Whether you’re looking for a Monstera Deliciosa, Philodendron Birkin or anything in between, there are a few places I always look when I’m ready to make these types of purchases.
What are good places to buy indoor plants?
To find out what would be a “good” place for you, ask yourself:
- Does the price of the houseplant matter to me?
- Do I need advice from store employees on what plant to buy?
- Is the health of the plant important?
- What do I consider a “good selection” to be?
- Do I need a store that offers many sizes of houseplants?
- Do I want to support local stores?
Chain Retail Stores
If you are solely looking at price, places like IKEA are great, as are Home Depot and Lowes (and similar stores). Their plants are generally inexpensive, and they offer a variety of palms, hanging plants, and other typical houseplants.
These places (typically) do not have staff that are knowledge about houseplants beyond their training-they will not tell you, for example, that buying a Majesty Palm is a bad idea (they are super cheap, but typically die within 3-12 months as they are very demanding houseplants (but easy to grow outside in Florida!).
Sometimes I find these for a steal of a deal, but I’ve also seen them way overpriced. If you’re going to buy at a big box store it would serve you well to do a quick google search before purchasing to make sure the price is right.
PROS FOR CHAIN STORES
Easy Access: A lot of us live in areas where these stores are on every corner. It can be very easy for us just to swing by after work and check the plant section for a gem. Plus, most of us are already visiting these stores for other necessities so it takes very little extra time to stop by.
CONS FOR CHAIN STORES
Poor Quality: Big box stores like Walmart, Target or even Home Depot and Lowes do not usually have staff that are properly trained to care for specialty houseplants. For that reason, these plants are sometimes in poor shape when I bring them home. But usually they can be perked back up with a little bit of TLC.
Local Nurseries
If you are looking for knowledgeable staff, or an improved selection–both in variety of species and size/age of plants–this is a great option. I now live in a suburb of a big city, so I have many local stores to chose from, and I think this is why the prices are better.
Grocery Stores
Avoid them. Their plants are typically much more expensive than all your alternatives, and their staff is usually clueless (unless they happened to hire someone who likes plants). It might be convenient while you are shopping, but avoid it if you can.
Below you’ll find a list of places I turn to when I get the urge to buy another plant. Some of these are online sources that can be delivered straight to your door while others take a bit more hard work to search out. But before we get started, a few words to the wise:
Facebook Groups & Plant Swaps
If you are not lucky enough to have a few friends who will share a cutting with you, I have good news: The internet is full of them. In today’s connected age, there are giant communities of people online who love houseplants and are happy to share them with others.
There are groups all over facebook of people who like to talk about plants, show off their collection, and share their clippings. Search your facebook group tab for house plant groups.
There are also plant swaps that take place in person around the globe. If you’re interested in an in person meetup, check your local newspaper as well as sites like meetup.com to find groups in your area. I also monitor social media for #plantswap to see what I can find.
PROS FOR GROUP AND SWAPS
Make Friends: Houseplants + people who love houseplants = a win win situation. Not only can you score a clippings, but you can also share yours with others and make friends while doing it.
CONS FOR GROUP AND SWAPS
Overpopulation: Some of the Facebook groups I’m a part of have such active members that posts about sharing clippings are bombarded with requests. In a first come first serve situation, you have to be in the right place at the right time to get a clipping or a plant you really want.
The online World
If you’re looking for indoor houseplants, there are lots of websites where you can buy quality plants and have them delivered.
I live in a rural area of the USA, so I buy almost all of my indoor plants online. I’ve had great success with the websites I use. The plants arrive well-packaged and in good condition.
If you’re in a cold area, I recommend you purchase a heat pack with your plants, or ask the shop you’re buying from if they include them.
This will really help to keep your plants warm during their time in transit. Also make sure to choose a shipping method that will be the shortest (and affordable) time in transit – you wouldn’t want a plant sitting in a dark box for over a week. Using USPS Priority Mail usually gets your plants to you within 2–3 days and is very affordable.
Where to Buy Indoor Houseplants Online
Many people are surprised that you can order indoor (and outdoor) plants online and have them shipped to you. You might be surprised at just how many nurseries and plant growers sell online. Here are some of my favorite places for houseplants. See below for more details about each place.
TIP: All the plants featured here were available at the time of this article. These plants tend to sell quickly! If you see a plant you like (either featured here or in the shop links below), don’t think about it for too long or you could miss out!
Etsy
The first place I look for unique and trendy house plants is usually Etsy. Etsy is full of sellers who have cuttings, pups, and full-grown plants in as many varieties as you can possibly imagine, including some very rare finds.
