By RAVINA PATEL
Staff Writer

Plant Nanny, a health and fitness app by FourDesire, was released on September 26, 2013. FourDesire has also created Walkr, Doggii Pro and Daily Yoga, though Plant Nanny remains its most popular product. Plant Nanny is an interactive plant growing app that encourages healthy living. The app manages water intake and displays the user’s daily progress with an ever growing plant. The more water consumed, the taller the plant grows. Users have the option of downloading FourDesire’s other apps to receive benefits for their plants.
Upon downloading the app, users are asked to provide their weight in either pounds or kilograms and how much physical activity they do on average. The app then calculates how much water the user should drink and presents the user with a virtual plant to care for. The app measures the amount of water drunk in milliliters or ounces.
Users who satisfy the designated amount of water gain one level for each day the necessary amount of water is met. If the user does not drink enough water for a consecutive number of days, the plant dies.  After a certain number of levels (depending on the plant,) the plant grows to its maximum size and can be added to an in-app garden.
After growing the first plant, users are offered different types of flowers to grow. The app sends notifications throughout the day to encourage and remind users to drink water. The app can be connected to Facebook to share progress and pictures of the growing plant with friends.
The app features seeds as a form of currency. Users begin with one seed, and can collect more by watching video advertisements. In the “Flower Shop,” users can download new types of plants to grow or buy new flower pots by redeeming seeds. In-app purchases are also available to buy plants, flower pots and the water of life, which make plants grow more quickly.
Stuti Gohil (Sr.) said, “I discovered the app through Tumblr and I thought it was really interesting so I got it. I think it’s so cute, and every time you drink water, your plant grows, and it’s a creative idea to make something we all struggle to do a little more fun.”
With four and a half stars in the App Store based on over 7,600 reviews and a high rank as a Health and Fitness app, Plant Nanny has proven very popular. By caring for a plant, users are encouraged to drink more water in a fun and creative way.