Houseplants clean the air, make you happy and calm you down. Now, there’s another reason to love ’em. 

They’ll recharge your smartphone. 

The Bioo (“be-oh”) Lite, developed by Barcelona-based Arkyne Technologies, provides up to three charges day or night by tapping into the greenest energy around – literally. The plant pot uses advanced technology to harness photosynthesis, the energy produced by a simple houseplant, for electricity.

When your smartphone, tablet or e-book needs to be charged, turn to your pothos, fiddleleaf fig or dieffenbachia nestled in a Bioo Lite. 

As you may not completely recall from high school biology, plants quietly sit around converting sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into chemical energy – oxygen and organic compounds that the plant uses for energy. Bacteria contained in a “biological battery” in the base of the Bioo container break up some of these compounds, releasing electrons.

Electrons travel along a wire to a simple 5V 1A USB charging port that sits on the surface of the soil disguised as a decorative rock. Plug your phone cable into the rock. SHAZAM! 

Leaves are your new solar panels.

The Bioo Lite can accommodate any houseplant. All that’s required is to place the plant into the Bioo Lite and make sure to water it. 

By far the most frequent and noticeable need for electricity is for charging mobile devices such as cell phones and tablets. Between frequent use and energy-gobbling apps, some of us charge devices twice a day. Although there are small-scale, sustainable methods of producing energy that are both accessible and affordable, devices like solar chargers aren’t always practical simply because it isn’t always sunny. 

The Bioo Lite has doubly exceeded its funding goal on Indiegogo but green thumbs can still donate to secure a pot for themselves. They cost about $112 plus shipping, which is about 20 percent under the retail price, and are expected to ship as early as December of this year. 

Whether you want to lessen your electricity bill or your carbon footprint, the Bioo Lite is new technology to get excited about. Just don’t forget to water the plant.