Benji Le, also known as “@benji_plant,” is a houseplant stylist and interior designer who lives with his partner in northeast Los Angeles. Their two-storey home is flooded with light, thanks to a floor-toceiling plate glass window, which provides a perfect backdrop for filming Benji’s highly influential YouTube tutorials. In his videos, he patiently and methodically outlines his process for plant care and styling while generously telling stories to his viewers. Monstruosus caught up with Benji oneafternoon and got some insight into his process and how he brings plants to life in his home.

Tell us about your early days of being interested in plants, what did you learn from your father about planting, and horticulture?

I learned how to be resourceful from him. Being an immigrant, and having parents who are farmers, they were very resourceful in what they do. For example, when I need to stake and tie a plant, I know how to fashion a tie and stake from whatever’s lying around. And I also learned how to plant from him: I always just observed him and that’s how I learned how to care for plants.

He was just mostly into outdoor gardening. But I was also able to connect with my dad after I left home because we had this shared interest in plants. Growing up, my dad and I didn't really have a super close relationship, so now I feel like we've gotten a lot closer because we have this similar interest.

How did you begin your interest in houseplants?

I got my start with plants as just a plant hoarder, where I would stick any plant wherever I could. My main interest was just on the growth of the plants, but over the past couple of years, I started shifting my mindset more towards styling, and how I can incorporate them beautifully into my home. What’s important is the plant and pot pairing. If you get the right pot for a plant, it can completely change the way it looks. There has to be enough space for the plant, and you also need the right lighting conditions. It does get a little bit difficult when you're trying to style with them long term

How do you go about styling your plants? What goes into it?

I'm more of a go-with-the-flow type of person. I think that translates to how I approach styling plants. Normally, I start with a ceramic pot, and then from there I think, "This plant has this deep red color. What colors work well with red?” I could do maybe a black, or a tan-ish cream. I just try it. I'll stick the plant in the pot, and then I'll give it a little look. "Okay, are the proportions good? Do the colors match?Are the tones right? Do they complement each other?"

Then I'll plant it, and then, I'll think of the top dressing. Normally, the top dressing comes last. I also think, "Will this top dressing compliment the plant and the pot?" It's a process that isn't super rigid, and sometimes, I have difficulty explaining myself while I'm doing it, but I do my best to explain the thought process on my YouTube videos. I think my audience responds to it because they can see my process in action.

You have a background in art. Does this expertise make it into your process with planting?

I would consider them sculptures in a way, because I am also thinking about their silhouette, and how they sit in the space, and how they sit in the space three-dimensionally. They do look sculptural if you present them in a way that is sculptural, and that is a way that people describe certain plants a lot. There's also this guy in Los Angeles, and he calls his creations “botanical sculptures,” which I've always thought was a little bit funny sounding, but if he calls them that, I can call what I do botanical sculptures as well.

What’s your home in California like?

My partner and I found this house in northeast Los Angeles, and it's just full of character. It’s got beautiful windows in the living room. The kitchen is so unique, with windows that wrap around the sink. When you're standing at the sink, it just doesn't even feel like you're inside, because there's just windows all around you. It was amazing to be able to find a place like this, because I felt like I could really cultivate my creativity with my plants, but also, my interest in interior decorating.

How do you bring houseplants into your home?

I like to elevate my plants. I wouldn't want to put a medium or a small sized plant on the ground. I would like to have it elevated in some way, with a pedestal. Groupings are important, too. If you have three plants, you can group them together, and create more of a focal point moment. You don't want them to all look the same, so you would get shapes that complement each other. Maybe one vertical plant that has some height to it, and then a fluffy, shrubby plant, to soften the lines. Maybe for the third plant, you could have a plant that hangs a little bit, like a vining plant or something, or just a small little cactus that's more compact.

Tell us a little bit more about the community that you discovered because of your explorations in house plants.

I lived in Santa Cruz for a bit, and I would always be going to the local plant shops there. I became friends with the owners, and it was fun to be able to chat with them and their regular customers that I would run into regularly. And online, I built a community on Instagram and TikTok where I was able to share my plants, document them, and talk about them with people who shared my same interests.

What have you learned from other people in your community?

You can't really find official information online for certain houseplants, because a lot of the plants that we are growing are traded amongst hobbyists, and not really cultivated for a mass market. Interestingly, the most commonly available research for normal people is for plants that produce income. For example, marijuana growers, they have so much information online, because you can make a lot of money from it.

For houseplants, a lot of what’s available is through people's shared experiences. People will share on social media and online anecdotally: "Oh, my conditions at my house, my temperature is this, my humidity is this, and I grow my plant in this kind of soil." Then we try each other's methods, and it’s a group experiment to figure out what works. We share tips and knowledge, and sometimes, there’s a botanist who joins the group, and people have such a reverence towards them, because they're the expert. I think the main thing about the community is sharing tips and process.