The Gift That Keeps Growing: Plant Gifts for Every Occasion in Ireland
The right plant gift depends on the occasion: a money tree (Pachira aquatica) for a housewarming, a peace lily (Spathiphyllum) for sympathy, a Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana) for Mother's Day, an anthurium for Valentine's Day and a terrarium or bonsai for Christmas. This is our occasion index: one botanically grounded recommendation for each moment in the Irish gifting year, with a link to the full guide for that occasion. If you would rather choose by plant or by the person you are buying for, our indoor plant gifts guide is the companion to this page.
Every plant below is in stock and ready to send, with free delivery to Ireland and 24 more EU countries (25 in total). Tracked delivery takes 5–8 working days, and delivery times can vary, so we advise ordering at least two weeks before any occasion. Browse the full range of plant gifts or the potted plant gifts ready to send.
Why give a potted plant instead of cut flowers?
A potted plant keeps growing long after the occasion, while cut flowers are cut off from their roots and fade within days. A well-chosen houseplant such as a Kentia palm or a snake plant can live for many years in an ordinary Irish home, so the gift becomes part of the recipient's everyday surroundings. Plants also carry meaning that flowers cannot: the olive tree has symbolised peace for thousands of years, the money tree is traditionally given for good fortune, and the peace lily's white spathes return year after year.
The trick is matching the plant to the occasion and to the recipient's home. Irish homes have short winter days, radiators that dry the air, and draughty hallways, so every recommendation below includes a note on how the plant copes with those conditions.
Which plant gift suits each occasion? (Quick-reference table)
This table matches each occasion to our top recommendation, with the botanical name, light, watering and pet safety so you can check it against the recipient's home at a glance.
| Occasion | Plant | Latin name | Light | Watering | Pet-safe? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housewarming | Money tree | Pachira aquatica | Bright indirect | When top few cm are dry | Yes (ASPCA non-toxic) |
| Birthday | Open terrarium (Calathea + Fittonia) | Calathea makoyana, Fittonia | Medium indirect | Keep evenly moist | Yes (ASPCA non-toxic) |
| Sympathy | Peace lily | Spathiphyllum | Low to medium indirect | Lightly moist; droops when thirsty | No — keep from chewing pets |
| Thank you | Philodendron Green Princess | Philodendron | Medium to bright indirect | When top few cm are dry | No — keep from chewing pets |
| Get well | Parlour palm | Chamaedorea elegans | Low to medium indirect | When top few cm are dry | Yes (ASPCA non-toxic) |
| New baby / home with pets | Bird's nest fern | Asplenium | Low to medium indirect | Keep moist, around the rosette | Not listed by the ASPCA |
| Corporate | ZZ plant | Zamioculcas zamiifolia | Low to bright indirect | Every 2–3 weeks | No — keep from chewing pets |
| Valentine's Day | Anthurium | Anthurium | Bright indirect | When top layer dries | No — keep from chewing pets |
| Mother's Day | Kentia palm 130cm | Howea forsteriana | Bright indirect to fairly low | When top 3–4cm are dry | Yes (ASPCA non-toxic) |
| Easter | Lemon tree | Citrus | Full sun | Evenly moist, never waterlogged | No — keep from chewing pets |
| Christmas | Ginseng fig bonsai | Ficus microcarpa | Bright indirect | When top layer is dry | No — keep from chewing pets |
What is the best plant to give as a housewarming gift in Ireland?
The best housewarming plant is the money tree (Pachira aquatica), traditionally given for good fortune and prosperity in a new home, with the olive tree (Olea europaea) and the snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata) as strong alternatives.
Money tree: native to the wetlands of Central and South America, it grows its distinctive braided trunk in bright indirect light and wants water when the top few centimetres of compost are dry. It is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA, and it is an easy, adaptable living-room plant, which matters in a house where the owners are still unpacking. Olive tree: from the Mediterranean basin, the ancient symbol of peace, friendship and long life. It needs full sun, so give it the brightest window indoors or a sheltered sunny patio in milder parts of Ireland, and let it dry slightly between waterings. Snake plant: from tropical West Africa, it tolerates low to bright light and needs water only every 2–4 weeks, making it a safe pick when you don't know the new home's light (keep away from pets that chew leaves).
