Best houseplants to give as gifts

Houseplants bring a touch of drama and style to any home, transforming spaces with their natural charm while also offering proven benefits for health and wellbeing. What better way to show you care than with a gift that uplifts both the environment and the spirit?

Here are five top houseplants that make lovely, meaningful gifts for someone special.

Cape primrose (Streptocarpus)

Cape primroses produce flowers for months adding colour to the home over autumn and winter

The lovely Cape primrose (Streptocarpus) produces trumpet like flowers, which just keep coming. It’s easy to propagate, looks beautiful and has the wow factor. It needs 10–12 hours of light a day, so pop it in a bright spot.

Propagation techniques

Where to buy this houseplant

Searching for the perfect houseplant gift? Find out more about the Cape primrose and where to buy it from.

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String of hearts (Ceropegia linearis subsp. woodii)

String of hearts, with its speckled leaves, makes for a lovely addition to a living room or office

This succulent vine has lovely heart-shaped leaves and tubular flowers. String of hearts (Ceropegia linearis subsp. woodii) likes to be placed in a well-lit position as insufficient light will make the dark purple tinged leaves turn more green. Dangle off shelves and bookcases. If a bit falls off, pop in water and you may be able to produce more, which you can in turn then give to more friends.

Where to buy this houseplant

Searching for the perfect houseplant gift? Find out more about the string of hearts and where to buy it from.

Buy online

Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides)

A Chinese money plant is the go-to houseplant and perfect for propagation

The pancake shaped leaves of the Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides) make it a decorative piece of art in your home. It has pink tinged stems and is so easy to propagate. It loves humidity

The concentration of water vapour in the atmosphere. This affects the rate at which plants transpire (lose water from their leaf pores), which in turn affects how much water their roots absorb from the soil. If air humidity is low, plants transpire quickly and become at risk of wilting if water is lost from the leaves faster than it can be absorbed by the roots. Different plants require different levels of humidity to thrive. Many tropical houseplants need high humidity and are best grown in a steamy bathroom, misted regularly or placed on a saucer of damp pebbles. In a greenhouse, humidity can be raised in hot weather by damping down (wetting) the floor or overhead misting.

and doesn’t like cold so keep it in a warm room.

Humidity for houseplants

Where to buy this houseplant

Searching for the perfect houseplant gift? Find out more about the Chinese money plant and where to buy it from.

Buy online

Rabbit’s foot fern (Davallia solida var. fejeensis)

The rabbit’s foot fern takes it name from the fury rhizomes peaking out the bottom

Rabbit’s foot fern (Davallia solida var. fejeensis) has furry creeping rhizomes

Rhizomes are creeping swollen root-like structures that are actually adapted stems. Roots, stems with leaves and flowers are produced along its length. See plants such as Anemone nemorosa, bamboo, canna, border iris.

, so it looks great in a hanging basket or on a shelf where the rhizomes can be on show. It needs humidity so keep it moist and away from radiators.

Where to buy this houseplant

Searching for the perfect houseplant gift? Find out more about the rabbit’s foot fern and where to buy it from.

Buy online

Scented-leaved pelargonium (Pelargonium ‘Attar of Roses’)

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Scented-leaved pelargoniums are the perfect gift and come in a vast array of scents

Scented-leaved pelargoniums are great plants and the ‘Attar of Roses’ variety has gorgeous rose-scented leaves that create an intoxicating scent in the winter months when you need it. It can be moved outside in summer and may encourage you to grow other scented pelargoniums, which have a variety of scents from sweet peppermint to apples. The leaves can be used in cooking, in jams, cocktails and compotes. Deadhead regularly to keep them flowering.

How to use, preserve and enjoy edible flowers

Where to buy this houseplant

Searching for the perfect houseplant gift? Find out more about ‘Attar of Roses’ and where to buy it from.

Buy online

These plants are a great starting point for gift ideas, but if you want to find plants for specific rooms, have a look at our guide for choosing the best houseplants. When choosing a houseplant as a gift, look for plants grown in peat-free compost

Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.

and sourced from reputable nurseries. If repotting before gifting, always use a peat-free houseplant compost to help protect peatland habitats.

Short on time? Watch to see the best houseplants to give as gifts

Houseplants at RHS Garden Centres

Find a houseplant gift at your local RHS Garden Centre. Entry to all RHS Garden Centres is free and our centres at RHS Harlow Carr, RHS Wisley, RHS Bridgewater and RHS Rosemoor are all dog-friendly too.

Visit and buy in store