The Perfect Houseplants For Valentine's Day Gift Giving
The best plants to give for Valentine's Day are ones that will live on, just like your love. Cut flowers are lovely, but they eventually die. That's not a good message to give your special someone. Instead, choose one of these indoor plants for Valentine's Day and show how much you genuinely care.
String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii)
Small heart-shaped leaves line each delicate trailing vine of String of Hearts, creating a wispy and charming display. This plant is succulent-like, so the leaves are dense and plump, even though they don't grow bigger than 3/4".
The stems are thin and purplish-red, a light and sweet background for the abundant deep-green heart-shaped leaves. String of Hearts vines grow 3-4 feet long and are stunning when arranged around a mini (heart-shaped) trellis or given a hanging basket to cascade over.
String of Hearts are simple to care for, making them one of the best plants to give for Valentine's day. They just need indirect sunlight, somewhat frequent watering, and well-draining soil. There are some exquisite Variegated String of Hearts with pink, silver, or cream markings.
Sweetheart Hoya (Hoya Kerrii)
The ideal plant gift for the person who has stolen your heart – it's even known as the Valentine plant or Sweetheart plant. This succulent, naturally shaped like a heart, is fuss-free and needs minimal care. It easily earns its place on the list of indoor plants for Valentine's Day.
Sweetheart Hoya is available as a single 5-8" leaf cutting, one perfect green heart-shaped leaf rooted in soil. The heart leaves are cut off much larger vines, and while they will never grow into a full plant, they do stay lovely and cute for years. They still beat cut flowers and heart-shaped boxes of candy by a long shot.
Black Velvet Alocasia (Alocasia reginula)
The dreamy crushed velvet leaves of Black Velvet Alocasia will make your sweetheart swoon. It's a jewel of a houseplant, with dark-green to velvety black leaves adorned by stark silvery-white veining. To add to the dramatic coloring, the leaf undersides are deep magenta.
Black Velvet Alocasia is a statement Valentine's gift, elegant with a deep exotic appeal. The leaves are even broadly heart-shaped, adding to the allure. This houseplant is small compared to most, rarely growing more than 18" tall and wide. Alocasias can be a little finicky about watering and don't like to be ignored, so this one's best for a more experienced plant parent.
Mosaic Plant (Fittonia spp.)
This spreading houseplant has deep-green leaves with vivid and delicate contrasting veins – the most common vein colors are silver and white, but we recommend finding one with red veins for Valentine's day. It practically shouts "I love you" to the lucky receiver.
Also known as Nerve plants, this houseplant is a low grower that doesn't get taller than 3-6" but will spread out 12-18 inches. The very dramatic Mosaic plant is best reserved for an experienced plant parent or someone who has the time to treat it like a queen.
They are a little tricky as indoor plants since they need exceptionally high humidity and constant moisture. We recommend a little terrarium to keep it in.
Rex Begonia (Begonia rex-cultorum)
A houseplant with many forms, Rex Begonia is treasured for its versatility, distinctive and unique designs, and stunning color combinations. There are hundreds of cultivars available, and sure to be one to make even the pickiest Valentine happy.
The Rex Begonia, also known as King Begonia, might have heart-shaped, seashell swirled, star-shaped, oval, or spear-shaped leaves. And the colors are usually a range of greens, pinks, maroons, and silver and intricately arranged. The leaves are often ruffled or puckered; no matter what form this indoor plant takes, the result is sensational. Best of all, this is one easy-going plant.
Cyclamen (Cyclamen spp.)
With marbled green heart-shaped leaves and flowers that look like butterflies alighting atop the foliage, Cyclamen is one of the most perfect plants to give for Valentine's day. It's also a winter bloomer, so you might find one in bloom right now.
Cyclamen's delicate suspended flowers come in vibrant red, pink, lavender, and white. The blooms are prolific and lightly scented, and they'll flower for months.
As houseplants, Cyclamen's follow the opposite schedule of most – blooming in winter and resting in summer. Many folks treat them as disposable, throwing them out when the leaves die after blooming, but you can have them flowering for years with the proper care.
A houseplant is the perfect Valentine's Day gift. They live many years, take care and nurture just like your love, and provide the ideal backdrop for a long and happy future.
