The Urban Sprout publishes practical houseplant information. This page explains the standards we are using as we update the archive and add new guides.
Research and sources
Care advice should connect a recommendation to a plant, a growing context, and a reason. We prioritize university extension services, botanical organizations, original research, and relevant product instructions. Pet-toxicity articles use veterinary poison-control sources and identify plants by their botanical names.
Sources can disagree or leave a question unresolved. In those cases, we explain the uncertainty rather than turn a plausible idea into a guaranteed result. General plant information cannot diagnose an individual pet’s exposure.
Experience and product recommendations
We do not invent growing trials, measurements, credentials, or personal experiences. When an article describes a hands-on test, it should say what was tested and under what conditions. A researched comparison should be identified as such.
Corrections and updates
Substantive revisions include an update note in the article. We retain useful existing URLs and explain significant corrections. An updated date means the content changed; it does not mean a new experiment was performed. The older archive is being reviewed in stages.
AI assistance and images
AI tools assist with research, drafting, editing, and site maintenance. Generated claims still need checking against sources. AI output is not evidence of a plant experiment, a professional qualification, or a product test.
Some images are generated illustrations. We label these when they could be mistaken for documentary photographs. Illustrations show a concept or setup; they are not records of an actual trial. Existing photographs are retained where they fit the article.
Affiliate links
Some links are affiliate links. The Urban Sprout may receive a commission on qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. Affiliate disclosures should appear where readers encounter recommendations, and paid links should be marked appropriately for search engines.
Prices, availability, and products can change. A working link does not prove that a product is the best choice for every reader. We are reviewing older buying guides and affiliate destinations as part of the site’s return.
Report a concern
Please use the contact page to report a factual error, broken link, or unclear disclosure. Include the article URL and the passage or link involved.
Published September 8, 2026.