 different species
Samwel Njihia, popularly known as Sam Filla, tends to more than 20 different plant species at his home, a collection he says brings him peace and a sense of fulfillment
Samwel Njihia, better known in plant circles as Sam Filla, describes his love for plants as a natural extension of his curiosity about the world around him.
“I started keeping plants as a hobby back in 2021,” he says, “I just love nature.”
His first plant was a cactus—a “mother plant” that continues to produce offspring even today. “It was the one I started with, and it grew really fast. I noticed it survived much better outdoors than indoors, but it’s still around,” Sam says. Over the years, his collection has grown into a mix of 20 to 30 different species, from succulents to snake plants, each nurtured with care and, occasionally, a bit of trial and error.
“The palm tree plant has been the most challenging. You can give it water, nutrients, and sunlight, but it can still die.
As for the notion that plant care is a niche interest, Sam insists it’s universal. “Plant moms and plant dads are everywhere. Yes, ladies might seem more interested in plants, but there are plenty of men who love the look and feel of nature in their spaces.”
