Mummie Plants is short for “mummified plants”. Yes, as in the Ancient Egyptian practice. Except without the linen wrapping! Mummie Plants are created using age-old preservation techniques and are the brainchild of Holland’s Maurits Hildering. It all started with Maurits noticing a gap in the business market for cost-effective planting. Ordinary plants require so much TLC and expensive maintenance. What if a plant could be created that could happily survive indpendently, without any expert care?
20 years R&D later, Maurits has created a range of indoor “super plants” by preserving their leaves and trunks. After years of lab testing and indoor trials, several species have proven ideal for long-term preservation. Maurits’ research has resulted in a collection of indoor plants and grasses that thrive without light, heat, water, food or pesticides. Plants that are guaranteed to last – and generate lasting returns. Demand for Mummie Plants is rocketing in Maurits’ native Netherlands as facilities managers realise they can have natural-looking plants without any of the associated maintenance costs. Now, for the first time, Mummie Plants are available in Ireland.
So how is a Mummie Plant created?
Imagine taking a plant apart then putting it back together in a way that makes it better for business use. In effect, that’s how a Mummie Plant is created. 1. You harvest the leaves and trunk of peak-condition plants. 2. You discard the roots as the plant will no longer need water. 3. You carefully preserve each leaf plus the trunk. 4. You reassemble the plant in made-to-order designs and sizes.
Though Mummie Plants are formed from a variety of species all undergo the same scientific preservation process. The original plants are selected from nurseries in the Middle East, South America and Europe depending on species. The leaves of these select plants are then harvested at the peak of their life and treated with a eco-friendly fluid that replaces the moisture within the leaf.
The preservation time for plants varies according to size and species. It can take between 4 days to 3 weeks in the correct temperature and humidity for the Mummie Plant to be created. Once preserved the leaves are reattached onto the trunk and mounted into the customer’s choice of container. The result: A Mummie Plant – a fresh healthy plant that will never require water, light or costly maintenance.
Who is using Mummie Plants?
Mummie Plants have become very popular in Dutch businesses as management seek to save on interior planting costs. Large organisations such as Scotch & Soda, BP, Rabobank, and Schiphol Airport are all reaping the financial and brand-image benefits of maintenance free planting. Now it is the turn of the Irish market to take advantage.