Etsy is a marketplace for individual shops. That means when you make a purchase on Etsy, you are buying from an individual, not from Etsy itself. There are no Etsy warehouses. Each item is created, curated, and shipped by shop owners around the globe. Etsy is the common site that brings them all together.
For this reason, you’ll need to check the reviews of the “shop” you want to purchase from. If a plant shop has lots of good reviews from happy customers, I say go for it! I’ve bought some beauties on Etsy and have been really happy with most of my purchases. Specifically, I’ve had a great experience with FloridaPlantsGardens.
PROS FOR ETSY
Tons of Options: Nearly any houseplant that you are looking for can be found at any time on Etsy, especially if you are willing to take a cutting. There are so many sellers on the platform that it is rare to find a plant out of stock.
Rare Finds: There are plants on Etsy that I could only dream of seeing in person, and if you’re willing to pay for them, they can be yours! When you’re in the market for a very specific plant, Etsy is almost always your best option.
CONS FOR ETSY
Shipping Issues: Shipping a plant through the mail is a bit of a risk. Sometimes plants get dried out, sometimes they’re overly wet from the way they are packaged, and sometimes they just get handled too roughly by the postman. If your seller packages their plants exceptionally, this won’t be a problem. If they don’t, it can be a bit uncertain.
Price: I’ve seen plants on Etsy for very reasonable prices. But I’ve also seen them extremely high. Especially when it comes to rarer finds (think variegated Monstera Deliciosa) the prices are astronomical. If you can find a small local seller who has what you want in your hometown, you can usually get the item for cheaper from them.
Poor Quality from Some Sellers: Buying a plant online without first seeing it can be risky – especially when you’re buying it from an individual seller on a platform like Etsy. Even after reading tons of reviews, I sometimes still get a less-than-amazing plant. WIth platforms like Etsy, you don’t always know what you’re going to get. That is why sometimes, I turn to the big dogs for more consistent plants.
Florida Plants Gardens
The FloridaPlantsGardens on Etsy is a source for fun and unique houseplants. I purchased an Arrowhead plant from this shop and was very happy with the size of the plant and the quality of the plant. It was packaged very well and was shipped quickly. I look forward to purchasing from this shop again.
Here’s a quick sample of the plants you can find at this shop.
American Plant Exchange
The American Plant Exchange is another shop on Etsy that has high quality houseplants. I just received my latest order and was very happy with how the plants were packaged. They have a very nice selection of houseplants available, and their prices are very affordable.
Here’s a quick sample of the plants you can find at this shop.
Pretty in Green
The shop Pretty in Green is another Etsy shop with beautiful houseplants. They are located in California and ship throughout the US. Their selection of house plants changes often, and the plants are large and very healthy. I’m sure you’ll find a few favorites at this shop.
Here is a nice selection from this shop.
Amazon
I’ve purchased quite a few houseplants from Amazon, and have been really happy with the plants I’ve received. I also really like that you can shop for planters and potting soil at the same time as plants. If you have Amazon Prime, you can find houseplants that ship within 2 days for free.
TIP: Many third-party shops sell houseplants on Amazon. Make sure you check comparison prices on these plants. While they may ship free on Amazon, the shipping price is often rolled in to the plant price. If you purchase directly from the shop (not through Amazon), you can sometimes find better prices.
While I never would have thought a few years back that we would be buying plants on Amazon, here we are, and honestly I am not upset about it. When searching for specific houseplants, Amazon is often one of Google’s top search results.
There are lots of individual sellers on Amazon and when ordering from them I would always check the reviews first. Costa Farms is a large seller both on Amazon and in stores. I’ve had good experiences with them and I trust their plants. But I always check reviews when it comes from a brand I don’t know.
PROS FOR AMAZON
Quick & Free Delivery with Prime: I hate to pay for shipping. Even though I completely understand that things cost money to be mailed, it’s always a bummer to get to your cart and realize that your plant is going to cost $10-$20 more than you expected because of shipping fees. If you already have Amazon Prime, buying plants from Amazon is a great way around that.Cons:
CONS FOR AMAZON
Inconsistency Among Sellers: Amazon is made up of tons and tons of independent third party sellers who use the platform to reach Amazon’s customer base. Unfortunately, these sellers are not always held to high standards and the products can be disappointing. Always always always check the reviews for the product and the seller before buying a house plant on Amazon.
Here are some of my favorites from Amazon.
