Several plant shops and businesses in Greater Boston offer virtual houseplant care and troubleshooting consultations. These appointments allow plant owners to talk one-on-one with a houseplant expert — or “plant whisperer” — about their questions and concerns.

“I’m thinking about [plant whispering] in the way that there’s a horse whisperer or a dog whisperer. Somebody who has a real affinity and understanding for the thing they’re working with,” Joelle Renstrom said.

Renstrom writes a blog for Maison Green, a business that offers a range of residential and corporate houseplant services, including virtual care, in the Boston area. She said plant whisperers want to stop the spread of misinformation about how to keep your leafy loved ones alive.

“You Google enough things, you convince yourself [your plant’s] got some rare virus and that all your plants are going to get it and die,” Renstrom said.

Quontay Turner, who owns Emerald City Plant Shop in Norwood, believes it’s a lack of accessible and reputable resources that pushes owners to seek out reliable help. “[These services] have been super helpful, and people like to have an outlet for learning and being walked through solutions,” she said. “One of our taglines is ‘Once you get a plant from us, you have a lifetime support of plant care.’” Turner added that her business would still diagnose a plant even if the owner purchased it from a different store.

Plant care consultations are generally charged according to the call’s length. For example, Maison Green’s service starts at $80 for an hour; a 15-minute virtual visit with Micro Plant Studio is offered at a base price of $48.

As “telehealth” appointments rose in popularity during the pandemic, teleconsulting for other “care” industries, like veterinary and fitness services, also grew. Likewise, the plant care specialists interviewed said they began offering virtual consultations in 2020 to meet demand. The need to beautify our isolated spaces and pick up hobbies made the public a little “plant happy.” The National Gardening Association reported that American consumers spent $2 billion on houseplants and their accessories in 2021. Many found themselves surrounded by new plants with little information about how to keep them thriving.

Renstrom started to see people posting in Facebook groups asking for plant advice, but each post received several contradictory responses.

“[Video consultations] cut a lot of the noise of people guessing what to do. You can really pinpoint experts faster… it’s like, ‘great, I just found my needle in the haystack to get the answer to this one question,’” Renstrom said.

Still, there are setbacks to utilizing a virtual service in such a hands-on industry.

“A certain piece of my assessment can’t be done [through a screen]‚” said Sarah Connor, Maison Green’s founder. “For example, I physically can’t touch the soil and see how it feels or look under the leaves.”

“But those limitations can actually help plant owners ask better questions … [like] ‘What should I be feeling for? Are there any tactile indications of things going wrong?’” said Renstrom. “I can’t tell that virtually, but I can direct you to feel for it.”

Turner said the consultants will also take the layout and location of the plants — e.g. how far from the window they are — into account when offering advice.

“I find people wind up completely rearranging their house,” she said. “That’s not something you can really do coming into the shop.”

The consultants agreed the most common issues can be attributed to watering. Connor said she can usually tell right away whether somebody is an over- or under-waterer and will help them develop a routine based on their habits and lifestyle.

Sometimes, that could just be keeping a watering can beside their plants as a physical reminder. Connor also suggested “clustering” multiple plants together to quench their thirst all in one go.

Román said he considers his clients’ careers when providing advice. “People that over-water are usually people who work in social services [like] nurses. They’re used to caring for something, and they like to pour a lot of love,” he explained.

For many paranoid plant parents, the opportunity to have expert advice just a call away is soothing.

“Sometimes it’s just, ‘Tell me if this is something I should be worrying about at all, or if this is normal… and I can go to sleep,’” Renstrom explained.

Connor noted the services can sometimes veer toward the customer, as well. “A lot of times I’m just validating people that your plants are meant to be a source of joy and relaxation for you… if you find yourself feeling this anxious about it, forgive yourself,” Connor said. “If it doesn’t thrive or dies, we will learn from that and move forward with it.”

A 2020 OnePoll survey of 2,000 millennials found that their average respondent has killed seven indoor plants in their lifetime, and 67 percent said houseplant care was “more of a challenge than they bargained for.”

Connor noticed most of her clients book for plants they are emotionally attached to, particularly plants purchased for those grieving a loss, like orchids and peace lilies (which Connor said are quite difficult to care for.)

“‘This plant is connected to the memory of my lost loved one so I’m very attached to it, but I didn’t necessarily buy this plant for myself… I don’t know how to care for it,’” she said, recalling customers’ concerns.

“Even though I’ve been a plant owner for years, I still struggle with giving my plants the proper amount of water,” wrote Jolie Chan of South Boston in an email to the Globe. She had received personalized instructions from Micro Plant Studio for her houseplant collection.

Román asked her about her home layout, such as her access to light. “In the city, you have to remember there are tall buildings, and the light is blocked,” Román said. “[This] really affects the overall plant health.”

“Generic advice doesn’t always apply because there are so many conditions that factor into keeping houseplants healthy,” Chan wrote. “[Román] gave me tips on how to keep up with my plant care so I could feel more confident doing it on my own.”

Brynn O’Connor is a writer based in Boston.