Amazon just upgraded Alexa with a new plant-care expertise skill and smart home routine. These additions can do everything from explaining how to care for your specific potted pals to automatically adjusting your smart lights or smart thermostat to help them grow. Simply start by saying, “Alexa, be my plant whisperer” to have your Echo device quietly share positive affirmations to your house plants.
Starting today (May 22), you can now ask Alexa more than 35 new questions ranging from "How much light does my Aloe Vera need?" to "how often should I repot my peace lily?" Amazon worked with TV botanist James Wong (best known for the series "Secrets of Your Food" for the non-Brits like myself) to curate answers for the most frequently asked questions and create a new routine.
An Alexa routine can automate most of the plant care; it's especially handy if you don't have a green thumb. Just enter the Routines section of the Alexa app to find the new plant-based routine in the Featured category.
The new routine will remind you to water your plants, automatically turn your smart lights on and off on a schedule, adjust your temperature, talk to your plant, and then play a plant-friendly music playlist to encourage growth. The update also deeply expands Alexa's knowledge of plant types and ways to care for them.
Here's the full list of plant care questions Alexa can answer at launch:
Plant Whisperer is accessible from any Alexa device. This new feature looks to be super helpful as we head into summer, and it's got the potential to be one of the best Alexa skills. Extending Alexa's help to create a greener environment can definitely help it achieve that in our book.
