Buying plants for delivery is a bit tricky because many of the services out there aren’t very eco-friendly.
So, we went in search of the best plant delivery services aiming to be as sustainable as possible.
This doesn’t mean that they’re without any problems at all; transporting plants is never kind to the environment. But all of our favorites offer native species that are sustainably sourced and grown in an organic fashion to minimize the impact on the environment.
And once they reach your doorstep, over time, the plants should start to pay back some of their environmental debt by cleaning CO2 from the air.
So, check out our best plant delivery services for a greener approach to buying plants.
LulasGarden.Com
The biggest trend in plants at the moment, by a long chalk, is succulents and Lulas Gardens specializes in delivering succulents to your door. Be it cacti, zebra plants or jade plants, they’ve got you covered.
They also donate money to provide clean drinking water for people in developing nations who desperately need it. Every plant sold means a 6 month supply for one person, so you’ll be doing good when you buy.
1. The best succulents around and they’re all locally sourced
2. Their packaging solutions are all very low cost and have minimal impact on the environment
3. You’re supporting people in need with every purchase
1. They only sell succulents and cactuses
2. If you want their premium garden products, you have to go to L.A. to get them
3. They don’t have a huge range of pots to choose from
LivelyRoot.Com
We really like Lively Root, in fact, they also made our list of the best online nurseries but we do wish that they were cheaper. Their products are so expensive we only buy them as rare treats.
On the plus side, they are more than just a delivery service and have a host of highly qualified horticulturalists on hand to answer your every question or even to provide in-depth consulting on projects.
1. They have a strong commitment to eco-friendly practices
2. They use locally grown plants which is always a good thing
3. They can supply a huge range of products for nearly any use
1. They’re so expensive (worth it, yes, but they’re out of our league for day-to-day use)
2. They carry some invasive plant species that we’d rather they didn’t
3. Their plant pots aren’t great
UrbanStems.Com
For the truly well-heeled, there’s Urban Stems which is a wonderful company that works with Rainforest Certified Farms to ensure that its products are green but wonderfully unique.
And while you’d think their products would be expensive, they’re not, they do command a bit of a premium but you won’t break the bank on a special occasion when you treat yourself to something.
1. The Rainforest Certified Farms connection means unique plants
2. They deliver by hand in much of the country which is a nice touch
3. They are fully committed to sustainable principles
1. They don’t source locally (“Rainforest” is the clue to that)
2. They can be a bit more expensive than others though they are good value for money
3. They don’t have the largest range of options
Bouqs.Com
Bouqs is a very ethical company and they’ve made a public commitment to eliminate racism and improve diversity in their workforce.
They use a lot of eco-friendly practices including eco-friendly sourcing, waste reduction, water recycling and sustainable growing.
Their subscription boxes are also excellent value for money if you like plants delivered on a regular basis.
1. Incredible arrangements of flowers
2. Their plants are superb and affordable
3. They use a wide-range of eco-friendly practices
1. They only ship within the United States
2. Their delivery options are quite expensive
3. It would be nice to include some arranging instructions for bouquets
1800 Flowers.Com
At a surface glance, you might be thinking “how did these guys make the cut?” Well, look a bit closer and you’ll soon find their “Planet Friendly Smile Collection”.
These are all plants which are grown on farms that are committed to working sustainably and which are sourced through fair trade means.
1. The Planet Friendly Smile Collection is very environmentally friendly
2. They can deliver your plant to pretty much any location without a problem
3. Have more flexibility than most companies due to their size
1. It’s not a huge eco-friendly collection
2. The flowers outside of the collection are not eco-friendly
3. They’re not great at supporting local growers preferring to look over a wider area
LeonAndGeorge.Com
Leon and George is a very boutique style delivery service and it won’t be for everyone, not least because not everyone will be willing to afford their prices.
However, buying from Leon and George means supporting eco-friendly and social justice causes which receive either donations or other forms of contribution with each sale made.
1. Some of your money goes to good causes
2. They’re very stylish offerings
3. They offer great after sales support to enable you to properly care for your plants
1. You have to buy a pot with every plant
2. They don’t have the widest offering
3. They’re out of the budget range of many plant buyers
Final Thoughts On Best Plant Delivery Services
There aren’t any perfect plant delivery services and, by definition, delivery always has an environmental impact but our best plant delivery services all try to support a better, greener world.
If you want a hand growing plants when they arrive, may we recommend the New Plant Parent to get your thumbs turning green?
Or if you want a super easy growing project to begin with you might want to check out the best herb garden kits.
