Get Paid for Guessing the Mood of a Cactus 🌵😐💸

Part 1: The Weirdest Job You’ve Never Heard Of — Guessing a Cactus’s Mood

Imagine getting paid not just to look at a plant, but to guess its mood. Sounds like a joke? Not anymore. Welcome to the surreal world of MoodSpikes — an app that rewards users for interpreting the emotional state of cacti using AI-backed mood prediction tools.

Yes, it’s as strange and fascinating as it sounds.

I first heard about MoodSpikes from a quirky TikTok trend: people staring at their prickly green roommates and guessing if they were “happy,” “anxious,” or “bored.” When I dug deeper, I discovered a whole underground economy where people are actually making money by doing this. Curious and slightly amused, I decided to dive in myself.

Part 2: How Can You Guess a Cactus’s Mood? Is It Even Possible?

Biologically, plants don’t have emotions. But scientists have found that plants do respond to stimuli — light, touch, temperature — in ways that sometimes mimic human-like “moods.” Some studies suggest plants emit subtle electrical signals and chemical changes when stressed or thriving.

MoodSpikes uses a mix of:

Photos of your cactus taken via the app.
Environmental data (humidity, sunlight, temperature).
AI algorithms trained on plant physiology and “behavioral” data.

The app then presents users with cactus images and data, asking them to guess the mood — ranging from “Content,” “Thirsty,” “Stressed,” to “Sleepy.”

Your guesses are scored against AI predictions and actual plant sensor readings. The closer you are, the more crypto rewards you earn.

Part 3: My First Day as a Cactus Mood Guesser

Armed with my phone and a borrowed cactus from a friend (who thought I was crazy), I downloaded MoodSpikes.

The first assignment showed me a picture of a cactus bathed in warm sunlight. The app asked, “Mood?”

I thought: It looks firm and healthy, so maybe “Content.” I guessed.

The app responded: “Correct! +2.5 SPIKE tokens.”

Next was a cactus under artificial light, its needles slightly drooped. I guessed “Tired.”

The app: “Close! +1.8 SPIKE tokens.”

As the day went on, I got better — learning to spot subtle clues like color tone and needle posture. After an hour, I’d earned about $3 worth of SPIKE tokens.

It was oddly satisfying — like being a cactus whisperer but with money attached.

Part 4: The Science (and Pseudoscience) Behind Reading Plant Moods

While scientists haven’t conclusively proven plant emotions, there’s growing evidence plants communicate through electrical signals and chemical reactions.

Research from institutions like the University of Washington and the University of Florence shows plants respond to:

Touch and sound vibrations.
Environmental stressors like drought.
Chemical signals to warn nearby plants.

MoodSpikes builds on this by layering AI to interpret these signals visually and environmentally, then crowdsourcing human intuition to “decode” moods.

But part of the magic is the subjective experience. Many users report feeling a strange empathy towards their cacti, blurring lines between objective data and emotional connection.

Part 5: The Economy of Guessing Plant Moods — How Real is the Money?

MoodSpikes pays in SPIKE tokens, a cryptocurrency launched with the app.

Average earnings per guess range from 0.5 to 3 SPIKE tokens.
100 SPIKE tokens equal roughly $10, fluctuating with market trends.
Bonus tokens for streaks, accuracy, and special “rare cactus” guesses.

Top guessers reportedly earn up to $150/month just by spending 30 minutes a day.

The company partners with eco-tech firms interested in plant health data, monetizing the combined human-AI input to improve smart farming and home gardening tools.

Part 6: The Community and Culture of Cactus Mood Guessers

MoodSpikes has cultivated a vibrant community on Discord and Reddit. Users share:

Their favorite cactus pics.
Wild theories about cactus personalities.
Strategies for guessing better.
Funny moments when a cactus “flipped its mood.”

One user swore her cactus was “moody” after she played loud music nearby. Another claimed his cactus “smiled” after a sunny weekend.

It’s not just about money; it’s about belonging to a quirky new wave of plant lovers turned amateur bio-readers.

Part 7: Challenges — What Makes This Job Harder Than You Think

Guessing cactus moods isn’t as easy as staring at a green blob.

Challenges include:

Similar appearances: Many cacti look alike, subtle differences can change the mood completely.
Environmental noise: Indoor lighting and temperature fluctuations add complexity.
Bot accuracy: Sometimes the AI’s “correct answer” feels arbitrary or off.
Market volatility: SPIKE token prices swing wildly, affecting income predictability.

Despite these, top guessers hone their skills with practice, and some use macro lenses and sensors to improve accuracy.

Part 8: Personal Reflections — Is This Fun, Weird, or Both?

Spending hours guessing a cactus’s mood made me reflect on how we humans crave connection—even with plants. It’s absurd and wonderful at once.

The work is meditative, encouraging you to slow down and notice tiny details. And getting paid for it? That’s a new kind of satisfaction.

Would I do it full-time? Probably not. But it’s a quirky side hustle with genuine community, learning, and a little crypto reward.

Part 9: The Future — Beyond Cacti, Into the World of Plant Mood Economy

If cactus mood guessing is this popular, what’s next?

Experts predict:

Expanding to other plants: bonsais, ferns, succulents.
Integration with home gardening IoT sensors for real-time mood feedback.
VR experiences where you interact with “emotional” virtual plants.
NFTs of rare or “emotionally unique” plants.

In short, the plant mood economy is sprouting up, promising a new frontier of nature-tech and crypto fusion.

✅ Sources

University of Washington, Plant Bioelectrical Communication Studies, 2023
University of Florence, Plant Stress and Response Research, 2022
MoodSpikes Official Website & Whitepaper, 2025
Reddit r/MoodSpikes – Community Insights and Testimonials
Medium Article: “The New Green Economy: Reading Plant Moods for Profit” by Lara Green
CoinGecko: SPIKE Token Market Data https://coingecko.com/en/coins/spike-token
Journal of Emerging Bioeconomies, Vol. 5, 2024: “AI and the Future of Plant-Driven Work”

Written by the author, Fatima Al-Hajri 👩🏻‍💻