Yahoo Movies The 16 Best Places to Buy Plants Online of 2023
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Based on our extensive internal survey.
Real Simple
Fact checked by Shereen Jegtvig
Decorating with plants is an easy way to bring color, life, and brightness to your home. And since shopping for plants online is pretty easy nowadays, you can update your space with some new greenery without leaving the house.
Buying plants online allows you “to purchase rare plants at a fairly reasonable price that are not readily available in your nearest shop,” says Melvin Cubian, resident botanist at PlantIn, a plant care app. “Plus, it is a more effortless and hassle-free transaction.”
To find the best places to buy plants online, we surveyed 34 people on our team and asked them to evaluate the sites they use to buy plants, considering factors like plant selection, shipping and delivery options, return policies, and customer service. In addition to Cubian, we also spoke with Alfred Palomares, vice president of merchandising at 1-800-Flowers.com, for expert insight on plant shopping.
The Sill
The Sill
What Stands Out
The Sill has a nicely curated collection of live and faux plants that come with free shipping.
What Could Be Improved
The plants are on the higher price end.
Out of 34 responses, eight people mentioned shopping from The Sill—the most out of any other retailers. The Sill sells live plants, faux plants, flowers, home decor, and plant care products. You can sort by size, pet-friendliness, light tolerance, and ease of care, or get matched with a plant through an online quiz. For those who like to see their plants in real life, The Sill also has retail shops in California, Illinois, Maryland, and New York. Our survey respondents found the site very easy to navigate and the plants to be on the more expensive side, but high quality.
In addition to buying plants, you can also take online or in-person workshops on skills like plant care and potting. For frequent plant buyers, The Sill has a rewards program where you can earn one point for every dollar spent and enjoy benefits such as access to events, birthday gifts, exclusive sales, and more.
There is a good selection of plants and planters (though not all have drainage holes). Overall, we found the site easy to navigate, which made plant buying and troubleshooting easy. Plus, each page has plenty of information about plant care and what to do if your plant shows signs of being unhappy.
Price Range: $30-$278 | Shipping: Free standard shipping on all online orders | Return Policy: 30 days for damaged plants only
Bloomscape
Bloomscape
What Stands Out
Bloomscape provides guidance for beginners or people who don’t know what kind of plants they want.
What Could Be Improved
Most plants come with planters so you can’t just get the plant alone.
Bloomscape had the second highest number of responses in our survey. The brand allows you to sort your plant options based on different preferences. You can filter the options by indoor light (low light to direct sunlight), size, difficulty, pet-friendliness, color, price, and more. In addition to plants, you can pick up pots, tools, supplies, and accessories. If you’re looking to gift a plant, you can get recommendations for occasions such as housewarming parties, birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations. Each plant comes with individualized care tips to ensure it thrives in its new home.
Our survey respondents said the site is very user-friendly and has a good variety of plants (there are also new plants added regularly). Plus, they loved the fact that you can filter by light needs, difficulty, and pet-friendliness. The plant instructions are also helpful for beginners.
Price Range: $39-$600 | Shipping: Free shipping on orders over $150 | Return Policy: 30 days for damaged plants only
Amazon
Amazon
What Stands Out
Amazon scores high on the convenience factor.
What Could Be Improved
The plant selection is harder to navigate.
You’d be hard-pressed to not find something on Amazon, and that goes for live plants, too. The plant options on Amazon are plentiful, and you can spend an entire day browsing through indoor plants, outdoor plants, faux plants, succulents, air plants, and more. However, our survey respondents mentioned it was difficult to find specific plants, since the search results can be all over the place, and the care info about each plant is not consistent across product listings.
All of our survey respondents purchased plants from Costa Farms, a Florida-based farm that sells on Amazon as well as on its own website and a range of other online retailers. One of the benefits of buying plants on Amazon is that, if you already are a Prime member, many plants qualify for free Prime shipping, so you can go ahead and add that houseplant to your next restock of household items.
Price Range: $4-$395 | Shipping: Varies based on seller | Return Policy: Varies based on seller
Etsy
Etsy
What Stands Out
Etsy has a wide range of plants, from common to rare varieties.
