Buying houseplants in the UK - a complete guide

In The Garden plant shop in West Hampstead, London.

Last Updated: 30 September 24

WIth so many places to source houseplants, it can be hard to know where to shop - and what to look for when buying in person and online.

Here’s my potted guide to buying houseplants in the UK (if you’re in the US, click here): including my buying tips for online and in person, plus my recommendations for some of the best places to shop.

Try the shortcuts below to find what you are looking for…

Online Buying Tips | In-person buying tips | Specialist online sellers | Houseplant shops to visit in person | Sustainable Sellers | Swaps, Freebies and Person-to-Person | DIY Sheds, Discount Stores and Supermarkets | Garden Centres | Specialist Nurseries | Subscription Services | Plant Societies | Seeds

Feel free to get in touch and tell me about where you buy your plants.

ONLINE BUYING TIPS

Want to hear this advice as a podcast? Listen here.

1. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Amazing deals do come up online, but generally you do get what you pay for, so if you see that rare aroid for £5, do think before you jump, because rare plants don't come cheap. Be extra suspicious and check everything out very carefully before you buy. 

2. What you see isn't always what you get. It's easy to be wowed by pictures of houseplants, but ask yourself, are the pictures showing the actual plants that will be delivered? Some sellers will put up pictures of a plant that's the eventual, fully-grown size of the plant you have ordered, rather than the size it will arrive at your door. Look for information about pot size, plant height and so on: good sellers should make it abundantly clear whether the picture next to a description is the actual plant you are buying or not. If it's a cutting, are you buying rooted or unrooted? Will the plant be sent still in the pot or bareroot? All of these factors should influence the price you are paying. If it's not clear to you from the website, ask the seller - a good seller should be upfront about all this. 

3. Check the courier. Many houseplant sellers fall down not because of anything they have done wrong, but because the delivery company they employ to get your plants to you is unreliable. Check what company your seller uses, and investigate their reputation online. Steer clear of couriers who have poor reviews that talk of parcels being flung over fences. When buying multiple plants, make sure you know whether you'll pay a flat delivery fee for all of them, or an individual fee per plant - this can add considerably to your bill! 

4. Be extra-cautious when buying from overseas. Sometimes the only place to get hold of more choice varieties is a supplier outside your home country, but think carefully before proceeding on this one. All plants imported into the UK will be subect to customs checks and will need phytosanitary certificates from the seller, which cost extra. Delivery costs can be sky-high, delivery slow, and there can be unexpected roadblocks like delays at customs. Importing plants into the UK is not without its risks, and can be very expensive, so if in doubt, leave it to the professionals. Always choose a seller that has lots of experience selling overseas.

5. Reward great service with a five-star review. The best plant sellers build their reputation on excellent customer service, so if you have had a good experience with a particular company, spread the word online and offline. 

Not Another Jungle Bedford. Photograph: Tony Le-Britton.

IN-PERSON PLANT BUYING TIPS

1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. A good houseplant shop should have trained staff on hand to tell you about their plants and advise you on what would work in your home. If they don’t - there’s not much point in spending more on a plant than you would buying from a supermarket or online.

2. Check plants closely before buying.
When it comes to the plants themselves, give them the once over and be thorough. Start by taking a look at the surface of the pot - plants that have been hanging around for weeks may develop weeds or moss. The longer a plant has been in the shop, the greater the potential for it to get stressed, so buy the newest stock if you can.  Examine the bottom of the pot, and take the rootball out of the pot if possible - if there’s a mass of roots poking out the drainage holes, it may need immediate repotting, and will already be getting more stressed. It’s also a chance to check that the roots are healthy - they should be firm rather than stringy or mushy. 

3. If plants are sat in cellophane sleeves, it’s not a good sign. The plants are likely to be denied the air circulation and the light they need to thrive and may well start to suffer with melting leaves It also looks really ugly. If you have your heart set on a plant in cellophane, it’s ideal if you can take these off before you buy so you can have a re good look at the plant. 

4. Ask staff where the plants are coming from. The vast majority of sellers will be sourcing stock from the few huge suppliers in the Netherlands that dominate the market, and to a lesser extent, UK growers, but a few may be raising their own plants. If you want to buy specialist plants, a nursery dedicated to a particular type of plant may offer a wider range of stock and plants that are raised in the right substrate to bring success when you bring them home. This is particularly true for cacti and succulents which are often sold by big suppliers in substrates that are completely inappropriate for the home environment - way too moisture retentive leading to rot. 

5. Come equipped for buying, especially in winter. Bringing extra insulation such as sheets of bubble wrap will keep plants protected from cold draughts as you transport them home. Be wary of buying plants from outside locations in winter.

Want more tips for buying from houseplant shops? Check out my list of red and green flags.

