Photo: TsunflowerLab (Shutterstock)
As we discussed in a recent article, there are several different (legal) ways to get your hands on new (to you, at least) plants for free. But whether you do it via a seed library, plant swap, or getting a cutting from a friend, your choices tend to be limited as far as the types of houseplants up for grabs.
That’s absolutely fine when you’re starting out, but what if you have your eye on a specific type of houseplant that you can’t necessarily afford to purchase, and is a little harder to find? As it turns out, there’s a free app that can connect you with other houseplant people who may have exactly what you’re looking for, and that points you in the direction of your nearest plant swap. Here’s what to know.
What to know about the app
The app, called Prōpa, is free to use, and available to download on Android and iOS devices. There are plans to add some premium features in the future, but Prōpa’s founder, Pat May, tells Lifehacker that those will be non-essential functions. And while selling plants is permitted, it’s not officially supported in the app.
After two years of working on the idea for the app, May launched Prōpa in August 2020. “Because houseplants became even more popular during the pandemic and I was able to work from home, it seemed like the timing was right,” he explains.
How to use the app
The first step is to create a profile, which looks and functions similarly to those on Instagram, where users can add their name, location, and photos of their plants, as well as to connect with other plant-loving people. In addition to offering (and asking for) tips and advice, users can also chat amongst themselves to arrange to trade or ship cuttings.
There’s also the option of creating a plant wishlist, where users can keep track of the houseplants they’d like to find, and get alerts when other users are offering cuttings of them.
Finding and swapping plants with other users
If the person with the plant you want lives in your area, you can use the app’s interactive map to find and get in touch with them, and arrange a time and place to meet.
But if the only person offering cuttings of the plant of your dreams happens to live across the country, that’s not a problem: Sending and swapping cuttings by mail is also encouraged. If it’s your first time shipping plants or cuttings, the app and website has a page walking you through how to do that.
Regardless of whether the person you swap with is local or a long-distance plant friend, you both can keep track of how your cuttings are doing in their new home. “When you’ve shared a plant through the app, the baby plant is tagged with its parentage, and the original owner gets updates on the baby’s growth,” May explains.
Finding plant swaps in your area
One of the app’s newest features is providing a list of in-person plant swaps. Anyone can find or submit a listing for a plant swap on the Prōpa website, regardless of whether they have an account, or have downloaded the app.
