Some people seem to have a natural gift for gardening. They know when to water, what to prune, and somehow keep everything from herbs to houseplants thriving without much trouble. Others have a harder time, whether that means overwatering, forgetting about a plant for a few days, or watching a once-healthy green friend slowly fade.
With so many Americans spending time caring for plants, we wanted to take a closer look at where the country’s strongest green thumbs are rooted. To find out, we surveyed more than 2,400 people across the U.S. about their gardening habits, plant care skills, and overall experience with keeping plants alive. We used those responses to create a ranking of the states home to the best and worst gardeners.
From there, we also dug into the broader story behind the rankings. Along with identifying the top- and bottom-performing states, the survey offers a look at how Americans approach gardening, what motivates them to care for plants, and how those habits vary across the country.
Which States Are Home To the Best Gardeners?
Some people can keep just about anything growing. Others seem to lose a plant the minute it comes home from the store.
To find out where the strongest green thumbs live, we scored survey responses from across the country on plant care ability, confidence, consistency, and knowledge. Here are the states that came out on top, along with the ones that had the most room to grow.
States With the Best Gardeners
- Kentucky — 87.3 out of 100
- Missouri — 70.2
- New Mexico — 66.3
- Arizona — 64.5
- Vermont — 62.9
Kentucky did not just finish first. It ran away with the top spot, finishing more than 17 points ahead of second-place Missouri. That lead makes sense once the question-level results are taken into account. Kentucky led the country in enjoyment of caring for plants, confidence in keeping them alive, comfort in caring for various types, and how well-equipped respondents felt to care for them. It also scored well in troubleshooting plant problems and long-term plant survival, suggesting that gardeners there are not only enthusiastic but also well prepared.
Missouri’s second-place finish came from a slightly different profile. It led all states in both self-rated plant care ability and success at keeping plants from dying prematurely, which points to steady, dependable plant care. New Mexico stood out for having the highest score in the country for researching and troubleshooting struggling plants, while Vermont led the nation in caring for the widest variety of plant types. Arizona also landed near the top thanks to especially strong scores for enjoyment, initiative, and plant variety.
States With the Worst Gardeners
- Rhode Island — 13.6
- Nebraska — 14.5
- Connecticut — 19.4
- Oklahoma — 19.7
- Kansas — 22.7
At the other end of the ranking, Rhode Island finished last overall. Its lowest scores came in comfort caring for different plant types, frequency of active plant care, and self-rated ability, which suggests many respondents there do not feel especially confident or hands-on when it comes to gardening. Nebraska was close behind and posted the lowest score in the country for both enjoyment of plant care and how often respondents actively care for plants, two measures that can make it tough for gardening success to take root.
Connecticut struggled most with troubleshooting plant issues, ranking last in the nation for research initiative when a plant starts having problems. Oklahoma posted weak scores across several hands-on measures, including ability, types of plants cared for, and frequency of care. Kansas, meanwhile, ranked last in the country for plant variety and was also near the bottom for comfort with different plant types and enjoyment.
The rankings show that the best gardeners are not just lucky; they tend to enjoy the work, feel equipped to do it, and stay engaged when plants need attention. Next, we’ll zoom out from the rankings and look at what our survey reveals about gardening habits and attitudes across the U.S.
Insights Into American Gardening Habits
A good garden does not always come down to perfect technique. More often, it comes down to patience, routine, and how much people enjoy the work in the first place. Americans are not all master gardeners, but many are doing more than just keeping a single houseplant alive on a windowsill.
Most Americans do not see themselves as standout gardeners, but seniors are far more confident.
- Overall, 27% of Americans rated their gardening skills as above average, and only 5% said they were “excellent.” Among baby boomers, that jumps to 35% above average, with 10% calling themselves excellent.
Many people are keeping plants alive, but older generations are doing it more consistently.
- 37% of Americans said they rarely or never kill plants. Among baby boomers, that rises to 46%. Even more telling, 49% of Americans said they have successfully kept a plant alive for more than 3 years, compared with 77% of baby boomers. Less than 1% of baby boomers said they have never kept a plant alive before.
Plant care is a regular habit for most people.
- 65% of Americans actively care for plants at least weekly, and 82% do so at least monthly. That suggests plant care is not just an occasional hobby for many households. It is part of the routine.
Those numbers point to a familiar gardening truth: confidence usually follows experience. Younger Americans may be interested in plants, but older Americans appear more likely to have built the habits that help plants last.