Specialist online stores

If you are buying houseplants online, I would always recommend turning first to specialist growers who have expertise in growing the kind of plants you want to buy. This increases the likelihood they have raised the plants themselves, and/or grow them on to make sure they are in peak condition. It also increases the likelihood they are sold to you in the right potting mix - something that’s absolutely vital when it comes to plants like succulents and orchids. The companies listed below are either ones I have used myself, or am confident to recommend on the basis of others’ feedback.

Boutique houseplant shops

These shops are a great way to get expert advice on your plants and become part of the local planty community: you’ll pay a little more, but you get top quality advice, well-packed plants and an inspiring place to shop. Here is a handpicked selection of some of the best out there.

Physical stores

London and the home counties

  • Conservatory Archives in East London is one of the most established houseplant shops in the capital: there are two branches to choose from.

  • In The Garden in NW London (pictured at the top of this page) as well as Golborne Road Market, London W10 every Saturday and Chiswick Plant Market, London W4, first Sunday of the month.

  • N1 and W6 Garden Centre in London have a great range of houseplants and excellent customer service.

Southern and Southwest England

MoonKo in Sheffield.

MoonKo in Sheffield.

Northern England

East Anglia

Midlands

Wales

  • No recommendations at the moment. Feel free to send us your suggestions.

Scotland

  • Grow Urban in central Edinburgh serves coffee and cakes alongside its plants and has two branches, Fountainbridge and Stockbridge, with the latter focusing more on outdoor plants and city gardening.

  • Seb’s Urban Jungle is also Edinburgh-based but with an online-only presence. With an emphasis on convenience and affordability, there is a range of plants on offer, plus accessories and even subscriptions for monthly deliveries!

  • Green Meadows is your go-to place in Edinburgh for an emphasis on sustainability, both environmental and social.

  • Blooms in Glasgow offers in-person houseplant sales as well as plants by post.

  • Willow House Plants in Doune, near Stirling, has everything from tiny cacti to colourful orchids and large foliage plants, plus pots, plant care products and botanical-themed gifts.

  • Petals By The Shore is a florist in Edinburgh that also sells houseplants and has been in business for over twenty years!

Sustainable houseplants

As you’ll know if you listen to my podcast, I am passionate about sustainability (you can listen to my series on sustainability here). If you would like to buy from suppliers that have worked hard to make sure every aspect of their business is run on sustainable principles, check out the list below.

  • Little Green delivers in the Bristol area (95% by bicycle!) plus mail order to the rest of the UK as well as popping up at markets in the city. Plants come in terracotta pots and the business runs on renewable energy.

  • Harriet’s Plants is a houseplant grower producing peat-free houseplants in coir pots available via mail order alongside botanical wares such as pots and coir poles. Hear more about Harriet’s Plants in On The Ledge podcast episode 227.

  • Tradescantia Hub is a Tradescantia specialist in Wales that specialises in small plants, grows peat free and only sells ‘home-grown’ (rather than imported) plants.

  • Wild Roots in Poole, Dorset, is a houseplants and interiors shop with a focus on environmental sustainability. There is a physical, as well as online, shop and services offered include plant maintenance and bespoke event dressing.

Swaps, freebies and person to person purchases 

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I’d never advise “half-inching” cuttings without the owner’s permission, but you’d be surprised how often plant lovers are happy enough to share their bounty with you, even if they don’t know you from Adam. If you see a plant you like, don’t be afraid to politely ask for a cutting: the worst thing that can happen is they say no.

A bit of knowledge about plant propagation is useful: for instance, certain plants won’t grow properly from single leaves (eg fiddle leaf figs and Hoyas) whereas others (Streptocarpus, African violets and Echeverias, for instance) will. The small hobby seller may also be offering plants for sale via a Facebook page or the like, and this is definitely an exciting way to buy, but test out with a small purchase before sending a lot of money their way. If you do take a cutting, place it in a clear plastic bag, ideally wrapped in some moistened kitchen paper until you can get it home. Then get it in some water or moist compost as soon as possible. 

Also keep an eye on Gumtree, Preloved, Freegle, Freecycle and local Facebook groups for people looking to offload houseplants as this can be a cheap or free way of expanding your collection - but check the plants carefully for pests before you let them join your precious collection, otherwise they may bring an unwelcome payload with them! (In fact, this is good practice for new plants you buy from anywhere...)

Check out: There are various UK based swap groups on Facebook including Houseplant Swap Club - UK and Succulent Leaf Share UK.

DIY sheds, discount stores and supermarkets

I picked up these spearhead succulents (Senecio kleiniiformis) in a single pot from WIlkinsons... labelled simply as "succulents" of course. (Pots not included.)

I picked up these spearhead succulents (Senecio kleiniiformis) in a single pot labelled simply as "succulents" of course. (Pots not included.)

