Where can you buy Houseplants?

Buying Houseplants Tips

Not sure where you can buy a houseplant from? Or even the best place to start your search? Well you've come to the right place.

The good news is that indoor plants are incredibly popular right now and this means you can buy and find houseplants for sale from a good many places these days. From traditional plant shops to online and multiple places in between.

There are positive and negatives to each which we will explore in the sections below.

Front of a plant shop in Wales selling houseplants

Tropigaz, a Houseplant shop in Wales (UK).

First here are a few houseplant buying tips that can be used no matter where you decide to buy from.

Inspect it.
Look for problems before buying, if badly damaged or infested with bugs pick another. Check the soil too, it should look like soil and smell neutral, if it looks disgusting or has a rotten foul smell to it, again pick another.
Take care when you buy in Winter.
If you are buying something online you don't know how the delivery company are going to store the plant over night and a cold spell or frost could be disastrous. Equally if you're picking it up from a store be careful not to keep it outdoors for too long.
A true "bargain" is rare.
In most cases the price has been reduced because something is wrong. Unless you're confident dealing with sick plants, in general it's probably best to give it a miss. If you're happy to gamble, a very cheap sick plant is sometimes still worth a punt - Be brave!
Although bargains are unusual, you can get lucky.
Plants are funny things to look at sometimes and inexperienced retail staff might discount drastically with a sale sticker thinking it's on the way out when all it actually needs is a good watering.

Other times the staff think because the blooms are fading it's another sign the plant is going south. Flowers do not last forever, but with patience and correct care they'll probably come back again.

Houseplant being sold very cheaply as it needs some TLC to bring it back to a high standard

Don't buy a plant because "it looks nice"...
... when you know you won't be able to give it the correct growing conditions in your home. It won't look nice for long if you do!
Don't buy a plant just because it has a fantastic container.
We've seen some awfully designed pots, no drainage holes, crazy shapes, full of different types all with different needs etc. The plant is the point, the container is the dressing.
Ask for help.
If you aren't sure about something or you need help it's worth asking a nearby staff member. The knowledge is often there you just need to access it. Obviously if you're shown a Peace Lily when you've asked to see an Aloe Vera smile politely and back away slowly.
You get what you pay for.
A large well grown plant may have taken years to get to that size, so basically you are paying for the space, effort and care taken to grow it. A tiny young plant for sale will almost always be cheaper than a large counterpart.

If money is an issue, go for the small plant, which will grow in your home as you do. Literally. Give it a name and treat it like a child and it could reward you with quirks and its beauty for years (if not decades) to come.

Hi, I'm Tom!

If you're like me and enjoy the challenge of growing houseplants and getting them to thrive, then Ourhouseplants can help. This website shares my knowledge and years of growing plants and provides (hopefully) helpful advice on properly caring for your indoor plant friends.

Plant's For Sale Online

This is becoming an increasingly common way to buy. It's quick, convenient and a fantastic way to get hold of rare or hard to find house plants. The clear disadvantage is that you are buying "blind" you have no idea what the actual plant they're packing up and sending to you actually looks like.

Buy from a reputable online retailer, be skeptical of any offers or "sales" sounding to good to be true and always, always, ALWAYS read the description of what you're buying. Never assume the plant in the picture is the one you're literally going to get or assume that it's truly representative of what will be sent.

The best place to quickly find rare or unusual houseplants.
Outstanding overall range.
Convenient.

With postage and packing costs to consider, it can be an expensive way to buy.
You're buying unseen.
Often inconvenient to return plants if they fail.

Examples of places to shop: - eBay, Etsy, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com (Affiliate Links)

Garden Centre and Nurseries

The Garden Centre or independent Nursery is normally a brilliant place to buy good quality houseplants.

Garden Centres often have a large selection and range of houseplants to pick and buy from

The people selling them should be knowledgeable and keen to assist you where possible, you've obviously gone there to look for a plant and they'll sell you one if possible.

The business depends on the income generated from selling each and every one of these plants and because they might have been in the shop for some time before being sold, they'll be well taken care.

