This $59 Alexa-shaped, dirt-free planter will help you not kill your plants and has raked in over $5.2 million on Kickstarter — here's how it works

The Terraplanter uses a ceramic structure with pores that hold water and slowly "feeds" your plant over time.
It's also reusable when you want to replace your plant with another, you can simply peel it off of the planter.
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For many of us cooped up indoors during the pandemic, we're turning to houseplants for some much needed companionship and for something to do.

An inside-out hyodroponic planter that currently has over $5 million in pledges on Kickstarter could one day help with that. The Terraplanter grows your plants on its external frame rather than inside of it, and it only uses water no soil or dirt.

It basically is a huge help for those without green thumbs and lowers the chance that your plant will turn into a dreary, wilted mess on the windowsill. It also happens to resemble another device designed to make your life easier: Amazon's cylindrical Alexa assistant, as Yanko Design writes.

A company spokesperson told Business Insider in an email that the resemblance wasn't intentional, but it's something they're leaning into now.

Here's how it works.

The team behind the Terraplanter consists of industrial designer Eran Zarhi and entrepreneur Elad Burko, the founder and CEO of Paperwallet, another Kickstarter project.

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Terraplanter

Source: Paperwallet

You can choose from a variety of plants like grass, chia, orchids, moss, or even a Venus flytrap to grow on the planter.

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Terraplanter

Source: Terraplanter

You "plant," or place, the seeds into the pores on the outside of the planter.

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Terraplanter

Source: Terraplanter

The planter uses what is known as hydroponic methods, meaning it grows your plant with only water and without dirt or soil.

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Terraplanter

Source: Yanko Design

A water bank sits at the top this is where you refill it periodically.

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Terraplanter

The planter itself is made of a proprietary ceramic material, and the structure is porous.

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Terraplanter

The porous structure allows water to slowly be distributed to the external frame, whose cells hold the water and "feed" the plant whenever it needs to drink.

That means you don't have to water it as often, according to the company , which could increase the odds that your plant will survive.

The roots slowly latch onto the surface and adopt the shape of the planter's form over time.

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Terraplanter

Besides fitting the seeds into the pores of the planter, there are other ways to position your plant on the planter.

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Terraplanter

You can use rubber bands to mount the plant onto it or wrap the branches of a climbing plant around it.

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Terraplanter

The planter is reusable, so if you want to replace a plant with another, simply peel it off.

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Terraplanter

The Terraplanter currently has nearly $5.2 million pledged on Kickstarter. Its original goal was $20,000.

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Terraplanter

There are 44,713 people backing the project.

There are a handful of different rewards for the Kickstarter campaign depending on the pledge made.

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Terraplanter

But there aren't many left there are currently only 22 left out of over 16,000 for the early bird price of $59.

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Terraplanter

The estimated delivery time is October 2020. You can view the Kickstarter campaign here.