With the spring season comes pretty flowers, pollen and exams, but this spring, a new club comes to USC.
The Gamecock Orchid and Houseplant Club is one of the few organizations on campus focusing on tricks and tips to care for plants as a college student, first-year pre-business student and club president Morgan Joye said.
The organization's name includes the orchid, which Joye said is his favorite flower.
Joye hosted the first meeting of the Gamecock Orchid and Houseplant Club on April 8 in room 401 of the Close-Hipp building at 7 p.m.
Joye said he started the club on his own, with his immediate friends supporting him. He took the initiative to form an organization that focused on providing the resources for students looking into growing plants, which is a fun and relaxing hobby, he said.
"I think (the club) does something very valuable, where it brings the outside space indoors," Joye said. "So the ability to bring a piece of nature and a piece of natural beauty inside and having a group of people to admire that, that’s not something I’ve seen at any other clubs."
When Joye first arrived in USC in the fall, he had no luck finding many geared towards his specific interest, he said.
“There were clubs for vegetarians and stuff like that ... but nothing for actually growing plants,” Joye said, “So that was (what) kind of inspired me to kind of take the first step and create the resource for other people.”
To create the club, Joye communicated with people from the Leadership and Service Center, created a club constitution and got together students who were interested, he said.
The organization is a good place for those interesting in learning about the natural beauty of plants or searching for resources about plant care, Joye said.
Club members Marcus Lazea, a first-year civil engineering student and Nic Medina a first-year finance student, said they joined the club to support Joye.
"He's been telling me a lot about his plants, and it's made me a little more interested," Medina said. "So, I figured I'd come and see what it is all about."
Houseplants displayed on a table at the first meeting of the Gamecock Orchid and Houseplant Club on April 8, 2025 in the Close-Hipp building. The new club aims to cultivate and appreciate orchids and other houseplants.
One activity in the organization is the plant show and tell, where members can bring up to three of their plants and talk about them, Joye said. The show and tell features a variety of plants, and students can learn about the stark differences between the growth, physical characteristics and care needs of different plants he said.
Lazea said owning plants is also reflective of one's personality and provides opportunities to stand out from others.
“You can use (plants) to show off your personality,” Lazea said. “You can have different types of plants, like your own type of plants that other people wouldn’t (have). It’s just a way to showcase who you are as a person.”
There can be challenges around the plant-growing hobby, said Joye. Having these plant show and tell events teaches members what works for their plants and what doesn't, and gives them the opportunity to learn how to care for different types of plants, he said.
Joye said orchids are a challenge to take care of and can die easily when they are not watered a certain way. They are also air plants and can grow and attach themselves to other items such as trees, this means they have to be repotted and their roots cut. However, these challenges that caring for an orchid brings also makes Joye appreciate the flower more.
As the club is only starting, Joye said there are many exciting plans coming soon as the club develops. He wants to bring workshops, seed starting and speakers to the club.
Joye said even if some future members do not own many or any plants of their own, they can still learn about tips for other species of plants from their fellow members. He said that it is a way for members to see a variety of plants without owning many themselves.
Joye also said he will hold an election process for the other club officer titles in the future.
"This is my first year here, (I'm) hoping to continue the club all four years that I'm here," Joye said.
The Gamecock Orchid and Houseplant Club does not have a set club meeting time or location set up yet. However, students can keep up to date with events and plans through the club's Garnet Gate, Instagram @gamecockorchidandplantsand GroupMe.