When it comes to buying succulents and cacti online, there’s always the risk of shipping going wrong and weather conditions interfering. After all, most succulents are native to desert environments and don’t do well in cold weather, so if they’re being shipped in the winter, they need special care to make the trip unscathed. Unfortunately, nothing can be guaranteed when live plants are packed into a box, out of a pot, and sent on their way to a new home. Boxes get bumped around in transit and could damage the plants, and the last thing you want is to take a broken plant out of the box.
Luckily for you, there are professional plant sellers online who are aware of everything that could go wrong and who do their best to make your experience positive! While there’s no true guarantee your plant will arrive completely in pristine condition, these five succulent shops strive to get happy, healthy plants to you in the safest way possible (sometimes in the form of monthly subscription boxes, and who doesn’t want a new plant at their door every month?).
The Succulent Source
The Succulent Source has been family-owned and operated for 15 years! With five kids, they’re a big family––but that’s just the heart of the business. The succulents it sells are grown and cared for in their local California-based nursery, and the kids even help hand-pick orders just for you! Who doesn’t love that?
The Succulent Source team ships thousands of plants each week, so you can trust that the team is familiar with the risks and how to best package your plants to help ensure their safety. The store ships plants all year long, so you can order during any season. The Succulent Store has cuttings, DIY succulent projects, and a monthly subscription club you can join on top of its specialty service: weddings.
What makes them stand out?
The Succulent Source prides itself on its beautiful wedding options. From guest favors to bridal accents (like bouquets) to centerpieces and décor, it offers fresh, professionally grown succulents for all your wedding, shower, and formal event needs.
Price range: Pre-made arrangements start at $27. Wedding favors start at $1.99. Monthly club membership starts at $30 a month with three-, six-, and twelve-month options.
Planet Desert
Another family-owned nursery in California, Planet Desert is dedicated to growing a variety of succulents so you’ll never run out of options. The team began caring for succulents almost two decades ago when the family moved to California. Soon afterward, the family relocated to Southern California, where they discovered the Mediterranean weather was perfect for growing healthy, happy succulents to sell.
Like The Succulent Source, the Planet Desert staff is made up of shipping and delivery experts, which can bring you some peace of mind when picking out one of the many rare beauties the store has to offer.
What makes them stand out?
The owner of Planet Desert, Mark, actually goes on what he calls “cactus tours” to find rare and beautiful succulents from other nurseries, gardens, and even deserts––just to bring them directly to you! What does this mean for the store’s stock? It’s always rotating. With Planet Desert, if you see something you like, don’t hesitate! It may not be there tomorrow.
Price range: Because of the rarity of some of the finds, prices vary. Occasionally you can find individual succulents for as low as $3.99 or as high as $120.00. It all depends on the variety!
Succulent Market
Succulent Market has been growing succulents and cacti for over 50 years. You can pick from over 100 different varieties of succulents and cacti on the online store and have them delivered right to your door. The shop sells varieties like aloe, haworthia, and echeveria. The store also has cuttings, bulk options, and potted plants for sale.
What makes them stand out?
The Succulent Market offers a lot of variety and professional experience. The shop’s stock is filled with many different varieties of succulents and cacti, each of which has been kept happy, healthy, and hardy. The care the Succulent Market team gives to the plants helps improve the chance that your new succulents will reach you as safely as possible.
Price range: Individual succulents start as low as $6.99. Succulent cuttings start at $19.99 for an assorted pack of twenty.
Leaf & Clay
Leaf & Clay prides itself on its great shipping policies and amazing customer service. The team ships its succulents bare-root (without the nursery pot) in order to help protect the planet and lower the cost of shipping. All the succulents are carefully packed by hand. Leaf & Clay even gives advice on how to best care for your plant once you receive it. Since the plant will be shipped bare-root, the shop recommends taking it out of the shipping and packaging immediately and planting it in a new pot using dry soil. And really, this can be said when buying succulents online anywhere! It never hurts to have an extra pot on hand for when the plant arrives.
What makes them stand out?
Leaf & Clay’s fast, reliable shipping policies and willingness to help you solve any problem makes this shop stand out from the rest. The shop encourages you to reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns about your purchase via email at hello@leafandclay.co. The shop can’t offer refunds on live plants, but it does give store credit for plants damaged during shipping.
Price range: The Plant Club subscription starts at $24.95 per month and can be a one-time purchase, monthly payment, three months prepaid, or six months prepaid. The mystery box subscription starts at $19.95 and can be monthly or prepaid at three- or six-month intervals. Individual succulents start as low as $4.00.
Succulents Box
Succulents Box is one of the largest online sellers, with over 300 varieties of succulents and cacti listed in its store. The plants vary not only in price but in popularity and rarity, too! Every succulent is grown locally in California nurseries. Best of all, the shop includes detailed care instruction cards so you won’t be totally lost when your new plant reaches your home. The succulents may need up to a week to acclimate to the environment after being shipped, but not to worry! With proper care, they should be happy and healthy in your hands.
What makes them stand out?
Succulents Box is perhaps one of the most interesting online succulent sellers because it focuses on sustainability and helping the environment. In 2020, the store donated 2% of its proceeds and sales to help support the CDC Foundation in the fight against Covid-19. Before that, it donated to One Tree Planted, a non-profit focused on worldwide reforestation by partnering with countries around the globe to plant trees and restore forests after fires and floods, as well as help protect habitats. Succulents Box has also supported Smile Restaurant, which provides thousands of meals every day (at a cheaper cost) to people in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Price range: Subscription boxes start at $12 a month for one succulent and one air plant. The price increases depending on the number of succulents included in the box. If you decide to prepay in advance (for three, six, or twelve months), you can get a hefty discount over paying month by month. Individual succulents start as low as $5.75.
Bonus: local nurseries
If you don’t want to take the risk of shipping damage, adverse weather conditions, or anything else out of your control and that of the seller, you can always drive over to a nearby nursery! Many local sellers will have succulents and cacti available for sale, but not necessarily with as much variety as these online sellers. As long as you do a bit of research, read reviews, and look at how much experience the the nursery has with growing, selling, and shipping plants, you should be able to minimize the risk of plants arriving damaged on your doorstep. Plus, who doesn’t love being able to unlock their phone and order a cute new succulent without having to set foot outside their home? We know we do.
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