One of the most frequent questions that I get is: “I’m looking for some more unusual plants but I can’t find anything in my local nurseries. Where do you find your rare plants?” In this post, I will give you ALL of my favorite online sources for rare and unusual plants. These are all vendors or platforms that I’ve purchased from myself (with the exception of the bonus suggestions at the end). Please note, the majority of them are based in the United States. Now, buckle up, get your Plant Wishlist ready, and hold on to your wallet!
Ecuagenera
When it comes to rare plants, I think that Ecuagenera ranks at the top. They have a HUGE collection of rare aroids available for purchase. They ship internationally to many countries, but I am only familiar with their U.S. process. For U.S. buyers, you can read about my first Ecuagenera purchase in this article. They also hold pop-up shops in various countries and cities, and attend plant shows where you will be able to pick up your pre-ordered plants.
Steve’s Leaves
One of my top choices for purchasing plants in the U.S. is Steve’s Leaves. With over a thousand different plant varieties being propagated and grown on-site, there is plenty to choose from! Rare or uncommon aroids and begonias make up the bulk of their inventory. In fact, the begonia selection is probably the best in the country!
Costa Farms
You may have seen Costa Farms‘ plants in local home improvement centers like Lowe’s or Home Depot. They are a wholesale supplier for several large big box stores, but also offer some of their plants online for retail customers. I purchased a huge Alocasia Silver Dragon from them, which you can read about here. While their plant selection is not huge, they do carry some relatively uncommon species, and I believe more exciting additions (like the Monstera ‘Thai Constellation’) will be coming in the future!
Logee’s
For a wide-ranging and varied selection of plants, Logee’s is your answer. A family-owned nursery since 1892, they carry everything from orchids to unusual tropical fruits to uncommon aroids and succulents. There’s truly something for everybody! I’ve ordered several times with them, and the plants that they ship are always healthy, well-packed and a good size. No complaints here!
Glasshouse Works
Glasshouse Works has one of the largest varieties of plants on their inventory that I’ve ever seen on the internet. They don’t specialize in anything in particular, and will carry everything from indoor houseplants to succulents to outdoor perennials. However, many of these plants are uncommon and not commercially available in most retail nurseries.
Black Jungle Terrarium Supply
For those who love building vivariums and terrariums, Black Jungle is the go-to spot on the web! They specialize in the dart frog hobby and supply everything that you may need to keep your critters happy. While I do not keep dart frogs, I have purchased some intriguing plants from them, usually jewel orchids. They have a nice selection of jewel orchids and you can check out one of my reviews here. The rest of their plants are ideal for the humid, enclosed spaces of vivariums and terrariums.
Glassbox Tropicals
Like Black Jungle Terrarium Supply, Glassbox Tropicals also serves the vivarium hobby niche. Their plants are generally younger and smaller, usually in 2″ pots, so I would not expect any large specimens when you make a purchase. The majority of their stock consists of miniature orchids, jewel orchids, mosses and bromeliads. Between Glassbox Tropicals and Black Jungle, you can create lush vivarium or terrarium in your home or apartment!
Davis Farms Wholesale Tillandsias
If Tillandsias are more your groove, then check out Davis Farms, a small family-owned nursery located in sunny Southern California. You can find many different species of Tillandsias, including some species that are rare and quite pricey. The minimum order is $100, not including taxes or shipping. If you don’t want to drop $100 all at once, I would recommend splitting the order with other plant-loving friends.
Etsy
As a marketplace platform, Etsy tends to be much better for rare and unusual plants than eBay or Amazon. There are so many independent vendors on Etsy that offer all kinds of amazing plants that are hard to find elsewhere. As with all marketplace platforms, be sure to carefully consider the price, vendor reviews and shipping costs.
eBay
Like Etsy, eBay is a great place to find independent small growers offering all kinds of amazing and uncommon plants for various price points. I’ve purchased from many different individual sellers on eBay over many years. To date, I’ve never had a negative experience. Of course, you have to do your due diligence and compare prices and read the customer reviews.
Amazon
Amazon.com is hit-or-miss when it comes to unusual or uncommon plants. Usually it’s a miss, but I have found some interesting things (although not necessarily rare), which I’ve shared in this post.
However, Amazon.com does have a large variety of common plants available. If you’re looking for spider plants, fiddle leaf figs, and many of the tried-and-true houseplants, then there will be plenty to choose from.
BONUS: Vendors I have not yet purchased from
NSE Tropicals
If you’re a little hesitant about ordering rare plants from another country and having them imported into the U.S., NSE Tropicals can be a great solution to your problem. As a U.S.-based nursery specializing in very rare plants, you can have the peace of mind that comes with ordering from a reliable and customer-oriented grower. However, that peace of mind does come with a slightly higher price tag for their plants. I have not ordered from NSE Tropicals yet, but I’ve only heard good things, and I hope to make a purchase in the future.
Ken’s Philodendrons
As their name implies, Ken’s Philodendrons has a lot of—well, Philodendrons. They also grow Anthuriums, but in much smaller quantities. They offer many plants with variegation, and their photos represent the actual plant that you would receive. As with most U.S.-based growers, their prices are much higher than what you would find compared to an international import. They also close their online shop for the winter, so if you are interested in their plants, it would be best to sign up for an email notification.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, I hope this information will help you on your own plant collecting journey! Of course, there are numerous other plant vendors and platforms that I have not covered in this list, but these are the ones that I have the most experience with. Hopefully, I will have some new recommendations in the future!
Always Keep Growing,
Heather (a.k.a. The Botanical Chick)
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