Your Mom Will Love These Mother’s Day Gift-Worthy Plants
We agree that placing an annual bouquet order for Mother’s Day is easy. But just because it's tough to beat the convenience of delivered-to-her-doorstep blooms at the click of a button doesn’t mean it’s the best option available. If you and your ma are feeling some flower fatigue this year, then shake things up on May 8 by gifting a plant instead — because while those stem-cut blossoms wither, these potted plants will continue to survive and thrive.
In addition to their longer lifespan (and gift-span), these leafy green friends also come in a wide variety of species, shapes, sizes, and care levels that make them easily customizable to match your mom’s personality quirks and lifestyle habits. Taking the vast garden of options into account, we crafted a streamlined guide of bestselling plants to help with making your Mother’s Day gifting decision.
Scroll on to see all the lush centerpieces, miniature trees, and heart-shaped succulents that will add some greenery to your mom’s life.
Scroll on to see all the lush centerpieces, miniature trees, and heart-shaped succulents that will add some greenery to your mom’s life.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Hoya Hearts
Why She’ll Love It
This duo of heart-shaped succulents is actually rooted leaves cut from the Hoya Kerri plant. Planted in a sleek concrete pot, it will serve as a sweet little reminder to mom of just how much you love her.
Care
Place these little love-plants in either bright indirect light or full sunshine and water when soil is completely dry and it starts to wrinkle.
Shop The Bouqs Co.
The Bouqs Desert Love Hoya Hearts, $44.00, available at The Bouqs.
Stromanthe Triostar
Why She’ll Love It
For the mom who loves a pop of pink, the visually stunning, magenta-leaved Stromanthe Triostar is the perfect gift.
Care
Find a spot in medium to bright indirect light (not direct sun) and water every one to two weeks, allowing the soil to dry out about halfway before re-watering.
Shop The Sill
The Sill Stromanthe Triostar, $64.00, available at The Sill.
Yellow Grafted Cactus
Why She’ll Love It
If your mom vibes with pretty but a little prickly, then this sunshine-hued cactus garden packaged in a paper-crafted planter box (with special Mother's Day messaging) is on her same wavelength.
Care
Place in bright indirect or direct sunlight and take care to water once a week (or when soil is completely dry).
Shop Lula's Garden
Lula's Garden Ever Garden for Mother's Day, $44.00, available at Lula's Garden.
Donkey Tail Hanging Succulent
Why She’ll Love It
This highly-coveted plant is one of the more unique-looking succulents we've come across — similar to the beloved String of Pearls, but just a bit zanier.
Care
It's described as easy to grow and maintain — requiring only filtered to bright light along with well-drained soil.
Shop LilyParadiseFlowers on Etsy
LilyParadiseFlowers 6” Hanging Sedum Burrito Donkey Tail Rare Succulent Live Hanging Plant, $28.00, available at Etsy.
String Of Pearls
Why She’ll Love It
The succulent strands from this luminously-named plant grow longer over time with TLC.
Care
These beauties need of bright but not direct light exposure with well-drained soil that is allowed to dry out completely between waterings.
Shop Dose of Succulents on Etsy
DoseofSucculents String of Pearls plant string of peas - 6'' Pot, $18.00, available at Etsy.
White Orchid
Why She’ll Love It
Orchids aren't the unofficial mom-plant mascot for nothing — these flowering plants are lovely, serene, and provide long-lasting blooms with proper care.
Care
This beauty thrives in soft, indirect sunlight with a weekly three-cube ice watering and a climate temperature between 65 to 85 degrees.
Shop Plants.com
Plants.com Small Phalaenopsis Orchid: White, $54.99, available at Plants.com.
Air Plant
Why She’ll Love It
This jumbo-sized air plant comes packaged in a painted ceramic planter for an extra-special gifting flourish.
Care
Airplants can be placed wherever your heart desires and just require a quick water-mist two to three times per week.
Shop UrbanStems
Urbanstems The Cathy Airplant, $50.00, available at Urbanstems.
Monstera Deliciosa
Why She’ll Love It
Pair this on-trend houseplant in a blush-pink ceramic pot with a “Plant Mom” tote for the ultimate green thumb gift set.
Care
Monsteras love bright indirect to medium light, and thrive when watered every one to two weeks and fully dried out soil in between.
Shop The Sill
The Sill Monstera Deliciosa, $58.00, available at The Sill; The Sill Plant Mom Tote Bag, $16.00, available at The Sill.
String Of Succulents Trio
Why She’ll Love It
For moms who like to mix it up, a unique collection of three string-variety succulents planted in matching pots.
Care
This eye-catching trio requires a mix of bright, indirect or full, direct sunlight with limited watering only when the soil is completely dry.
Shop Bloomscape
Bloomscape String of Succulents Collection, $87.00 $69.00, available at Bloomscape.
Pink Anthurium
Why She’ll Love It
Not only are Anthuriums the world’s longest-flowering houseplant with each pink bloom lasting up to eight weeks at a time, but this particular one also comes potted in a sweet and simple ceramic planter.
Care
Let this pink lady bask in any indirect light (from medium to bright) with a solid watering every one to two weeks, allowing the soil to completely dry out in between. Oh, and she likes a little extra humidity.
Shop The Sill
The Sill Pink Anthurium Plant, $68.00, available at The Sill.
Lavender Plant
Why She’ll Love It
This beauty is like an inexpensive trip to the south of France. It’s also delightful aromatic and will fill her home with a sweet and calming aroma.
Care
You’ll want to keep this plant in direct sunlight and away from your furry friends — lavender is great for people, but not so much for pooches. Lavender plants can enjoy long periods of time outdoors during warmer months.
Shop Bloomscape
Bloomscape Lavender Tree, $65.00, available at Bloomscape.
Croton Petra
Why She’ll Love It
For the bold and beautiful moms out there, this statement-making top-seller is exotic gifting gold with its multi-colored leaves and moss-ball planter.
Care
This leafy-green stunner is described as requiring “a bit of extra care to flourish” — plenty of bright sunlight, moderate temperatures, and regular watering when the soil dries up.
Shop KodamaForest
KodamaForest Croton Petra Kokedama In Moss-Ball Planter, $25.00, available at Etsy.
Hedgehog Aloe
Why She’ll Love It
Beauty and wellness-loving moms will adore this fruitful aloe plant in its chic midnight-blue pot.
Care
A famously easy-to-care-for plant that needs bright or indirect sunlight in moderate temps with watering when soil is dry to the touch.
Shop Bloomscape
Bloomscape Hedgehog Aloe, $39.00, available at Bloomscape.
Snake Plant (Mother-In-Law’s Tongue)
Why She’ll Love It
On top of its tongue-in-cheek name, this popular, eye-catching plant is notoriously hard to kill.
Care
Place in anything from direct to indirect sunlight, allowing the soil to completely dry between watering.
Shop UrbanStems
Urban Stems The Cairo Snake Plant, $80.00, available at Urban Stems.
Monthly Plant Subscription
Why She’ll Love It
If your mom has a major green thumb (or budding plant passion), then enrolling her in this reader-popular medium plant subscription is approved gifting gold.
Care
This recurring service delivers one new easy-care plant and ceramic planter, per month.
Shop The Sill
The Sill Classic Plant Subscription, $60.00, available at The Sill.
