Houseplants are seemingly more popular than ever, and now that it’s so easy to buy them online, the only real question is: Which plant should you get? Like anything else, there’s a wide range of options to suit different people. Your friend might somehow have a four-foot-tall Meyer-lemon tree in their living room — and that’s great for them, really — but let’s be realistic, that’s just not an option for all of us. Luckily, there is a plant for pretty much everyone, if you know what to look for. (And, if you haven’t seen the Saturday Night Live sketch in which Christopher Walken puts googly eyes on plants, please do yourself a favor and watch it.)
For the person who lives in a windowless cave
The ZZ plant is one of the most popular office plants because it can survive — and even thrive — with very little light.
For the person who never picks up fresh flowers
A bit of color in constant bloom for the host who’d never resort to overpriced bodega roses.
For the person who always orders “shared plates”
Sometimes referred to as the “Sharing Plant,” the Chinese Money Plant is known for sprouting out miniature “baby plants.” They grow out of the soil surrounding the main plant and can be easily removed, propagated, potted on their own, and shared with a friend.
For the person with a heavy pour
These marimo moss balls are often sold as aquarium plants. They are meant to be constantly submerged in water. If you can figure out a way to overwater these, please let us know.
For the person who’s always traveling
Snake plants are super-resilient and can handle low light (if you draw the curtains while on vacation) and infrequent watering (if you forget to arrange for a plant-sitter).
For the person whose dog eats everything
The humble spider plant topped our list of expert-recommended pet-safe plants. It’s nontoxic for dogs (and cats), which should put your mind at ease, but even nontoxic plants can make pets sick in large doses. So if Fido (or Whiskers) just can’t help themselves, you might need to break out the bitter-apple spray.
For the person who always seeks positive reinforcement
Pothos are famously easy to keep alive and are known to be fast growers, which should boost your confidence.
For the person who’s always ahead of the latest trend
We’ve been spotting this multicolored showstopper in a lot of restaurants and shops lately, and we wrote about it in our roundup of under-the-radar plants. Get it now so you can say you had one before it was everywhere. It’s only a matter of time.
For the person who makes their own pesto
Ambitious home cooks and herb aficionados will appreciate this kit. It comes with pots, seeds, and everything needed to start an indoor herb garden. (Do note that while the photo shows everything fully grown, the kit does not ship with live herbs. You’ll need to be patient, but that’s part of the fun.)
For the person who studied abroad in France
Francophiles will love this set of live herbs, perfect for flavoring homemade ratatouille or beef bourguignon.
For the person who unironically collects tiki mugs
A classic palm to go with your ukelele and mai tais.
For the person who never reapplies sunscreen
For the person who has a change jar
Some believe that money trees bring good fortune. This comes in a nice pot and so would make a great gift.
For the person who’s only really doing it for the ‘gram
After all these years, the fiddle-leaf fig is still the ultimate status plant. Pair it with one of these status planters for maximum ’grammability. And this one ships out at four feet tall, so you’ll get instant plant-parent cred.
For the person who already has a fiddle-leaf fig
You can finally start posting #monsteramonday selfies from your living room.
For the person who already has a monstera
Rounding out the big-three hothouse-plant supergroup is, of course, the rubber tree. With its burgundy leaves, it’s definitely the moody, rebellious one.
For the person who has a nice sunny windowsill
Because these mini succulents deserve only the best.
For the person with no floor space to spare
We wrote about philodendrons and named them one of the best hanging plants. This one comes in a hanging basket to make things easy, but you can also choose your own hanging planter.
For the person who loves a gallery wall
Or for something a little more low-profile, you could mount this Staghorn fern on the wall by a window.
For the person who’s a little superstitious
For the touchy-feely person
It might be hard to tell from the photo, but Kalenchoe succulents are known for their signature soft, fuzzy leaves. (Hence the nickname: “Panda Plant.”)
For the person who always stays up late
Another affectionately nicknamed plant is the “Prayer Plant,” whose leaves rise up and curl inward at night. The leaves open up again in the morning to bask in the sun, so only true night owls will be able to appreciate its evening ritual.
For the person with an open compost bin on their counter
To catch any pesky flies.
For the person who takes really long showers
While we do not advocate really long showers (they’re not great for the environment), if you insist on taking them, you might as well put all that steam to good use, and Boston ferns love humidity.
For the person who always orders their martini with a twist
For the home cook or amateur mixologist: a constant supply of fresh Meyer lemons. (We wrote about the best indoor citrus trees to grow at home, and the Meyer-lemon tree was our top pick.)
For the person who won’t splurge on a Molekule air purifier
Peace Lilies are one of the top air-filtering indoor plants, according to a NASA study. They’re also one of the most foolproof houseplants around, capable of surviving in pretty much any light environment.
For the person who owns a Haws copper watering can
A String of Pearls to match their elegant watering vessel.
For the person who has killed every plant they bought
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it just doesn’t work out. Air plants are famously difficult to destroy and can hang pretty much anywhere in a home.
For the person who has even killed an air plant
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