That same pattern shows up in the kinds of plants people care for and how deeply they have made gardening part of their homes.
Most Americans are caring for a modest mix of plants.
- The most common answer was two to three plant types, selected by 44% of respondents.
Older Americans are much more likely to go bigger.
- More than half of baby boomers, 54%, said they currently care for six or more types of plants. That points to a level of variety that usually comes with time, confidence, and a willingness to experiment.
Plants have a real place in many American homes.
- 57% of respondents said they have a dedicated space for plants in or around their home.
This helps round out the picture. For many people, gardening is not just about whether they can keep one plant alive. It is about whether plant care has become part of their living space and daily life. In that sense, the survey suggests gardening is less of a niche interest than some might expect.
At the same time, Americans are not approaching plants in a purely practical way. There is also a personal side to the relationship.
A surprising number of people name their plants.
- 33% of Americans said they have named a plant before.
Younger generations are much more likely to do it.
- Among Gen Z, that number rises to 43%. Among baby boomers, it drops to 24%.
Older people may be more experienced gardeners overall, but younger people appear more likely to treat plants as extensions of their personal space and identity. One group seems to bring long-term consistency. The other brings a little more personality.
The survey also makes clear that even committed plant owners still have a few worries.
The biggest plant care nerves center on getting the basics wrong.
- Americans said they are most nervous about overwatering (24%), pest control (23%), and seasonal weather changes (15%).
Still, most people have a reason to keep trying.
- The biggest motivations for keeping plants alive were enjoyment of caring for them (35%), liking how plants improve their living space (28%), and growing their own food (12%).
For many, it is a fairly affordable hobby.
- 39% of respondents spend less than $150 per year on gardening supplies, while 20% spend more than $150.
That balance is part of what makes gardening so appealing. People may worry about overwatering or bugs, but many still find the process relaxing, worthwhile, and visually rewarding. For others, the payoff is even more tangible when herbs, fruits, or vegetables enter the mix.
Overall, the survey shows that American gardening is shaped by a mix of confidence, routine, and enjoyment. Many people are caring for plants regularly, carving out space for them at home, and sticking with it long enough to see real success. Just as important, the strongest gardening habits seem to grow over time.
Closing Thoughts
Across the country, gardening looks a little different from state to state. Some Americans are tending to a wide variety of plants with confidence, while others are still figuring out how to keep them thriving. The survey makes one thing clear: For many people, gardening is more than a chore. It is a source of enjoyment, routine, and pride.
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Methodology
To determine which states have the strongest green thumbs, we surveyed residents across the U.S. about their plant care and gardening habits. Respondents were asked a series of structured questions about their interest in caring for plants, confidence in their abilities, track record of keeping plants alive, and overall level of engagement.
The survey included 10 core questions used to calculate each state’s “gardening score.” Responses were primarily collected using 5-point Likert scales and were assigned numerical values after the survey closed. Answers that reflected greater plant care ability, confidence, consistency, and success received higher values. The 10 questions we based the score on are below:
- How would you rate your ability to care for plants?
- How much do you enjoy caring for plants or gardening?
- How often do plants you care for die prematurely?
- If someone gave you a plant today, how confident are you that you could keep it alive for at least 6 months?
- How often do you actively care for plants (watering, pruning, repotting, fertilizing, etc.)?
- How many different types of plants do you currently care for? (e.g., flowers, herbs, vegetables, indoor plants, succulents, etc.)
- How comfortable are you caring for a variety of plant types (indoor, outdoor, flowering, edible, etc.)?
- How well-equipped are you to care for plants? (tools, pots, soil, fertilizer, watering tools, etc.)
- If one of your plants started struggling, how likely are you to research or troubleshoot the issue?
- What is the longest you’ve successfully kept a plant alive?
For each of the 10 index questions, we calculated the average response by state. Those averages were then scaled from 0 to 10, with the highest-performing state on a given question receiving a 10 and the lowest receiving a 0. Each question was weighted equally, and the scaled scores were totaled to produce an overall Green Thumb Score for each state.
The survey ran over a two-week period in March 2026 and included respondents from 48 states with over 2,400 responses in total. All results are reported in aggregate.
Fair Use
You are welcome to use, reference, and share non-commercial excerpts of this study with proper attribution. If you cite or cover our findings, please link back to this page so readers can view the full methodology, charts, and context.