Full buying advice, including sizes for apartments versus family homes, is in our housewarming plant gifts guide.
What is a good plant to give for a birthday?
For a birthday, an open terrarium planted with Calathea makoyana and Fittonia feels like a present to unwrap, and both plants are listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA.
Calathea (prayer plant): from the tropical Americas (C. makoyana comes from eastern Brazil), it has painted, patterned leaves that fold up at night. It likes medium indirect light with no direct sun and evenly moist compost, ideally with rain or filtered water, and loves the humidity of an Irish bathroom or kitchen. Fittonia (nerve plant): from Peru and neighbouring South America, it has vividly veined leaves and thrives in the humidity a glass vessel holds. If the birthday person prefers a single plant, a potted Calathea makoyana gives the same peacock-feather pattern.
Open Terrarium Joss — Calathea & Fittonia 30cm
More ideas by age and personality are in the birthday plant gifts guide.
What is the best plant to send as a sympathy gift in Ireland?
The peace lily (Spathiphyllum) is the traditional sympathy plant, and the olive tree, symbol of peace, is a lasting outdoor alternative for a memorial garden.
The peace lily comes from the rainforest floors of tropical Central and South America, which is why it flowers well even in the modest light of an Irish home. It likes low to medium indirect light and lightly moist compost; it droops visibly when thirsty and recovers within hours of watering, so a grieving recipient does not need any plant knowledge to keep it going. Its white spathes return each year, which many families find meaningful. It should be kept away from pets that chew leaves.
For wording, timing and remembrance ideas, read our sympathy and memorial plant gifts guide.
What plant should you give as a thank-you gift?
A compact, glossy Philodendron 'Green Princess' is an elegant thank-you for a teacher, host or neighbour because it fits on a desk or shelf and asks very little.
Philodendrons come from tropical Central and South America. They like medium to bright indirect light, want water when the top few centimetres are dry, and are adaptable in ordinary room conditions. Keep this one away from pets that chew leaves. If you know the recipient has a cat or dog, the parlour palm below is the pet-safe swap.
What is a good get-well plant gift?
The parlour palm (Chamaedorea elegans) is our top get-well plant: compact, forgiving and listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA.
It comes from the rainforests of southern Mexico and Guatemala, grows happily in low to medium indirect light and wants water only when the top few centimetres are dry. It is one of the best palms for a dim Irish flat, so it suits a bedroom or a sitting room where someone is recovering. Choose foliage over flowers for anyone with hay fever. The Calathea from the birthday section is a second pet-safe option, and its leaves fold up each evening.
Which plants are safe gifts for a new baby or a home with pets?
For a home with a new baby, a cat or a dog, choose plants listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA: the Kentia palm, the parlour palm, Calathea and the money tree.
The bird's nest fern comes from tropical Asia, Australia and the Pacific. It has glossy, rippled fronds, likes low to medium indirect light and should be kept moist, watering around the rosette rather than into it. It is one of the best plants for a humid Irish bathroom. It is not listed by the ASPCA, so keep it out of reach of pets. The ASPCA listing covers cats and dogs, not children, so any plant should still sit out of a toddler's reach. New parents also have little time, and every plant in this section is forgiving. The pet-safe plants collection and our pet-safe plants guide list more.
What are the best corporate plant gifts?
For clients and staff, the ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) and a DIY terrarium kit are the most reliable corporate plant gifts, because they survive office light and irregular watering.
The ZZ plant comes from eastern Africa, from Kenya to South Africa. It stores water in thick underground rhizomes, so it needs watering only every 2–3 weeks, and it copes with dim hallways, offices and missed waterings. Keep it away from pets that chew leaves. A terrarium kit gives the recipient something to build at their desk. For volume orders and invoicing, see the corporate plant gifts guide and the office plants collection.
What plant should you give for Valentine's Day?
For Valentine's Day, the anthurium (flamingo flower) is the classic romantic plant, with glossy heart-shaped blooms that last far longer than a bunch of roses. A heartleaf philodendron is the foliage alternative.
