'Plant daddy' spends £4,000 on turning house into an oasis with over 200 species of houseplant
Cyril buys plants at least weekly (Picture: @cyrilcybernated / Jam Press)

Every on-trend house worth its salt has a couple of plants dotted around each room.

But Cyril Sontillano, 30, from Monterey, California, has a collection of over 300 in his house and 70 outdoors, and says he thinks that his plant buying habit might have become an addiction.

Cyril has spent over $5,000 (£4,056) on turning his home into a tropical oasis, with over 200 species dotted around his living space.

He has now been dubbed ’Plant Daddy’ after sharing photos of his botanical abodeonline and gaining over 92,000 followers. He makes money through his Instagram collaborations, but uses this cash to buy more plants.

'Plant daddy' spends £4,000 on turning house into an oasis with over 200 species of houseplant
He now has over 92k followers who call him a ‘plant god’ (Picture: @cyrilcybernated / Jam Press)

Cyril told Jam Press: ‘I come from generations of plant lovers and farmers and I think it’s something I’ve acquired genetically and through the upbringing and the environment I grew up in.”

‘I enjoy gardening and caring for my plants and all the creative pursuits I do which relate to it.’

'Plant daddy' spends £4,000 on turning house into an oasis with over 200 species of houseplant
Peep the humidifier that helps keep the plants moist (Picture: @cyrilcybernated / Jam Press)

The plant enthusiast said he adds to his vast plant collection weekly, buying 1-2 plants each time, but that his life as a ‘plant daddy’ can be overwhelming.

‘In a day I spend 30 mins to an hour at least just randomly spot-checking my plants and admiring new growth and flowers.

'Plant daddy' spends £4,000 on turning house into an oasis with over 200 species of houseplant
The collection also extends to outside of Cyril’s house (Picture: @cyrilcybernated / Jam Press)

‘During the weekend I spend at least 2-3 hours re-potting a plant, making moss poles, taking pictures and recording videos for my social media accounts.’

Cyril also refuses to leave town for more than a week at a time, and gets family and friends to check in on his growing babies if he does have an overnight stay somewhere else.

'Plant daddy' spends £4,000 on turning house into an oasis with over 200 species of houseplant
Some fantastic succulents (Picture: @cyrilcybernated / Jam Press)

‘Everything is on a timer including my grow lights and humidifiers and everything inside the home is monitored by a camera I control using my phone,’ he says.

‘If needed, when required I have friends who can plant sit my plant babies for me. It gets overwhelming at times.

'Plant daddy' spends £4,000 on turning house into an oasis with over 200 species of houseplant
Cyril’s cats are just as well looked after as his plants (Picture: @cyrilcybernated / Jam Press)

‘Just like any hobby, you encounter challenges such as pests or price inflation because of demand.’

Cyril, who has been called a plant god on Instagram by a follower, has high hopes for the future.

'Plant daddy' spends £4,000 on turning house into an oasis with over 200 species of houseplant
Just a man, standing in front of a fern, asking her if she needs watered (Picture: @cyrilcybernated / Jam Press)

‘I sincerely hope to continue with my passion. That my aspirations will come into fruition and create a larger positive impact among the people around me.”

‘As cliche as it may sound, I want to be a positive influence, a genuine persona that is fortunate to share his love for the arts and nature.

‘Along the way I want to improve myself to become the best version of me and maximize my potential as a creator and as an artist.’

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