In lieu of buying homes or starting families — after all, who can afford those? — young Americans have focused on more modest endeavors: posts, podcasts, and plants. The last of the three Ps has especially taken off on TikTok (more specifically, PlantTok), where self-described plant moms rack up millions of views offering basic care tips, botanical facts, and buying advice.
One rather fertile corner of PlantTok is reserved entirely for Trader Joe’s plants. The #traderjoesplants tag has nearly 1 million cumulative views alone — a significant number for such a niche tag. But the retailer’s popularity online shouldn’t be a surprise.
Not only was Trader Joe’s ranked No. 4 on the list of top plant retailers in August 2021, but the quirky chain has also received praise for the quality, affordability, and selection of its plants and flowers. Here’s why.
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Trader Joe’s Plants Are Fresh
If you watch a TikTok about Trader Joe’s plants and flowers, you’re likely to notice how healthy they look. That’s in part because of the retailer’s fresh stock, which workers replenish seven days a week, according to Maggie Meccia-Vogt, Trader Joe’s national floral category manager.
“There could be somebody out there that does, but I don't know of a single other retailer in the United States that gets fresh flower delivery seven days a week,” Meccia-Vogt said on an episode of the Inside Trader Joe’s podcast. “So we move an absolute massive amount of flowers just because we're known for our freshness.”
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Trader Joe’s Plants Are Affordable
Like most Trader Joe’s products, the grocery store’s plants and flowers are also cheap.
Whereas the monstera at Home Depot ranges from $23 to $80, Trader Joe’s sells their jumbo variety for just $15 (prices and selection vary), and many of the grocery chain’s plants are even cheaper. A succulent in a cute pot? Just $5. A spiky roadrunner cactus? Around $11. Even the cult favorite, the tillandsia yoga skeleton, sells for a mere $7.
From that short list alone, it’s clear that Trader Joe’s also has a respectable plant selection, ranging from hardy cacti and succulents to verdant fiddle leafs and alocasias.
Trader Joe’s Has a Good Selection
The Trader Joe’s Plant Finds Instagram account can give you a better idea of the store’s breadth. The account posts photos of the retailer’s different plants across the U.S., highlighting dozens of unique flora most of us probably haven’t heard of. What’s more, #traderjoesplantfinds has over 1,100 posts on the platform.
Of course, the grocery chain’s variety can’t compete with a nursery or even a massive store like Home Depot. Nevertheless, the fact that Trader Joe’s refreshes their stock daily means that the selection should be diverse enough for most casual plant moms.
The Bottom Line
Trader Joe’s is growing a following among plant lovers thanks to its diverse, fresh, and wallet-friendly plants and flowers, many of which have been featured online. So if you want to spruce up your kitchen with a flower arrangement or fill your bedroom with greenery, you can’t go wrong with Trader Joe’s.
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