The 14 Best Plant Shops for New Plant Parents in New York City 

The number of plant parents exploded in 2020. These are the stores that they frequent in NYC.

From the Flower District, bodegas, hardware stores to specialty shops, there are so many places to visit for houseplants. This is a list of a couple of the shops that are open in New York City for budding plant parents.

Where can you buy plants in New York City?

Every neighborhood has its own corner shop, aka bodega, or hardware store that carries plants. These are usually snake plants, ZZ plants, and pothos plants. It is safe to say that each borough has one or two specialty plant stores for less common houseplants and rare plants. 

These plant stores are not located in one central area but it is possible to spend an afternoon in a neighborhood and hit a couple of stores to buy plants for your collection. 

The best-known plant stores in NYC

PetAl Plants is part of the Union Square Market and their stall can be found there on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. They sell all kinds of plants from cactuses, snake plants, and other common houseplants. At times, rare houseplants are available - recently they had pink princess philodendrons (PPPs) and silver swords. Seasonal plants that they offer are vegetables and flowers during the spring and summer, and poinsettias and Christmas cactuses in the winter. The best thing about PetAl is that their plants are super affordable, so locals are constantly checking what they have in stock. The PPS and Silver Sword were $40, a total steal compared to other places.  


Plant Shed mixes a coffee shop and plant store in one. With multiple locations around the city, it is a great spot to take a coffee break and look around the shop for plants, substrates, fertilizers, and cute accessories for your plant collection.  They sell mostly common houseplants. Every once in a while have rare houseplants, but their prices are more market value and around $100 or more.


The Sill is a popular plant website that has retail stores scattered around the city. They mostly stock common houseplants and their rates are market rates.


Dahing Plants is a reason for plant lovers to go to Chinatown. (The second reason of course is for amazing Chinese food!) They always have some kind of rare houseplant in stock and their prices aren't outrageous, but not quite as cheap as PetAl.

Plant shops in Harlem

5. Mushtari Hardware

There are many stores and bodegas that happen to sell plants but Mushtari actually has plants beyond the basic variety. They recently expanded their space all the way to the back and have another entrance on 126th Street. In the middle is a coffee stall where customers can order a drink and pastry. 


6. Urban Garden Center

Urban Garden Center is one of the few plant shops run by people of color. They have a great selection of pots, substrates, other gardening accessories. For those looking for big potted plants and trees, this is the place to go. Rare plants can be found in their greenhouse and the selection is constantly changing. UGC has a 50% weekend and that is the time to go for a good deal.


7. Plant Corner NYC

This cute shop recently opened in Harlem and is the place to go for plant people who want to take the plunge and start caring for rare plants. A part of their store has baby plants and cuttings for around $20. The price is just enough to make it affordable to buy a rare plant and if you cannot figure out how to take care of it and it dies, then you wouldn't have lost a lot of money!

Plant shops in Brooklyn

8. Nelly's Flowers & Plants 

Nelly's is an institution Brooklyn's plant lovers. Their prices are reasonable and they always have rare plants, everything from aroids to hoyas and succulents. They post their new arrivals on their social media so customers can check that out before heading out to Brooklyn. 


9. Little Shop of Soil

Little Shop of Soil has a couple of locations scattered throughout Brooklyn and their selection is great. Their prices are reasonable starting with smaller pots below $10. They usually have less common houseplants on their shelves.


10. Hardware 2.0

Hardware 2.0 has a good selection of rare houseplants, hoyas, and other houseplants at reasonable prices. The store is also run by people of color and has been around since the 1980s. Their plants became so popular that they now sell them online in their store. 

Plant shops in Queens

11. e garden

Out in Flushing, Queens, this tiny plant shop is filled with all sorts of plants. You will know you are at the right spot when you see plants on the sidewalk and hanging from the door. Their prices are reasonable but I wouldn't suggest going out all the way to Flushing just to buy their plants. Now, if you also want to get Chinese food they have great options all around the area. 


12. Planted by Christy

Planted by Christy is a sister company of Nelly's that recently opened in Long Island City. Out front people can find popular houseplants that everyone is raging about and in the back is harder to find rare houseplants. They import the plants and rehabilitate them before adding them to the store shelves. The reviews are mixed but people should know that they might have to care for the plants as rehabs and not freak out when the plants are doing so well when they take them home. The prices are OK, not too expensive considering the kind of plant. But those unfamiliar with how crazy prices can go for some plants they will be sticker shocked!

Plant shops in the Flower District

13. Foliage Garden

This store is part of the famed Flower District and has been around since the 1980s. They are a wholesaler and also rent out plants too. Their shop is a greenhouse and you can definitely feel it once you step inside. There are a lot of plants to choose from but the rarer ones are over by the cash register. Keep an eye for a black cat that loves to be petted.

14. Foliage Paradise

Also in the Flower District, this shop has a great selection of house plants that are less common than the other shops in the district. In the back are bigger potted houseplants, just in case you need one for your apartment!