Editorial process

Every guide on this site goes through the same five steps before publication. The point is to make sure what you read came from actual experience, not pattern-matching AI output, and that the gear recommendations were tested rather than aggregated from other blogs.

1. Species I own only

I only write species guides for plants I currently own or have owned for at least 18 months. The current list is around 30 plants across the common aroid families plus the bombproof beginners. If you see a species guide here, the plant lived (or lives) in my apartment.

2. Research, then write from experience

I cite 20–40 sources per long-form guide — university extensions (Wisconsin, Florida IFAS, UC ANR), botanical authorities (Missouri Botanical Garden, RHS), the ASPCA toxicity database, and the original botanical literature where it's accessible. AI helps with outlining and finding citations. The prose itself is written by me, in first person, with specific timings and observations from my own plants.

3. Original photography wherever possible

Every species I own gets photographed at multiple stages — new arrival, established, problem state, propagation. For species I don't own, I license photos from Unsplash or commission custom illustrations rather than using generic stock. Product photos use Amazon's official SiteStripe images (TOS-compliant) or my own shots.

4. Gear tested before recommended

I don't recommend a product I haven't bought with my own money. The "best soil for monstera" page is based on an 8-week side-by-side test with identical Thai Constellation cuttings. The "best moisture meter" page is based on owning three of them. If you see a product recommendation here, I've used it.

5. Quarterly updates

Every page has a visible "last updated" date. I review and update each page at least quarterly — pricing changes, ASIN changes (Amazon reuses ASINs), new products that displace old picks, new research that contradicts old advice. Pages that haven't been updated in 6+ months get an audit pass.

Where I'm transparent about my limits

I'm not a credentialed horticulturist. I edit and write this directory as an enthusiast working from primary horticultural literature. Where my own experience with a plant runs out, I cite the experts — and where I'm uncertain, I say so explicitly in the text. If a guide makes a claim I can't back up, please email me and I'll either fix it or explain my source.