Looking for the perfect gift for a white elephant gift exchange and want it to be plant-themed? You’re in the right place! Pursue this expert-curated list of best white elephant gifts, and you’ll find the best plant gifts for this special white elephant time of year. 

From moisture meters that literally screams when your plant needs to be watered, to a life-size replica of your favorite carnivorous plant, there’s sure to be a wacky plant gift that grabs your attention.

Looking for serious gifts? Check out our list of Best 15 Gifts for Plant Parents!

Please shop responsibly! Pairing the perfect gift with the perfect recipient helps save on waste. As a sustainable small business, we believe it’s important to reduce waste and gift thoughtfully, for white elephant gift exchanges and all kinds of purchases. 

Without further ado, let’s go!

 

Hemp Green Monstera Twins T-Shirt

The perfect white elephant gift because:

Earth Wind and Plants sells the CUTEST apparel! Immediately when we spotted this shirt we knew it was destined to be in our 2024 plant gift guide. 

This shirt is sure to fit anyone who fits the vibe! It's available in sizes small through 4XL, unisex sizing. A bonus?The fabric is pre-shrunk hemp, so it's not going to suddenly turn into a crop top after one wash.

Where to Buy:

Easy-peasy! Just head over to Earth Wind and Plant's site to snag a t-shirt for that extra confident plant parent in your life!

If you're an Omaha, NE local (or just passing on through), you can even opt to pick up your order in person--just use code LOCAL at checkout.

Want more chances to show off your plant love? Earth Wind and Plants also has stickers, tote bags, beanies, and more!

Earth Wind and Plant's socials are also... ️‍🔥fire. Check out their Instagram or Facebook for BEAUTIFUL houseplant inspo!  

Bottom Line: 

A practical way to wear your plant love on your sleeve (err, chest)! Alternate pun: flaunt your love for houseplants!

 

 

Plant Pals

The perfect white elephant gift because:

Do you ever wish you could hide little critters in your and your friends' houseplants? Not ones that would destroy the plants of course, but simply lend some curiosity and intrigue and friendship...

Give your plant some cute company! There’s so many to choose from, but these plant pals from Art by Huntress captured our hearts!

Your new plant's friends can be worms, snails, or mushrooms! These cuties are approximately 1 inch in length and handcrafted, so exact size and shape will vary.

Where to Buy:

Stop by Daphne's Botanicals to hand-pick yours, or drop into the Art by Huntress website.

 

Bottom Line:

Plant Personality!

 

 

Living stones (Lithops)

The perfect white elephant gift because:

We all know that naughty children find coal in their stockings... and here's the prank equivalent for the grown-ups!

These beautiful tiny plants look exactly like rocks.... or butts... or both! And come in all colors and sizes.

Since Lithops are from the succulent family, they make a great gift for complete plant newbies. Simply water when the soil is completely dry and make sure they have access to some sunlight!

Where to Buy:

It's extremely likely we have them in stock at Daphne's Botanicals! You can always message us on Instagram or call ahead to confirm.

Not in the Portland, OR area? You can find these at many plant shops and online! 

Bottom Line:

Give them pet rocks that are ALIVE!

 

 

Corpse Plant (Amorphophallus titanum)

The perfect white elephant gift because:

While this plant may take over ten years to flower and will emit a pungent aroma while doing so, botanists have long adored this endangered and captivating bloom. It regularly grows to over eight feet tall in captivity and is actually relatively easy to care for. The corpse flower can grow up to 12 feet tall in its natural habitat, Western Sumatra, Indonesia.

Where to Buy:

This one might be tricky. You could try your luck reaching out to the most reputable growers such as the United States Botanical Garden or the Kew Royal Botanical Gardens. You may also try your luck on eBay or Etsy, or charter your own flight to Indonesia to scope one out for yourself.

Bottom Line: 

The ultimate plant to gift any botanist with anosmia and lots of patience.

Screaming Plant Moisture Meter

The perfect white elephant gift because:

Keep forgetting to water your plants? Do your new plant friends end up looking a little crusty after a few weeks at your place? No more! Try a screaming plant moisture meter, and you’ll never be able to ignore your thirsty plants ever again. And, people seem to love it on TikTok.

Where to Buy:

Uh oh, not so fast! It’s far from the hardest one to acquire on this list, but you’ll need a bit of elbow grease. You can buy chirp! here at wemakethings, or check out this tutorial on Hackster or this one on Autodesk.

Bottom Line:

Perfect for DIY lovers who just keep forgetting to water plants! But seriously, give PlantDoc a try if you’re looking for a eye-catching and easy plant moisture meter.

 

AI Plant Identifier 

The perfect white elephant gift because:

Hear us out… for now, AI is a little overhyped and we can still laugh at its mistakes and brazen confidence until it takes over the world. For now, AI for plants is hit or miss.

A fun game we’ve devised is having the app scan our faces or other non-plant objects and seeing what it makes of them. Like the Harry Potter sorting hat. For example, it calls me a “Burning Bush” plant. I’ll take it! It’s a gorgeous plant. I wonder how Plant AI apps would identify you and your friends?

Where to Buy:

Many free and cheap AI plant identifiers are to be had right on your phone’s app store. Plantum offers the most entertainment, whereas iNaturalist and Pl@ntNet seem to be actually getting somewhere in terms of accuracy.

Bottom Line:

A very affordable and unpredictable laugh! 

 

In Conclusion...

We hope you had as much fun reading this as we did writing! 

Check out our list of Best 15 Gifts for Plant Parents for more great houseplant-themed giving ideas.