America’s houseplants come at a steep price for greenhouse workers

On Tuesday, following Labor Day, a small group of activists marched past the gates of a sprawling plant nursery in Leicester, North Carolina, located outside of Asheville. The demonstration highlighted the difficult conditions faced by greenhouse workers who cultivate houseplants destined for the American market.

The protest brought attention to the contrast between the sunny, steamy greenhouse environments where workers labor among aisles of ready-for-sale plants and the steep human cost associated with the production of houseplants in the United States.