What Could Be Improved
Selection, prices, and policies all vary by seller, so you have to do your research.
Etsy has active sellers all over the world, and its plant collection includes houseplants, succulents and cacti, air plants, flowers, bonsai, trees, herbs, and grasses. The selection is vast, so it’s best to read seller reviews or have some idea of what you’re looking for. You can get single plants, succulent cuttings, and everything in between. And while you’re on Etsy, you can also pick up a hand-painted pot and other decor to accompany your new plants.
Our survey respondents noted that because Etsy is a marketplace, experiences can be very different depending on the vendor. For example, one vendor's plants arrived in immaculate condition, and were extremely well-packaged, vibrant, and thrived after being sold. Another vendor's plants were clearly sick and diseased, and quickly died. You can read the user reviews to try to vet different vendors before buying. Etsy shops that came recommended in our survey were The Green Escape, American Plant Exchange, and The Odd Frond.
Price Range: $1-$25,000 | Shipping: Varies by seller | Return Policy: Varies by seller
Plants.com
Plants.com
What Stands Out
It has a wide selection of plants of all sizes at reasonable prices.
What Could Be Improved
Most of the available plants are indoor ones.
As the name suggests, Plants.com is really all about plants. You can buy houseplants, floor plants, succulents, outdoor plants, flowering plants, hanging plants, tropical plants, herbs, trees, and bonsai. If you’re looking for something to fill a particular room in the house, the site has recommendations for your kitchen, bedroom, living room, and office.
Other fun features on the site allow you to shop for plants to improve feng shui in your home or plants based on your zodiac sign, as selected by an expert astrologer. Just keep in mind that the selection of outdoor plants is quite limited. But, we found the prices to be lower than some other plant sites, and there is an entire section for gifting, which makes it easy for special occasions.
Price Range: $30-$145 | Shipping: Free standard shipping on orders over $75 | Return Policy: 30 days for damaged plants
Easyplant
Easyplant
What Stands Out
Every plant comes with a self-watering pot, and all orders ship free.
What Could Be Improved
You can’t buy the pots separately.
For those who find plant upkeep difficult, Easyplant makes it simple to own a plant, and more importantly, keep it alive. All the plants come with self-watering pots designed for indoor use. The pots have a hidden reservoir that delivers water to the plant’s roots, and only have to be refilled about once a month. Our respondents found the plants to be on the pricier side, but the pots to be extremely convenient, especially for people who have a hard time remembering to water their plants.
You can choose between small, medium, large, and huge (e.g. fiddle leaf fig) plants, or collections that include a few different plants. The pots come in a variety of different colors and are made of ceramic or a blend of melamine and sustainable bamboo fiber.
Price Range: $49-$249 | Shipping: Free on all orders | Return Policy: 90 days for damaged plants
UrbanStems
Urbanstems
What Stands Out
UrbanStems provides fun and unique plants for gifting or any occasion.
What Could Be Improved
The selection is more limited.
Plants make great gifts, and UrbanStems makes gifting them an easy process. While the brand is better known for its flower delivery, it also has a small but good selection of plants, all of which come with cute and stylish planters that are made for gifting. UrbanStems works directly with Rainforest Alliance Certified farms to source its flowers and plants, and all plants come pre-potted and are immediately ready to be put on a table and shown off.
Options vary by location and time of year, so the inventory is always changing. People in DC, New York City, and Los Angeles can take advantage of same-day hand delivery, while nationwide delivery is available to the 48 contiguous states. Whether you’re looking for congratulations, thank you, a birthday, or just because present, UrbanStems has options galore.
Price Range: Under $30-$118 | Shipping: Varies based on location | Return Policy: 3 days for damaged plants
Home Depot
Home Depot
What Stands Out
Home Depot has garden experts to help you buy the right plants.
What Could Be Improved
The online shopping experience is more bare bones.
Home Depot is the go-to place for home improvement, and what better way to upgrade your space than by adding some greenery? The indoor plant selection at Home Depot includes everything from bonsai trees to pothos plants, so you can find something suited to your home.
You can sort by non-flowering and flowering plants, mature height and width, light requirements, and other features (drought tolerant, dog/cat safe). There are also garden experts you can speak to if you’re not sure what you want.
