Potted plants can make a romantic gift for Valentine's Day, say some B.C. plant shop owners, and teach us some lessons about relationships along the way.
"We always advocate gifting potted plants for their longevity and the opportunity they provide to learn and grow as you nurture the plant!" said Bethany Garant, owner of VI Plant Shop, a garden centre on Chatham Street in Victoria.
Garant was pleased to give her recommendations along with Mohsen Molavi from GardenWorks.
Without further ado, here are some beautiful plants that make longer-lasting gifts than bouquets.
Tradescantia Nanouk, aka the Fantasy Venice
"The Tradescantia Nanouk is a unique Valentine's gift that keeps growing and glowing," Garant said. "Each leaf showcases stunning pink, purple, and green colours, with bright fuchsia undersides that make it truly special."
As a gesture of love, it's a gift that can keep on giving indefinitely because tradescantia is "remarkably easy to propagate" through stem cuttings.
This plant likes moderate to bright indirect light and weekly watering once the soil dries about halfway down the pot. "It's a fast grower that brings long-lasting colour to any space," Garant said.
The Rattlesnake Calathea, aka the prayer plant
Just like a worthy romantic partner, the Rattlesnake Calathea is known to be a responsive and communicative plant. "These are part of the prayer plant family 鈥� the leaves move and shift with the light during the day," explained Garant. They are moderately difficult to care for, but their unique foliage and vibrantly patterned leaves make them well worth the TLC they need. (Sounds like another metaphor for love, doesn't it?)
"This plant does best in higher humidity so place it in a kitchen, bathroom, or near your humidifier to keep crispy leaves at bay."
Calathea also has strong air-purifying properties and is safe for animals and kids. Its bright green leaves with distinct patterns and purple undersides make this a favourite plant in many households.
Orchids
Orchids, with their elegant beauty, can be a beautiful symbol of love. As Molavi explained, they can be passed from generation to generation and, if well cared for, can live for decades.
This unique plant is what's called "epiphytic," meaning its roots should be exposed. This mimics how they grow in the wild: on top of trees.
One of its pros is that it is "so easy" to care for, Molavi said, as long as it is placed in a bright location out of direct sunlight and watered every 7-10 days when the roots are dry.
Anthuriums
Its heart-shaped waxy spathes (modified leaf around the flower) and red, pink or white flowers make anthuriums a suitable Valentine's Day plant.
They are relatively easy to care for and as under-canopy plants, thrive in warm, humid conditions and bright, indirect light. But, notably, they are not the best gift for those with pets or small kids, as their leaves are toxic.
For plant collectors, a more unique "trending" choice Molavi mentions is crystal anthurium, prized for its large, velvety, heart-shaped leaves with a crystalline appearance.
Potted mini-roses
Roses are a symbol of love due to their association with Aphrodite, the love goddess in Greek mythology who was often depicted with and said to have created them.
Rather than buying a bouquet, a longer-lasting alternative is to buy potted mini ones 鈥� though, these won't be able to stay inside indefinitely; they eventually need to be planted in a bed.
"A rose needs to go through a dormancy phase over the winter months, so basically I don't consider it a house plant," Molavi said.
Roses thrive in more temperate parts of the world, so Victoria can offer a good climate for them, so long as they get ideally six hours of sunlight a day.
Other recommendations from Molavi
If these ideas didn't inspire, Molavi also has some other options. "The other plant that I like for Valentine's is philodendron cordatum, or heart-shaped philodendron. They're more a viney kind of trailing plant."
He also recommends Hoya kerii, a succulent plant known as the 'sweetheart plant' due to its heart-shaped foliage.
Other fun gift ideas at the plant shops include the Lavender Bolle Pot and lips plant magnet pack at VI Plant Shop, teacup bouquets at Oak Bay Flower Shop, and at GardenWorks, crafted candles, locally made bath and beauty products, locally made jewelry and chocolates.