You can pick up some cheap houseplants from the likes of B&Q, Homebase, Tesco and Waitrose, but it’s often the "usual suspects" rather than anything particularly rare. Try to pounce on them as soon as they come into the shop, as most stores give plants no attention or watering once they’re on the shelves (top tip: Lidl's plant deliveries seem to arrive on a Thursday - go on Sunday and they are usually mostly gone or half dead). Labelling is hit and miss to say the least, (often it's just one word; "succulent" or "fern") but it’s a good way of getting plants locally if you’re on a tight budget. One last hitch - these plants are often potted in poor quality compost - or sometimes the wrong compost entirely - so consider repotting plants as soon as you get them home. And the whole glittery/painted succulents thing? I'll tackle that in a different post but please, just... don't.

The blue and yellow box does deserve a paragraph all to itself because, let's face it, many of us buy plants here. I've written on my blog already and for gardenista.com about IKEA's houseplant offerings so won't say too much more, other than that they offer a reasonably interesting range of plants at a good price, but as per the big box DIY places, you need to get in quick on new deliveries, and check plants carefully when you buy as in-store care tends to be minimal.

Check out: Morrisons has the best houseplants of the supermarkets, in my opinion. 

Garden Centres 

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After a period when many garden centres ditched houseplants aside from as a seasonal extra, they are now realising there is money to be made and ramping up their offerings again. Some are still on the rather boring side, but if you’re lucky you may have an excellent source of houseplants on your doorstep. If you're really lucky, they'll also have an active social media presence, too.  

Perrywood in Essex, Bodmin Nursery in Cornwall, Clifton Nurseries in London and Surrey, Ayletts in St Albans, The Secret Garden Centre in Crystal Palace, London and Alleyn Park in West Dulwich, London, and all got shout-outs on Twitter; the best garden centre near me (Bedfordshire) for houseplants is Frosts.

I've also heard very good things about Ferndale Garden Centre south of Sheffield, N1 Garden Centre and Dulwich Pot and Plant Garden in Dulwich, London, but haven't paid a visit to any of them myself - yet!

If you’re in, or near, Manchester, there’s Bud Garden Centre, with its varied range of houseplants, in addition to locally made, plus German, houseplant pots.

There’s also the shop at the RHS Garden Wisley, for a reported good selection of small and not-so-common plants.

Out south west, in Lostwithiel, Cornwall, you’ll find the Duchy of Cornwall Nursery with its huge range of houseplants in a glasshouse - quite possibly the largest range in the region, including more unusual plants!

If you’re in north London, there’s the Boma Garden Centre in Kentish Town, with a range of indoor plants, from miniatures to large specimens.

On the outskirts of Newcastle, as recommended by listener Thea, you’ll find Cowell’s Garden Centre which also has an online shop: “Good prices, healthy plants and well packaged!”.

Subscription services

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You can get subscription services for everything from hot sauce to earrings now, so not surprising, then, that some have popped up for houseplants. They suit some people down to the ground: a great way of getting new plants delivered straight to your door without having to trawl around for them.

Bloombox Club offers a monthly subscription service at £39/month, although there’s a saving for paying annually.

Lazy Flora offers a houseplant devliery every one or two months, either with or without a pot - there are also edible and outdoor subscription packages.

Leaf Envy’s subscription boxes start from £24 a month and offers carbon neutral delivery.

If you’d prefer to try growing something edible, Silly Greens offer microgreens by post, delivered every one to six weeks.

It's not a route I'd go down: I have so many plants already I am usually searching out something really weird or unusual, not something I'd often find on a subscription service. But it may be right for you.

Societies

If you're passionate about a group of plants, joining a society will bring you into contact with people who feel the same way! You can expand your collection through attending meetings where sales are held, and by swaps and sales with other members through group forums and Facebook pages. Here's a few houseplant-related forums I know of...

Seeds

Perhaps you've never dreamed about growing your own houseplants from seed, but it's a cheap, fun way of expanding your collection. Here’s a list of some of the seed companies I have either used, or heard good first-hand customer feedback about…

  • Chiltern Seeds (UK-based) have an extensive collection including cacti and succulents, Episcias, Clivias and Coleus.

  • Seedaholic (UK-based) have various succulents, Coleus, and Strelitzia.

  • Silverhill Seeds (South Africa-based) sell a huge range of South African natives, mostly succulents.

  • SuccSeed (Sweden-based) sell a range of cacti and succulent seed.

  • UnusualSeeds (Serbia-based) have an Etsy shop selling a wide range of succulents and carnivorous plants: particularly good for Adeniums.

If you want to learn more about growing houseplant from seed, please check out the On The Ledge Sowalong on my podcast feed.

Check out my blog for more houseplant advice…

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