Price Range: $11-$186 | Shipping: Free shipping; in-store pickup and curbside pickup available | Return Policy: No returns; replacements are available within 3 days
Plant Proper
Plant Proper
What Stands Out
Plant Proper grows and ships its own plants, so it has reasonable prices and high-quality plants.
What Could Be Improved
The inventory includes mainly small to medium-sized plants.
Plant Proper has its own nursery in Florida, where it grows a variety of different plants. Plants are then shipped safely and carefully to your door in packaging that can be reused and recycled. Our respondents said that not only are the prices great, but the plants are also delivered in excellent condition.
The site also has lots of sales (weekend, one-hour, etc.) so you can often find a fantastic deal on plants. You can filter your plant search by light, water, and care requirements, and you can also pick up accessories like potting soil and perlite. The site also carries plants that are more rare, and if any plant goes out of stock you can sign up on a waitlist to be notified when it’s back.
Price Range: $12-$45 | Shipping: Varies by address | Return Policy: No returns or exchanges; replacement possible within 24 hours of receiving a damaged plant
Mountain Crest Gardens
Mountain Crest Gardens
What Stands Out
It’s an especially great place to buy succulents.
What Could Be Improved
The site has a more limited selection of houseplants.
If you’re in the market for some succulents, then you’ll want to check out Mountain Crest Gardens. The family-owned nursery is based in northern California and has over 1,000 varieties of succulents, so you can find cacti, colorful options, and rare and unique succulents from around the world. If you have a hard time choosing, you can buy one of the variety packs; our respondents said that you’ll often even get higher-priced or extra succulents in these sets. For succulent enthusiasts, you can also sign up for the subscription box and receive up to five succulents and a mystery bonus plan monthly.
The succulents are packaged well and arrive in good condition, and you can also order a handful of different houseplants.
Price Range: $3-$130 | Shipping: Free for orders over $45 | Return Policy: 14 days for damaged plants
Horti
Horti
What Stands Out
Horti offers subscriptions so you can continuously get new plants.
What Could Be Improved
The pot options are limited (only terracotta is available).
Horti is a plant subscription service that even beginners can appreciate. You can choose among month-to-month, six-month, 12-month, and six-month rare plant subscriptions. A quarterly subscription that ships every three months is also available. Horti eases you into your plant journey, starting with hard-to-kill plants and adding more unique species over time. You can specify if you’re new to planting, looking for something pet-friendly, or interested in Horti’s picks. You can skip or cancel subscriptions, or order plants ad hoc as well. With each plant you can decide if you just want a grow pot or upgrade to a terracotta pot and saucer.
We found the plants to be well packaged, and they even survived being on their side in the mail room for a day or two. The terracotta pots are durable and stylish, and each plant comes with care instructions to help you get started. The website also has an AI plant doctor to help answer all your plant questions.
Price Range: $18-$156 for individual plants | Shipping: Shipping costs are included in 6 and 12 month subscription plans; $10.50 per month for month-to-month and quarterly plans | Return Policy: 15 days for replacements
White Flower Farm
White Flower Farm
What Stands Out
White Flower Farm has a team of true plant experts and great customer service.
What Could Be Improved
The plants are more expensive.
White Flower Farm is a family-owned nursery in Connecticut that has been around since 1950, and its staff is made up of professional or amateur horticulturalists to ensure high-quality plants are grown and sold. You can buy plants for gardening (e.g. perennials, flowers, and shrubs), indoor plants, decor, and gifts.
Our respondents said the plants are pricey, but you are paying for deep history, knowledge, customer support, and high-quality plants. The website has helpful information, and care tips are included when your plants arrive.
Price Range: $29-$265 | Shipping: Starts at $11 | Return Policy: 12-month guarantee on garden plants
Great Garden Plants
Great Garden Plants
What Stands Out
It helps you decide the best plants based on your region.
What Could Be Improved
It only sells outdoor plants.
Great Garden Plants has options whether you’re looking for a 3-inch pot or a gallon outdoor plant, or something in between. But even better, the site filters your plant selection by your zip code (if you live in the US and Canada), so you can make sure your new plants will thrive in your neighborhood based on their hardiness. The plants also ship at the best time for them to be planted, according to their hardiness zone
Our respondents noticed their plants came quickly and were packaged and cared for well, arriving in excellent condition. The site also has helpful tips on planting and gardening to help you prepare before your plants arrive.
