The 17 Best Gifts for Plant Lovers We’d Buy Ourselves (2025)

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• A Stylish Propagation Station

  

  Mkono

  Plant Propagation Tubes

  Propagation tubes as decor is not a new concept, but not everyone has the table or shelf space for the number of tubes they need. This hanging version comes in small, medium, or large sizes, as well as your choice of wood finishes. There's also a white version with colored tubes if your recipient wanted to hang it in front of a window for a stained-glass effect. (They may want to treat the tubes with hydrogen peroxide first to avoid algae growth.)

  Pair one with a gift card to Palmstreet, an online marketplace for live plants in the vein of Etsy or Poshmark. The app's a bit cumbersome, but I had a surprisingly great time buying mystery boxes of houseplant cuttings to fill my own propagation tubes. Unwrapping each cutting was its own gift—I had no idea what specimens I was going to get, some of which ended up being quite interesting and/or rare. (Boxes average about $15 to $25.)

• For Keeping Leaves Clean and Healthy

  

  Houseplants have a tendency to gather dust, especially on high shelves or in particularly dusty areas like near a litter box. This is bad news for plant health any time, but especially so during the winter months, when leaves need as much light as they can get. If your giftee has plants with lots of long, thin leaves, like a corn plant or ponytail palm, the Goha Leaf Sweep is an invaluable tool—it features little microfiber “socks” that fit over lockable plastic tongs, so you can clean both sides of the leaves at the same time. I also like to lock it in place and use one side at a time for plants with larger leaves, like monstera or philodendron. The “sock” covers can be rotated in order to use every bit of clean surface, and are also fully machine washable.

• A Strong Grow Light

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  LetPot

  100-Watt Grow Light

  Grow lights are critical for keeping houseplants happy in winter, and I like this full-spectrum model from LetPot due to the size of its lamp (2 x 3 feet), which keeps plants and seedlings from becoming leggy, and the fact it can hang or stand. While on its stand, the light can rotate around 360 degrees to be positioned where you need it, and while it works with LetPot's app, it also sports a corded remote with buttons for adjusting the light intensity. Do note, however, that while the box says the stand can extend to 72 inches, I was only able to get it up to about 60 inches, so if you have really tall plants, you may need to go with the hanging option.

• Grow Your Own Mushrooms

  

  North Spore

  Organic Spray & Grow Mushroom Kit

  You have probably seen other brands' versions of this kit, but those are usually stored dehydrated and are only good for one fruiting, if you're lucky. North Spore's are shipped fresh, with an enclosed little squirt bottle for keeping moist (sorry), so they'll be good for multiple fruitings. My pink oyster mushroom block is about to have its third. Oyster mushrooms are typically the most beginner-friendly, and North Spore offers two different kinds—pink and blue, as well as trendy lion's mane if your recipient is a more experienced mycologist.

  Suppose your giftee loves growing mushrooms but has graduated to more challenging varieties. In that case, North Spore makes an automated monotub ($165) that can be paired with either substrate or the brand's fruiting blocks. It keeps the growing environment with the proper airflow and humidity, and I've grown so many mushrooms in mine that I've turned into a Crazy Mushroom Lady, leaving bags on neighbors' porches and chasing down acquaintances in the grocery store.

  (Note that the photo shows golden oyster mushrooms, which mycologists are investigating as a potential invasive species. North Spore says it is currently phasing out its yellow oyster mushroom kits while it works on developing a sporeless strain.)

• A Decorative Indoor Trellis

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  If your friend or loved one is supporting their vines or floppy potted plants with bendable moss poles or, worse, a jury-rigged ladder made out of duct-taped pencils (it was an emergency, OK?), treat them to one of these hand-finished, laser-cut plant supports. There are staked and modular versions, as well as coasters, wall mounts, and even a paintable peperomia leaf. I tested two—one shaped like a monstera leaf and another like a palm—and both have held up well with floppy philodendrons and occasionally over-watered soil.

