Plant delivery
Plant Delivery: How to Order Plants Online and Get Them Home Healthy
By the Plantshop.com Editorial Team · Updated · How we research · Report an error
Ordering plants online is now the easiest way to get a specific plant, in a specific size, to your door or to someone else's. It also comes with risks a garden center does not have: days in a box, cold and heat in transit, and guarantees with photo deadlines. Here is how plant delivery actually works and how to order well.
Two kinds of plant delivery
- Shipped plants from online plant shops: packed in a box and sent by parcel carrier. Widest choice of plants and sizes, but expect processing days plus transit days.
- Local same-day delivery from florists and garden centers near you: faster, but a much smaller selection. If you need a plant delivered today, search your local florist rather than a national shop.
Before you order plants online
- Pick the plant for the light it will get, not the photo. Use the Plant Finder if unsure.
- Check pets in the Pet-Safe Plant Checker, especially for a gift.
- Compare by pot size: 4 in, 6 in, 8-10 in and 12 in+ are very different plants.
- Add up time: processing (1-6 business days at the shops below) plus transit. For a birthday or housewarming, order a week or more ahead.
- Check the region: some shops do not ship to Hawaii or Alaska, and some restrict certain states.
- Mind the season: winter cold and summer heat cause most delivery losses. Choose shops that pause or heat-pack shipments in freezing weather.
When the box arrives
Open it straight away, photograph any damage before you unpack fully (most guarantees need photos within a set window), water only if the soil is dry, and give the plant a week or two to settle before repotting. A few dropped leaves after delivery are normal, especially for crotons and fiddle-leaf figs.
Delivery terms at the shops we have verified
Copied from each shop's own policy pages, checked 21 Oct 2026. "Not verified" means we could not confirm it.
| Shop | Shipping | Regions | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sill | Standard: ships in 2-6 business days, then 3-10 business days in transit. Express: ships in 1-2 business days, then 3-4 days in transit | Not verified | 30-Day Guarantee: replaced free if plants don't arrive healthy; send a photo within 30 days of receiving the order |
| Lively Root | Processing 1-2 business days. Standard flat rate $9, 4-7 business days. Expedited (2-3 days) and Rush (1-2 days) priced at checkout | 48 contiguous US states (no Hawaii or Alaska) | 30 Day Happiness Guarantee: dead or damaged plants replaced; send a photo within 30 days of delivery |
| Perfect Plants Nursery | Ships within 1-3 business days | No Hawaii or Alaska | 30-day warranty on plants. Perishable returns within 7 days of delivery with prior authorization |
| Rooted (Hey Rooted) | Not verified | Not verified | 30 Day Happiness Guarantee (site banner) |
| Costa Farms | Ships within 3 days of the order. Standard transit 2-5 business days after leaving the farm | Not verified | Not verified |
Full detail, with free-shipping thresholds: Online plant shop policies compared.
Sending plants as a gift
The best plants to send are forgiving and look good on arrival: see plants that make good gifts and pet-safe plants if the recipient has cats or dogs. Flowering options include the African violet (non-toxic to pets) and orchids.
Where to order plants online for delivery
Shops we have verified, with what customers report. Not yet verified: Bloomscape, Plants.com, Soltech, Léon & George, Fast Growing Trees. Disclosure.
The Sill
New York-founded houseplant brand known for design-led plants. Its menus also list outdoor plants, orchids, bundles, gifts and subscriptions.
Customers: Owners on Reddit praise plant quality but often mention price and winter shipping damage.
Lively Root
Online plant shop with a plant finder quiz, pet-friendly and low-light collections, subscriptions and corporate gifting.
Customers: Buyers like the selection and size options; soil spillage and winter damage come up.
Perfect Plants Nursery
Florida nursery selling mostly outdoor trees, shrubs, roses and fruit plants, plus some houseplants.
Customers: Strong for outdoor shrubs and trees; houseplant feedback is limited.
Rooted (Hey Rooted)
Houseplant shop with pet-friendly, low-light, easy-care and size-based collections, bundles and subscriptions.
Customers: Good reports on packing and less common plants, but recent winter and service complaints.
Costa Farms
One of the largest US houseplant growers, selling direct from its farm. It shops by light level, water need and pet-friendly collections.
Customers: Well packed, but often pricier direct than at big-box stores that sell the same plants.
Head-to-head: The Sill vs Lively Root. All shops: best places to buy plants online.