Excellent quality.
Well cared for.
Advice on hand.
Usually good refund or exchange policy if plants fail.
Varied and diverse range.

Sometimes expensive.
Often located out of town and therefore not in easy walking distance.
"Bargains" and discounts can be rare.

Supermarkets

This may seem a strange place to buy houseplants, but seeing as many Supermarkets sell all kinds of things these days it probably isn't overly surprising you can find plants for sale too.

They tend to be incredibly cheap, but the range is often limited, quickly changes and the stock may not be of great quality.

Very cheap.
Bargains or deals to be had.
Usually good refund or exchange policy if plants fail.
Sometimes sold as "gifts" or "presents" so they're presented in beautiful, "ready to give" containers.

Quality can be poor.
Limited or no staff knowledge about plants.
Basic range.

High Street Plant Shop

These tend to be shops which focus almost exclusively on plants and quite often are in an area with lots of passing trade.

This shop is packed with wonderful houseplants for sale.

Their reputation is paramount to their survival and the owners have to pay heavy rents for such popular locations. With this in mind you may pay a little more than in other places, but because the expertise on hand will be exceptional they're definitely a strong contender for one of the best places to buy healthy houseplants.

The designs of the stores are often gorgeous normally demostrate that the owners have a real passion for plants and know their stuff.

Exceptional quality.
Fantastic advice and knowledge.
Will often have unusual and rare plants for sale.

Can be difficult to move large or heavy plants due to lack of nearby parking.
Not often a good place for "bargains".

High Street Department Store

An good high street store will stock a variety of well treated seasonal houseplants at inexpensive prices. However in our experience, in most department stores the plants are not the main focus of the shop, i.e. it might specialise in clothing or food and the plants are just an after thought or "add on" at the tills.

Therefore regrettably most plants in these places are not well looked after and dead or diseased plants are quite common. If you're looking for a particular plant this may not be the best place to start your search, however you could still find a good deal.

Convenient way to buy.
Reasonably priced.

Quality is normally only average at best.
Limited or no staff knowledge about plants.
Only basic range consisting of common or popular varieties.

Superstores

These chain stores often have a "garden centre" or house decoration section, which will inevitably sell houseplants.

Plants and planters for sale in a big box store.

Prices are normally fair, and the selection varied. Quality is often excellent, although the staff members may not be well trained in "plants" and the care labels attached to the pots are often generic in their instructions.

Good number of plants to choose from.
Often well looked after.
Usually good refund or exchange policy if plants fail.
Fair price.

Normally located out of town.
Limited or no staff knowledge about plants.
Only basic range of common or popular houseplants for sale.

Florist and Market Stalls

Most aspects of a Market Stall and a Florist tend to be average in terms of the range of houseplants they sell.

Due to space limitations, these places tend to be quite small spaces, or they're also selling other services or products at the same time. For example in the case of a Florist most of the space will be reserved for their cut flowers.

A Florist market store selling houseplants.

However don't let this put you off as this could still be a good spot to find more common varieties of well cared for houseplants.

Fair prices.
Convenient.
The sellers can be very knowledgeable about what they are selling.

Extremely limited range.
Can be difficult to return plants which fail.

Fetes / Fairs etc

It's quite common at Fetes / Fairs to find amateur stalls selling garden plants but you may also find ones selling home grown indoor plants too. The selection however is often very limited and you will normally only find types which are very easy for the lay person to propagate, i.e. Spider Plants.

Prices can be quite varied although often a high proportion, if not all, of the sale price will go to the very reason for holding the Fete in the first place , i.e. to a charity or a school.

Money raised is usually going to a good cause.
Good bargains can be found.

Very few house plants are sold at fates.
Quality will be unknown.

Have we missed any? Where do you buy your houseplants from? Tell us in the comments below.

About the Author

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Tom Knight

Over the last 20 years, Tom has successfully owned hundreds of houseplants and is always happy to share knowledge and lend his horticulture skills to those in need. He is the main content writer for the Ourhouseplants Team.