My So-Called Off-Campus Life: Jessica DeAngelis ’17
Jessica DeAngelis ’17, graphic designer/production coordinator in Communications and Creative Services, has shared her houseplant obsession on Instagram and her account @ItsBotanyBxtch is now a burgeoning social media influencer with more than 5,600 followers. Some of her IG Reels and TikTok videos have been viewed over 100k times. But for her, that’s not the point.
Where It All Began
Jess’ first exposure to plants was watching her parents tend to their outdoor garden at her childhood home on Long Island. She fondly remembers accompanying them on visits to local greenhouses.
She now lives in New York City with her plant collection numbering more than 75. It was by chance that her houseplant habit began in 2017 when she walked by a couple who were moving and giving away the few items that wouldn’t fit on the truck. “I saw their jade plant and nabbed it. That initiated the plant buying habit that would develop over the next few years,” she says.
Jess finds the plants incredibly relaxing. “I love the routine of tending to my collection, especially spending a weekend morning watering, fertilizing and repotting. There’s also an element of problem solving whenever a plant has an issue like overwatering or bugs.”
The Plantfluencer Seed
Starting with just a few posts to her personal Instagram account, she discovered a niche community of plant “parents” and @ItsBotanyBxtch began. She loves the community she’s encountered along the way. “I thought it would be fun to meet other enthusiasts,” she says. “I created a separate public IG account and wound up attending plant swaps, store openings, and workshops where I’ve amassed some really awesome friends.”
Ultimately, she hopes to promote small businesses through her plant posts and comedic videos. “I love creating content about house plant shops located throughout the city and relaying that information to my following.” And she’s received some attention from retailers from her following. “It’s resulted in really cool opportunities like creating paid sponsored content for popular plant brands.”
But it’s more than likes and followers. “I’m not completely invested in my follower count since this is something I genuinely love and enjoy posting, it just so happens other people seem to get a kick out of it, too!”
What’s Next
With restrictions loosening, she hopes to return to traveling soon and documenting plants and shops along the way. She’s also considering designing some plant related merchandise to sell in the future.
Ultimately, she hopes to share what she’s learned to help others with their plant goals. “Whenever I mention houseplants in my day-to-day, I encounter very polarized views—either people feel completely confident in their ability to own and care for houseplants, or they believe they’ll kill anything they touch,” she says.
“I want to convey that owning houseplants is a learning process and I have been through a fair share of plant failures as well. But to me, there isn’t a better feeling than caring for a plant and it showing you its happiness by unfurling a new leaf.”
We also congratulate Jess for finishing her MA in Arts Administration at Baruch College this week.
Follow Jess on Instagram and her blog It’s Botany Bxtch.