Anthuriums come from Colombia and Ecuador. They like bright indirect light, want water when the top layer of compost dries, and flower for months in a bright, warm room. The heartleaf philodendron trails from a shelf with heart-shaped leaves and adapts to ordinary room conditions. Both should be kept away from pets that chew leaves. Valentine's Day falls on Sunday 14 February 2027. Order at least two weeks ahead and read the Valentine's plant gifts guide.
What is the best plant gift for Mother's Day in Ireland?
For Mother's Day, a tall Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana) is the elegant statement gift, and a calamondin (Citrus × microcarpa) adds fragrant white flowers and real fruit.
The Kentia palm comes from Lord Howe Island, off eastern Australia. It is the classic Victorian parlour palm: elegant, slow-growing and long-lived. It takes bright indirect to fairly low light, even a north-facing room, and needs water when the top 3–4cm of compost are dry, less in winter. It is one of the few palms that copes with cool rooms and short Irish winter days, and it is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA. The calamondin comes from the Philippines and southern China. It needs full sun and should come indoors or into a cool, bright porch before the first frost. Keep it away from pets that chew leaves. Mother's Day in Ireland falls on Sunday 7 March 2027. See the Mother's Day plant gifts guide.
What plant should you give at Easter?
At Easter, a lemon tree (Citrus) brings a sunny Mediterranean note to the table, with fragrant white flowers and real fruit.
Citrus are cultivated hybrids of Asian origin. They need full sun, so the brightest window in the house or a sheltered patio in summer, and evenly moist compost that never sits in water. Bring it indoors or into a cool, bright porch before the first frost, and keep it away from pets that chew leaves. Easter Sunday falls on 28 March 2027, three weeks after Mother's Day, so one order can cover both. The Easter plant gifts guide has more spring ideas.
What are the best Christmas plant gifts?
For Christmas, a ginseng fig bonsai (Ficus microcarpa) or a DIY terrarium kit make a lasting alternative to seasonal plants that are thrown out in January, and a Kentia palm, the classic Victorian parlour palm, suits a festive living room for years.
The ginseng fig is the classic beginner bonsai. Ficus species come from South and Southeast Asia to Australia. It likes bright indirect light and water when the top layer of compost is dry, and may drop a few leaves after a move before settling within a few weeks. Keep it away from pets that chew leaves. A terrarium kit turns the gift into a Stephen's Day project. Order by 10 December for Christmas delivery. See the Christmas plants guide and the terrariums collection.
What if the recipient already loves plants, or you want something extraordinary?
For someone who already keeps plants, choose a genus they are unlikely to own, such as an Alocasia, Rhapis or Beaucarnea. Our gifts for plant lovers guide is written for collectors. If you want the gift itself to be the statement (a 130cm Kentia, a white bird of paradise or a sculptural bonsai), see our statement and specialty plant gifts guide. For gifts to family abroad, read sending plants across Europe.
How do you make a plant gift a success?
- Match the light: north-facing flats suit Kentia palms, ZZ plants and parlour palms; sunny rooms suit citrus, olives and ponytail palms. Our low-light plants guide helps.
- Match the experience: for first-time owners choose a snake plant, ZZ plant or parlour palm. See low-maintenance plants.
- Check for pets: if there's a cat or dog, stick to plants listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA.
- Add a message: a handwritten gift message is available on selected gift plants — you'll see the option on the product page. For ideas, see personalised plant gifts.
- Plan ahead: allow at least two weeks before the date, as delivery takes 5–8 working days.
14 February 2027: Valentine's Day (anthurium, heartleaf philodendron)
7 March 2027: Mother's Day in Ireland (Kentia palm, calamondin)
28 March 2027: Easter Sunday (lemon tree)
10 December: last order date for Christmas delivery (bonsai, terrariums, Kentia)
All year: housewarmings, birthdays, sympathy, thank-yous and get-well gifts
Frequently asked questions about plant gifts for occasions
Explore more plant gift guides
- Indoor plant gifts guide: choose by plant or by recipient
- Housewarming plant gifts
- Birthday plant gifts
- Sympathy and memorial plants
- Valentine's Day plant gifts
- Mother's Day plant gifts
- Easter plant gifts
- Christmas plants
- Corporate plant gifts
- Gifts for plant lovers
- Statement and specialty plant gifts
- Potted plant gifts ready to send
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