Our top ten easy-care plants to give as gifts

Christmas plants

Photo by @smartplanthome

These days it seems like everyone is getting into houseplants. Whether it's due to spending more time indoors and wanting to reconnect with nature or the influx of plant collectors in the social media landscape, houseplants are back in a big way and we are loving it!

While it’s natural to want to share your new or old love for plants with your friends and family not everyone has thumbs as green as yours. So here is a list of some easy plants to give as gifts this holiday season. As a bonus, some even bloom to make a great alternative to giving cut flowers or orchids.

 

Photo by @_theleafylife
1. Pilea Peperomioides. They call this the friendship plant because it makes babies that are easily propagated to share with your friends. These charming plants grow really quickly in bright, indirect light and are pet-safe.

 


2. Snake plants. These plants are one of the easiest plants to take care of because they thrive on neglect. The only way to kill them is by giving them too much water. They will thrive in almost any lighting from bright indirect light to lower light settings. This makes them ideal gifts for housewarming gifts where you don't know the type of lighting that the gift recipient has. Snake plants come in a wide variety of sizes, colours and forms. While not pet-safe, their low light tolerance does mean that they can be tucked away and out of reach.

Photo by @laurenkolyn_studio
3. ZZ plant. This plant requires the least amount of maintenance of any houseplant. Like snake plants, the only way to kill it is to over-water it. They say if you water your ZZ plant more than you pay your mortgage it is too much. They will take any range of lighting except prolonged direct sunlight - perfect for basement apartments! ZZ plants grow slowly so buy it the size you want it to be. ZZ plants are not pet-safe.


Photo by @jungleofcats


4. Christmas Cactus. This jungle cactus blooms every year around the holidays and makes for a show-stopping gift! Place in medium to bright, indirect light and water when the soil is dry down to 1” from the surface. Pet-safe!

Photo by @lagunflowers

5. Bromeliad. A relative of the pineapple, these tropical plants come in a huge variety of sizes, shapes and colours. They get beautiful blooms in bright colours that last for several months, making them a great alternative to orchids. Pet safe and great for medium light.

Photo by @laurenkolyn_studio

6. Peperomia. Peperomias are like succulents that don't need bright light. They come in such a large variety of colours and shapes that there is truly a peperomia for everybody. They like to dry out down to about an inch from the soil's surface between waterings. Peperomias are pet-safe.

Photo by @succs.and.cacts

7. Succulents and cacti. Great low maintenance plants for your friends with sunny window sills. They come in a variety of colours, geometrical shapes, and sizes. These plants don't need much water, probably only once a month. Some succulents are pet-safe.

Photo by @the.vintage.green

8. Aglaonema. Also known as Chinese evergreens, aglaonema are all about the leaves. These plants come in a huge variety of colours from greens to reds to yellows and are a wonderful alternative to poinsettia. They're always featured on lists of plants that can tolerate lower light, so they're great to add some colour to a low-light room. Not safe for pets.

Photo by @laurenkolyn_studio

9. Pothos. This virtually indestructible plant will grow in bright, indirect to low lighting and be very forgiving of your friend's black thumbs. Coming in a variety of colours, pothos can trail down or climb up a pole. Not safe for pets but can be put up high on shelves or cabinets out of their reach.

Photo by @emerald.houseplants

10. Norfolk Island Pine. A tropical evergreen that looks like a miniature Christmas tree and makes for a really great holiday gift. These plants need bright light and high humidity to look their best, so be sure to include a spray bottle in the gift bag. Not safe for pets. 

Now that you have a gift in mind all you need to do is get it to your friend. We are delivering across the GTA and beyond, so DM us to check for delivery windows. 

Author: Urban Gardener | Categories: Aglaonema , Bromeliad , Cactus , Christmas Cactus , Easy care plants , Gifts , Norfolk Island Pine , Peperomia , Pet-Safe , Pilea , Plant Care , Pothos , Sansevieria , Succulents , ZZ Plant



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