Ostensibly, plant lovers should be the easiest to shop for. Just get them a plant, right?
Wrong. (Well, most of the time.) I review indoor hydroponic gardens for WIRED and have been a proud plant parent for almost 30 years, so I can say that even if you have a running mental catalog of all your recipient’s houseplants and know which ones they don’t yet have, you may not know what they have space for, or what kind of substrate or pot they’d like to be using.
In general, the best gifts remind them of the plants they do have, or that will help them care for them. However, suppose you know beyond a shadow of a doubt your recipient would indeed like a plant. In that case, we’ve included a couple of mail-order options from companies we’ve tried and recommend, including a lucky jade plant and a tree that bears edible fruit.
For more gift ideas, check out our other gift guides, including Gifts for Bird Lovers, Gifts for Coworkers, Gifts for Book Lovers, and the Best Flower Delivery Services.
Updated December 2025: We’ve added new gifts from LetPot and Ferry-Morse, and ensured up-to-date links and prices.