Use This Free App Find Free Plant Exchanges in Your Area
As we discussed in a recent article , there are several different (legitimate) ways to get your hands on new (at least for you) plants for free. But whether you’re doing it through a seed library, swapping plants, or getting a cutting from a friend, your choices tend to be limited in terms of the types of houseplants available for capture.
This is completely normal when you’re starting out, but what if you’ve got your eye on a certain type of houseplant that you can’t always afford to buy and is a bit harder to find? As it turns out, there’s a free app that can connect you with other houseplant people who might have exactly what you’re looking for, and point you in the direction of the nearest plant exchange. Here’s what you need to know.
What you need to know about the app
The app called Propa is free to use and available for download on Android and iOS devices. There are plans to add some premium features in the future, but Propa founder Pat May tells Lifehacker that these will be minor features. And although the sale of plants is allowed, it is not officially supported in the application.
After two years of working on the app idea, May launched Propa in August 2020. “Because houseplants became even more popular during the pandemic and I was able to work from home, it felt like the time had come,” he explains.
How to use the application
The first step is to create a profile that looks and functions similar to Instagram profiles, where users can add their name, location, and photos of their plants, and connect with other plant-loving people. In addition to offering (and requesting) tips and tricks, users can also chat among themselves to arrange for the exchange or delivery of clippings.
There is also the option to create a plant wishlist where users can keep track of the houseplants they would like to find and get alerted when other users suggest cuttings of them.
Search and share 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 contact them, as well as arrange a time and place to meet.
But if the only person offering cuttings of your dream plant lives in another country, this is not a problem: sending and exchanging cuttings by mail is also welcome. If this is your first time submitting plants or cuttings, there is a page on the app and website that will show you how.
Whether the person you’re exchanging with is a local plant friend or a distant plant friend, both of you can keep an eye on how your cuttings are doing in their new home. “When you share a plant through the app, the baby plant is tagged with its father, and the original owner gets an update on the baby’s growth,” May explains.
Plant exchange in your area
One of the app’s newest features is providing a list of personal plant exchanges. Anyone can find or apply for a plant exchange on the Propa website, whether they have an account or have downloaded the app.