• A Smart Planter for Black Thumbs

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  If your giftee loves houseplants but has a dismal track record of keeping them alive, this is the gift for them. This 7 x 8-inch smart planter, which debuted at CES 2025, takes care of your plant for you—fill the pot once a month with water and it will water the plant via little jets at the top when the sensors detect it's necessary, send you alerts through the LeafyPod app if the plant needs more light or a different temperature, and track humidity to make sure everything is optimal for the plant you've chosen. (The app will even identify your plant if you don't know what it is or what it needs.)

  Using a LeafyPod pot makes your plant “virtually impossible to kill,” according to the company's marketing, and I admit I have been impressed in my testing—I chose cuttings from a finicky inch plant I had killed twice before from overwatering, and the LeafyPod planter has kept them not only alive, but thriving and growing. Note that you can opt to purchase a LeafyPod planter alone or with a bridge if you plan on adding more LeafyPods around your house in the future.

• A Versatile Plant Stand

  

  Ferry-Morse

  Pop-up Multi-Tier Indoor Plant Stand

  As someone with a paucity of floor space, I looked far and wide for a plant stand that was reasonably priced but sturdy and practical, and had a slatted bottom that wouldn't block a floor register. This 3-foot-tall folding model fit the bill. Not only is each shelf wide enough for seed-starting trays (the package identifies it as a “seed starting station”), but the whole thing sets up in minutes without any tools or assembly, and collapses back down for storage when not in use. It's also extremely sturdy, able to hold even my heaviest pot.

• A Fun Puzzle

  

  Cavallini & Co.

  Cacti & Succulents Vintage Puzzle

  This 1,000-piece puzzle is based on a vintage botanical poster and not only looks great, it's super challenging with all the white space and similar-looking greenery. The pieces come in a drawstring fabric bag inside the giftable tube-shaped container, and there's a small poster included to help with orientation. If succulents aren't your recipient's thing, Cavallini also makes similar vintage-inspired versions with houseplants, floral specimens, a flower garden, and wildflowers.

• A Plant That Lasts Forever

  

  Lego

  Icons Succulents Building Kit

  Though this completed Lego set takes up valuable shelf or table real estate that could be open for plants, it could provide a cheery pop of color for a dark corner or area where plants might not thrive. My household has both this best-seller succulent kit and the bonsai tree ($50), which features seasonal blossoms.

• Instant Gardener

  

  Ferry-Morse

  Garden Starter Hand Tools & Tote Bag Kit

  New homeowner interested in starting a garden? Established gardener with rusty, old tools lost in the depths of the garage? Both of them will love this tote set, which has all the tools they'll need to get planting come spring, along with a sturdy, practical canvas bag with handles to hang on a wheelbarrow or tree. They'll get quality, solid-wood-handled versions of a hand cultivator, razor hoe, multi-weeder tool, garden snips, and, my personal favorite, a Hori Hori knife and trowel combo, with a ruler on the side for measuring planting depth.

• For Your Recipient—and Their Plants

  

  Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

  HoMedics

  Natura Small Plant Humidifier

  Humidity is essential for plants year-round, but particularly in winter. If your recipient lives in a dry environment, why not give them a double-duty gift—a humidifier with a planter in it! The Natura is made with recycled materials and FSC-certified bamboo, meaning the bamboo was harvested from responsibly managed forests.

  WIRED contributing reviewer Lisa Wood Shapiro tested it for our guide to the Best Humidifiers and liked that it could be filled either from the top or from the side, and that the mist spout could be rotated for customized spray directions.

• A Lucky Jade

  

  We love Urban Stems' flower delivery, but it turns out the brand also offers a selection of plant gifts that ship in just a couple of days, perfect for a housewarming or anytime gift. The Good Omen consists of a small jade succulent—thought to attract wealth and prosperity according to feng shui principles, due to its coin-shaped leaves—in an elephant-shaped planter. (Elephants are also considered good luck in many cultures.)