Price Range: $12-$30 | Shipping: Free for orders over $100 | Return Policy: Varies based on time of year; spring and summer plants have a 60-day guarantee; all orders placed after September 1 are guaranteed until May 31
Plant Addicts
Plant Addicts
What Stands Out
It sells good quality plants, both indoor and outdoor, that are shipped with care.
What Could Be Improved
You may have to wait a little while for delivery depending on the plants you choose and seasonal shipping guidelines.
In addition to common houseplants (monstera, philodendron, calathea, etc.), Plant Addicts also sells bushes, perennials, trees, edible plants (fruits, vegetables, herbs), and garden decor. You can specify your growing zone to get a more customized selection to choose from.
The plants are individually wrapped in paper or plastic and shipped in custom-formulated boxes to make sure they arrive safely to you. Our respondents mentioned that plants arrived in good condition even when being shipped halfway across the country during the summer.
Plant Addicts does have seasonal shipping guidelines and may delay shipments if the plants aren’t ready to be planted, or if the weather is too hot. Our respondents experienced the latter, and had to wait a couple of weeks before receiving some plants, so some planning ahead is suggested.
Price Range: $10-$160 | Shipping: Rates start at $12.49 and vary based on order amount | Return Policy: 3 days for damaged plants or incorrect orders
Prairie Moon Nursery
Prairie Moon Nursery
What Stands Out
It sells a variety of native plants and seed mixes.
What Could Be Improved
The site is designed for larger scale planting and gardening projects.
For those interested in gardening wild, native plants, Prairie Moon Nursery sells both seeds and plants, with growers across the midwest offering over 700 North American species. You can shop for bare root plants, potted plants, and seed packs to grow wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, trees, and more. To give all your plants the maximum opportunity for success, you can also find numerous how-to guides on the website, including how to plant and care for potted plants and how to grow a prairie.
Price Range: $3-$600 | Shipping: Starts at $9; free on seed orders $100 | Return Policy: Plants and custom-designed seed mixes are non-returnable and non-refundable
Pigment
Pigment
What Stands Out
Pigment has a nice collection of plants in design-forward planters.
What Could Be Improved
It’s not a plant-first site; it’s a design store that offers plants.
Pigment started as an art gallery in San Diego, and has since expanded to include additional merchandise like plants. It sells houseplants, dried florals, cacti, succulents, air plants, and plant accessories, in addition to home decor and gifts—plus, it has a terrarium bar in store for workshops and events.
Survey respondents found that the ordering process was simple, there was a great selection of plants, and plants were wrapped with care before arriving in great condition. You can find plant care info on the website or by calling the store directly.
Price Range: $5-$99 | Shipping: Varies by area | Return Policy: 5 days for damaged plants
Our Testing Process
We surveyed 34 people on our team to get their opinions about and experiences buying plants online. The survey asked questions about where they bought plants and what kinds of plants they purchased, as well as each retailer’s online selection and return policy. We also asked questions about the delivery process, the condition of the plants upon arrival, and whether they would purchase from the retailer again. Out of 34 responses, 20 unique retailers and 45 different plant purchases were mentioned. More than 58 percent of respondents said their plants arrived in excellent condition, while 79 percent of respondents said that they would purchase plants from the same retailer again.
How to Shop for Plants Online Like a Pro
Plant Types
You can shop for any indoor or outdoor plant from the comfort of your home, and most retailers offer a selection that appeals to different preferences and lifestyles. Many sites will help narrow your choices with filters around the size of your space, how much light you get, and how much care you want to put into your plants. And if you want someone to do the guesswork for you, some retailers have online quizzes that recommend specific plants based on your answers.
Because shopping online doesn’t allow you to see your plant ahead of time, there are a few things to consider when picking your stems. Alfred Palomares, vice president of merchandising at 1-800-Flowers.com, suggests answering a few questions ahead of time to help guide your decision:
Do you have time to tend to plants? Some plants require a lot more work than others. If you’re going to have trouble squeezing in time for your greenery, a low-maintenance option is probably the best bet.
