Botanophobia is an intense fear of plants. People with botanophobia may believe that plants are harmful or dangerous and so avoid them. Severe cases can cause symptoms of anxiety and affect daily life. Treatments include exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnosis and anti-anxiety medications.
Botanophobia is an intense fear of plants. The condition is called a specific phobia (fear). Phobia is a type of anxiety disorder.
People with botanophobia might believe that plants can harm people. Or they might worry that plants will evolve and overtake humans. They may think plants are toxic or infested with harmful germs. Or they may even falsely believe that plants will suck up all the oxygen.
People with botanophobia often go to great lengths to avoid plants, such as:
Because plants are almost everywhere, botanophobia can cause significant stress and even physical symptoms. A person with botanophobia may understand that the fear is extreme, but can’t control it.
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It’s hard knowing exactly how many people have a specific phobia, like a fear of plants. Many people may keep this fear to themselves or may not recognize they have it. We do know that about 1 in 10 American adults and 1 in 5 teenagers will deal with a specific phobia disorder at some point in their lives, though.
Botanophobia can involve fear of a specific type of plant or all plant life. The condition is also related to other specific phobias, including:
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Healthcare providers aren’t sure what causes specific phobias, such as botanophobia. But most mental health professionals believe it’s often caused by some combination of:
A person with botanophobia may panic or experience some symptoms of anxiety when they think about or encounter a plant, such as:
Botanophobia also might lead to certain behaviors, like:
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There aren’t any tests to diagnose fear of plants. Your healthcare provider can diagnose the condition based on discussions with you about:
Your healthcare provider can diagnose botanophobia if you have an intense fear of plants that:
Some people with mild botanophobia may not need treatment. But if the fear causes physical symptoms or interferes with daily life, talk to your healthcare provider.
Possible treatments include:
Because mental health professionals don’t fully understand what causes botanophobia, there’s no proven way to prevent it.
Many people with a specific fear have multiple phobias, plus other anxiety disorders such as panic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It’s important to work with your healthcare provider to manage any symptoms of the first anxiety disorder before you develop additional fears.
Many children and adolescents get over botanophobia as they grow up, but the fear may persist into adulthood.
There isn’t a cure for a specific fear such as botanophobia. But exposure therapy, often combined with other treatments, helps more than 90% of people who practice it regularly.
Many people can manage botanophobia and other specific fears. Consider working with a mental health professional and practicing techniques to manage anxiety, such as:
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Botanophobia is an intense fear of plants. It’s a type of anxiety disorder, and severe cases can cause symptoms and affect daily life. If you have botanophobia or any other specific fear, talk to your healthcare provider about treatment options.
Last reviewed on 03/25/2022.
Learn more about the Health Library and our editorial process.
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy