How To Get Free Or Cheap Houseplants

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Did you know you can fill your home with houseplants for free? Yep, that’s true. You can even get big, beautiful houseplants for less than $20.

From joining garden clubs to checking the clearance shelves at big box stores, you don’t have to spend a ton of money to create a jungle in your home.

Here is a list of the best ways to get free and cheap houseplants.

Trade plant cuttings

One of the best ways to get free plants is by trading plant cuttings.

You most likely have plants that have produced “pups” or new plants in the same pot. Separate these plants at the base of the plant to create more plants. You can do this with plants like Snake plants, Areca palms, Chinese Evergreen, Caladiums, and many others.

You probably even have a plant that has grown quite large and is ready to be trimmed. You can trim your plants and give it to others as long as the plant cutting has nodes on it, which it most likely does. Nodes look like little pimples or raised dots on stems. Submerge these nodes underwater and let the cutting grow roots. In about 3-4 weeks, your plant should have sufficient roots. Now you can start sharing your plants with others. Hooray!

Join local Facebook plant groups

Facebook plant groups are gold mines for finding the best plants at the best prices, and sometimes even free.

To find a local plant group on Facebook, go to Facebook’s search bar and type in [your city + houseplants] and houseplant groups in your city will pop up.

Facebook plant groups often have “purges” which is where people make a post in the plant group and list plants for sale, and many times even include free plants.

I’ve found so many houseplants for free or for less than $10 in Facebook groups.

Visit the clearance section

Big box stores like Lowes and Home Depot have a clearance section where plants are discounted up to 90% off. This is a huge savings and I have found many of my houseplants here.

You can find plants in great condition in the clearance section. You’ll typically find plants that appear to be dying but don’t give up on them just yet. Some clearance plants can be rehabbed and brought back to life by repotting the soil, giving the plant good lighting, and even some extra humidity.

If you find a plant that wasn’t in the clearance section but looks sad, you can ask the cashier for a discount. Sometimes this works but it really depends on the cashier.

Check online plant stores

Online plant stores usually have sales going on for plants that need to be sold in order to make room for new plants. Check the plant stores sales section of the website or join the email list to get notified when plants go on sale.

Popular plant stores that often have sales include Logee’s, Gabriella Plants, and Steve’s Leaves.

Join a garden club

Almost every major city has a local garden club that shares information and tips on how to successfully garden. Many of these garden clubs hold events where people can drop off free things like seeds, plants, etc..

At these events, you can pick up seeds and cuttings for free. It’s a great program for people to get access to seeds and plants without having to spend any money.

Exchange seeds

One of the coolest things about plants is how they produce seeds to make even more plants.

Growing a plant from seed is one of the most satisfying things ever. It’s also rewarding to see a little seed turn into a huge plant, and then you get to brag to all of your friends about how amazing you are at growing plants from nothing.

Estate sales

Estate sales sometimes have an area where there are houseplants and even bags of seeds. Aside from that, estate sales often have planters and other plant accessories that you can find at a discounted price.

Go to a plant swap event

Plant swaps are one of the best ways to get amazing plants for free.

When you attend a plant swap, expect a wide variety of plants available. You’ll see quite a few common houseplants, but you may even see a few rare houseplants. Plant swaps often even have a free table where you can grab free houseplants and accessories.

Buy Nothing Project Facebook groups

Buy Nothing Project is a worldwide network that connects communities to do exactly what it sounds like, buy nothing. In the past 9+ years, the Buy Nothing Project has grown to over 7,000 Facebook groups and has connected tens of thousands of people.

These Facebook groups often have free plants and cuttings, along with anything else you can think of. This is a great place to reach out to before buying anything. The goal of the Buy Nothing project is to use what we already have instead of buying more things. This also helps people save a lot of money, not to mention the environmental impact as well.

Find a Buy Nothing group here.

Key takeaways

Save your money and get free or cheap houseplants with these tips. Not only will you save a ton of money, but you’ll also meet people in the houseplant community and even make a new friend.

You can get free or cheap plants the following ways:

trade plant cuttings
join local Facebook plant groups
visit the clearance section
check online plant stores
join a garden club
exchange seeds
estate sales or yard sales
go to a plant swap event
buy nothing Facebook groups

Now it’s time for you to use these tips and get free houseplants.