Do you have some experience as a plant parent? Or are you willing to learn about plant care? If not, you should look for beginner-friendly plants that are easier to take care of.
How big is your living space? If you live in a small home or apartment and don’t have enough space for a floor or table-sized plant, Palomares suggests a hanging plant.
Do you have any pets or children? “Some plants are not pet- or child-friendly and should be kept out of reach, as they could be toxic or cause irritation if ingested,” he says.
What type of environment do you live in? Depending on temperature and humidity, different plants will thrive more. For example, Palomares says succulents do well in dry climates, the calathea rattlesnake will be happy in a room with higher humidity, and an olive tree will make a good backyard addition if it gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer.
Delivery Options
Shipping a plant is trickier than shipping regular products, but most retailers can ship your plant within a few days of receiving the order. For any sites with fresh flower bouquets, you can usually find an expedited shipping option for an additional charge. Shipping costs vary by plant type and size, and if you reach a minimum order value, some places will waive the fee. Not all plant retailers ship outside the contiguous 48 states, or may not ship every plant to your location, so check the shipping FAQs before you order.
Return Policy
Most retailers don’t allow for returns, exchanges, or refunds unless your plant is damaged in transit, and in those cases, you usually need to send a photo as proof within a few days of delivery. However, there is often some type of guarantee to ensure you’re happy with your new purchase—for example, big retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s offer guarantees on select live plants for up to a year.
Customer Service
Plant retailers often have good customer support options, whether it's through email, chat, or a phone call. Many can help you handle any concerns with shipping, delivery, or general questions. Some sites also have plant experts that you can tap for any questions on caring for your plant collection.
Sustainable Practices
Before adding any plants to your cart, Melvin Cubian, resident botanist at PlantIn, recommends looking at whether a site is authorized or licensed to sell plants locally and internationally. “Usually, there is a strict protocol to meet to avoid spreading plant diseases and pests that can be a massive blow to the local agricultural industry and native flora if accidentally introduced, which you don't want to happen,” he says. “Also, check how they propagate plants; if they employ a sustainable practice (propagating plants with seeds, cuttings, tissue culture, etc.) rather than poaching exotic botanic life from the wild.”
Questions You Might Ask
What are the pros and cons of buying plants online?
It’s hard to beat the convenience of buying plants online, as you can get access to a wide variety of plants without leaving your home. Most online plant shops have additional information on how to pick and care for plants, so it makes owning plants accessible to beginners in addition to more seasoned plant owners.
However, since you can’t see or inspect the plants themselves, you are at the whim of what the website says. You should be “wary of fake plant sellers, and avoid falling easily into traps like blemish-free plant photos,” says Cubian. Shipping on plants can also take a toll on plant health. For example, even with authentic plant dealers, “plants may arrive so stressed and need some long recovery time, some fungal diseases may have developed during the shipment, or insects may come with the plants,” he says.
Why are plants so expensive to buy online?
Plants can vary in price due to size and type, and you’re also playing for the service of someone else growing and caring for plants up to the point where they are shipped to you. Maintaining a wide selection of plants can be costly in terms of land, water, soil, and more. In addition, shipping something live and delicate like plants requires special packaging and speediness to ensure they arrive in good condition across the country.
How can you tell if an online plant seller has high-quality plants?
Before adding an item to your online cart, scour through the internet for third-party reviews instead of just relying on the website to determine quality, advises Cubian. For example, look for a repeated pattern of customers reporting plants arriving in healthy condition and still thriving weeks or months after purchase. Other things to look for include detailed information about the types of plants available for sale, and some kind of guarantee policy (e.g., replacement or refund if plants arrive damaged).
Take Our Word for It
This article was written by Lesley Chen, a contributing writer for Real Simple who covers commerce, home, and lifestyle stories. To compile this list, she thoroughly researched places to buy plants and rounded up the best options based on selection, shipping and delivery options, return policies, and customer service. For expert advice, Lesley spoke to Alfred Palomares, vice president of merchandising at 1-800-Flowers.com, and Melvin Cubian, resident botanist at PlantIn, a plant care app.
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