Inside Christina Ricci’s Fear of Houseplants—’It Just Freaks Me Out’
Nothing says the ’90s quite like Christina Ricci’s big hazel eyes. The actor came into her own at a very young age and quickly became one of the most recognizable faces of the decade. She survived child stardom and hasn’t stopped acting. Although her natural genre has always been horror, that doesn’t mean Ricci is fearless. She may know how to strike fear in others, but she has her own fears, just like everyone else. According to Nicki Swift, Ricci is afraid of something most people have in their homes.
Christina Ricci is more than Wednesday Addams
Ricci had a starring role in Mermaids at just 8 years old. Most people dream about acting with the likes of Cher and Winona Ryder for their entire lives, and Ricci did it before she even hit double digits. But her most notable childhood role is probably that of Wednesday Addams in the live-action version of The Addams Family.
Playing a well-established character like Wednesday Addams is no easy feat. Yet Ricci made it her own, to the point where she’s probably the most recognizable Wednesday of all the previous versions of the character. But even in the early days, she was more than just Wednesday Addams. According to IMDb, Ricci dominated the silver screen in the 1990s with lead roles in Casper, Bastard Out of Carolina, That Darn Cat, Buffalo 66, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Ricci’s career didn’t end when she grew up. Some of her most recent roles include two different roles as murderess Lizzie Borden, in Lizzie Borden Took an Ax, and The Lizzie Borden Chronicles. Ricci is no stranger to fearsome characters, but what she fears most may surprise you.
Christina Ricci is afraid of houseplants
According to an interview with Esquire, Ricci experiences Botanophobia—the fear of plants. In Ricci’s case, she has a specific fear of houseplants. She doesn’t like seeing plants inside and thinks they’re dirty. “If I have to touch one, after already being repulsed by the fact that there is a plant indoors, then it just freaks me out,” she reportedly told British Esquire.
That’s not Ricci’s only fear. She also won’t get into a swimming pool alone. Not because she’s afraid of drowning with no one to save her. It’s because of the sharks. That’s right, Ricci is afraid that sharks will somehow infiltrate a swimming pool and take a bite out of her while she’s taking a dip. There’s no name for that kind of fear. Ricci may be the only person who experiences it.
Botanophobia is a real thing
According to Gardening Know How, botanophobia is a real thing, although there’s not much data on what causes it and how many people may have it. There are other plant-related phobias out there too, like anthophobia, which is the fear of flowers. As far as anyone knows, botanophobia is caused by the same things that cause other phobias. Usually, that means childhood trauma or other superstitions.
Ricci may have actually gotten over her fear of plants. Since the interview with Esquire, she has had pictures of her living space posted on various forums. Fans noticed houseplants lurking in the background of some of her pictures, suggesting that she may not be afraid anymore. Or at least, she’s dealing with her fear for the sake of home decor.
Like many stars, Ricci often posts pics of her home on her Instagram feed. There don’t seem to be any houseplants in sight in her home photos, but there are many pictures with flowers in vases. It seems that her botanophobia doesn’t extend to fresh-cut flowers. There are also plenty of pictures of empty swimming pools, but Ricci isn’t in them.
