Top Gifts for Mother's Day

If your Mom is a fan of colorful houseplants, try Pink Star Calathea (Goeppertia roseopicta Pink Star). This stunning houseplant shows off pink leaves artfully edged in dark green and with purple undersides. It's fun to look at, but also fun to watch --- at night, it often closes, or folds up, its lush leaves. Calathea is a bit more finicky about not getting too much or too little water, so it's a great choice for Moms with some houseplant experience. 
Plant Hunter Tip:  Pink Star Calathea tolerates lower lighting levels, but shows its best color in a bright spot. If Mom keeps it in a bright window, she'll enjoy the strongest pink tones. 
 

Flowering Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana varieties) offer gorgeous clusters of colorful blossoms in a wide range of shades, from pinks and purples to reds and oranges, yellows and white. So it's easy to pick one in Mom's favorite color for Mother's Day. Beyond their beauty, they have low water requirements, so they're great for Moms who may not always remember to water their plants. 
Plant Hunter Tip: Kalanchoe will grow --- and flower --- the most for Mom if she gives it lots of bright light. It does best within about 3 feet or a window.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum varieties) is a tried-and-true houseplant Mom is sure to love. It features lush green leaves, and if it gets enough light, cheery white flowers throughout the year (if it doesn't get good light, Mom can still enjoy its lovely leaves). Peace Lily is long-lived and a little thirstier than your average houseplant, but get Mom a self-watering system and she's sure to enjoy success. This houseplant can eventually grow more than 4 feet tall over the years, and can be split and divided if Mom wants to share with other family members.
Plant Hunter Tip: For optimal growth, repot Peace Lily every couple of years in a slightly bigger planter.  

Give Mom the gift of good fortune this Mother's Day with a Money Tree (Pachira aquatica). Long associated with bringing good fortune into a home, Money Tree is a beautiful houseplant even if you don't follow feng shui. This easy-going tree sports hand-shaped leaves that add color, texture, and life to any space. While small, it's great for a tabletop but Mom can take pride it over the years as it can grow more than 6 feet tall.
Plant Hunter Tip: It's easy to prune/shape Money Tree to grow in the size/shape Mom wants. 

Flowering Anthurium may be the most reliable blooming houseplant. With good light, it blooms on and off throughout the year, showing off long-lasting brilliant red flowers (individual blossoms can last up to a couple of months!). Perhaps because it's so tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions and so lovely that Anthurium is a trending plant in 2024 -- making it an extra special gift now that Mom can also enjoy for decades. 
Plant Hunter Tip: Anthurium flowers best in lots of bright light. It prefers being within about 3 feet or a window.

Philodendron Pink Princess was once one of the trendiest (and expensive) houseplants on the market, but now it's relatively easy to find (and affordable), making it a great Mother's Day gift. This plant's dark green leaves are streaked and splashed with varying shades of pink --- from soft, cotton-candy pink to intense Barbie-pink. (And in bright light, the green is often flushed with shades of purple)

Plant Hunter Tip: As it grows, this Philodendron can climb. So giving it a support, like a moss pole or totem, will help Mom show it off best.

Eye-catching and delightfully easy to grow, Albo Pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum Albo-Variegata) is a hard-to-find houseplant that has dark green leaves streaked and splashed with white. While that alone might make it seem like an upgrade to tried-and-true Golden Pothos, the real beauty come with time. Let her climb and Albo Pothos develops splits in the sides of the leaves, making it look like a variegated Monstera!
Plant Hunter Tip: Mom will enjoy the biggest, most beautiful leaves if she lets this plant climb up a wall, trellis, or totem.

If your Mom likes the jungle look, consider giving her Monstera Esqueleto. This tropical houseplant sports leaves that can get more than 18 inches long and have windows (fenestrations) throughout the leaf, giving it a lacy look. Monstera Esqueleto is a fast grower in bright light, so Mom can show off her green thumb with pride. And it's tolerant of a wide range of conditions, so even if Mom's a beginner with houseplants, she can enjoy success with it.
Plant Hunter Tip: Monstera Esqueleto hates staying too wet, so make sure Mom doesn't overwater this incredible houseplant.