  It comes very carefully wrapped in stiff cardboard and foam, and the vintage-inspired, off-white planter looks even better in person than it does online. If the stems look a little mashed at first, not to worry—it will perk up in about a week. If your recipient already has a jade, Urban Stems offers orchids, cacti, ZZs, and more.

• An Indoor Garden for Herbs

  I test a lot of indoor hydroponic gardens, and this stylish little planter (read our full review here) hits the sweet spot of success and ease of use. You can grow whatever you want in the coco coir pots, which are slotted on the bottom so the roots can reach the reservoir below. When the water is empty, a dial on the side with a series of white dots shows a red dot. Fill it back up with water and the included nutrients, and the dial rolls back to the first white dot.

  I wouldn't grow anything other than herbs in here due to the light bar height (there's supposedly a setting for tomatoes and peppers, but in my experience, the yields won't be worth it in a garden of this size), but herbs it indeed does well. (It comes with basil and parsley.)

• Grow and Then Chop Your Own Herbs

  

  John Boos

  Herb Enthusiast Gift Pack

  If you know someone who's interested in growing culinary herbs but doesn't want to commit to a full garden setup, this gift set from cutting board maker John Boos & Co. could be the ticket. It includes three Kratky-method hydroponic herb-growing kits—rosemary, cilantro, and basil—along with a harvest strip tool that I loved so much I would give it as a gift on its own, a 17 x 12 x 1-inch Boos Block walnut cutting board, and a burlap farmers market bag. I admit I wasn't sure what to expect from the disconcertingly simple mason-jar herb kits from Modern Sprout, but mine are all growing successfully in a sunny kitchen window. (Albeit very slowly—make sure your giftee isn't in immediate need of a harvest.)

• A Mail-Order Fruit Tree

  

  A favorite from our guide to the Best Flower Delivery Services, Via Citrus sends approximately 2-foot-tall fruit trees in black plastic pots, fresh from Florida. Options include Meyer lemon, kumquat, and calamondin orange. We've tried them all, most recently the kumquat and Meyer lemon, the former arriving with green fruit, the latter with fragrant blossoms. They can live indoors or outdoors—WIRED reviewer Nena Farrell has had the calamondin orange living on her Southern California patio for the past year. Indoors, you'll probably need a grow light (see the one we recommend above) to keep them happy.

  Also to note, if your giftee lives in a colder area, they may see some leaf drop after a week or so due to the shock and temperature change—citrus trees are notorious for this, but leaf drop doesn't mean the tree is dying. While the kumquat dropped the bulk of its leaves within days of its arrival at my Pacific Northwest home, it still has plenty of new growth at the top. (The Meyer lemon, which arrived at the same time, did not drop any leaves.)

• For Making Compost Indoors

  

  Reencle

  Prime Electric Composter

  As seen in our guide to the Best Kitchen Composters, the Reencle Prime doesn't fully make ready-to-use compost, but it comes the closest out of any of the major brands. It functions a lot like a heated trash can—just throw your kitchen scraps in, and microbes will break them down over time into a sort of loamy mixture. When the volume of the Prime reaches the fill line, the mixture can be scooped out and added at a 1:4 ratio with potting soil, then left to cure for three weeks. After this, it can be used for both outdoor and indoor plants. Not only will it free up space in your giftee's trash can and cut down on dangerous greenhouse gas production, it will make their plants happy.

• A Splurge Showpiece

  Gardyn

  Indoor Hydroponic Garden

  This is my favorite indoor hydroponic garden. (Read my full review here.) It's pricey, and it's a pain to clean when it's time to turn over your plants, but the vertical tube design and front-mounted light bar allow the plants to grow as tall or as wide as they need to, resulting in something that looks more like a living art piece than a vegetable garden. (In just 2 square feet!) An optional subscription plan allows for guided growing through “Kelby,” an AI gardening assistant who tells you when to add water and nutrients and trim roots, and can even compile a cool time-lapse video of your current growth cycle. No green thumbs required. Gardyn just released an updated version of its smaller Studio model, the Studio 2, which has all the features of the larger garden but with half the plants, for $350 less.