Houseplant lovers know that sometimes we get tired of dealing with a finicky houseplant or simply need to make room in the home when a plant collection has gotten too big. Here is how to make money selling houseplants online. It is more simple than you would think!
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When I first started collecting houseplants, I simply wanted to add some beauty and life to my living space. Through trial and error and research, I figured out how to properly maintain these beautiful houseplants. In doing so, I found many more varieties that I put on my “plant wish list.” Houseplant collecting can be addictive and expensive, but when you do need to get rid of a few plants, there are many options to sell plants in good condition to someone who has the time and resources to help it thrive.
Places to Sell Houseplants Online
You can definitely start an online plant business easily, but it does not have to be a dedicated place, such as an online store like on Etsy, for example. If you want to make a little extra money, it is a good idea to try these options first:
Facebook Plant Groups
Most everyone is on Facebook, and there are already many good Facebook groups that sell plants. I found one for my area and was able to sell a plant that was getting too big for me to feel good about dealing with its maintenance. I simply posted pictures and an asking price in the Facebook group, and someone came to pick it up the next day and paid on Venmo.
If this is something you are interested in, search Facebook for plant groups in your area. Consider how far you are willing to potentially travel or how far the plant lovers will come for your plants and go from there. If there isn’t a group like this for your area, make one and then promote it in houseplant or gardening Facebook groups.
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is a good place to sell your own plants as a side hustle. This is a good place to sell because there are no fees, they can play directly on Facebook, and there is a little more accountability than just selling in groups because of ratings and reports and such. You can also select to sell locally with local pickup or online. Just take into consideration shipping fees.
If you are selling expensive rare plants, watch out for scammers and ask to meet up in a designated safe selling space, such as the local police office.
Ebay
I have been an eBay seller for over 20 years now, so when I wanted to start selling live plants online, I did a quick search and found many people with active listings for different types of plants. This is a great way to sell house plants and plant cuttings. (more about plant cuttings later!)
There are fees on eBay. My latest plant that sold on eBay had a 13.25% transaction fee.
Another thing about selling on eBay is that you will have to package and ship the plants yourself. See more about shipping houseplants below.
eBay offers slightly discounted shipping, and PayPal does, as well. eBay makes it simple because you can purchase the shipping label straight from the app, print it, and drop it off at the post office, or have a pickup scheduled. (I do prefer to take my plants directly to the post office because of weather and temperature fluctuations, but that isn’t feasible for everyone.)
Palmstreet
I was recently told about Palmstreet, which is an app that is strictly for selling plants and planty things. They have live sales options and you can buy or sell, talk with the community, and more. (Use my link for Palmstreet to sign up!)
I like that Palmstreet is a dedicated app and website that is filled with the best plants and a great place if you are a plant enthusiast! This is definitely the best place to look if you are searching for a specific plant or want to sell your houseplants to a target audience at competitive prices. They offer sales and discounts, too, which is always fun.
There are different plans (Hobby, Full-Time, Business) when joining Palmstreet and thus, different selling fees. Non-live selling fees is only 2.9% which is considerably lower than eBay’s fees. If you plan on going live to sell your plants regularly, consider signing up for the business plan because those are the smallest live selling fees, at 3.9% vs the hobby (free) plan which is 5.9%.
Stripe, the payment service provider used by Palmstreet, does charge a fee of $0.3 + 6% of the subtotal for the order if the buyer uses installment payment, but if the order is paid in full the processing fees will be $0.3 + 2.9%.
How to Safely Ship Plants
There are many ways to safely ship houseplants, but the two main things to remember are: package your plants carefully and consider the temperature the plant will be traveling through. I do not like to ship plants in the winter, because oftentimes boxes are left in freezing temperatures. If you must ship in the winter, consider adding a heat pack and adjusting your prices to accommodate this added cost.
If you have ordered plants online, you might remember how well they are packed. One thing that I have noticed with reputable plant companies like Plant Proper (get a 10% discount with that link!) is that they pack the pot with spaghnum moss so there is no wiggle room between the soil and the top of the pot. Then they wrap the entire plant with brown paper and tape it well so nothing gets damaged. If you have a tall plant, secure it with bamboo sticks and package well in a cardboard box.
To package propagations, I simply wrap the roots only in a damp paper towel, wrap it with a plastic sandwich bag and tape. Then, I package the entire plant carefully, adding extra paper, packing peanuts, or tissue paper around the plant’s leaves and stem. Place in cardboard boxes that are bigger than the actual plant so you don’t have to shove it in and bend leaves.
Shipping same day is a must. Plants and propagations don’t need to be in transit longer than necessary.
Selling Propagations Online
Selling propagations online can be an easy way to sell without getting rid of your original mother plant. Simply chop and propagate and sell at little to no cost. All of the above mentioned places are a good option for selling propagations to plant parents. There is something about propagating in cute little propagation station that is so cool, but sometimes we can get overloaded!
Be Cautious of selling propagations that have a plant patent
It may be tempting to just chop and prop all of your plants, but know that many plants, especially rare or new plants come with some legal warning. Search google to see if you can legally sell propagations of your plants. Plants that do not appear naturally (variegated plants, especially) and were crafted by humans probably have a plant patent that technically could get you sued if you were found to be selling propagations. Check the plant tags for registered trademarks.
For instance, the Raven® ZZ Plant is a popular plant that has a patent number of PP 30,035 and was patented as Zamioculcas zamiifolia ‘Dowon’ by its breeder, Hyuk Jin Lee.
It is best to stay away from doing that. If you are simply tired of the plant you bought, you can most certainly sell that as a whole.
Buy and Sell Wholesale Plants
There are many places to buy plants at wholesale cost, and then you can turn around and ship them out for a profitable business. A simple online search can find local nurseries that offer wholesale pricing, or you can have them shipped to you. These places offer better prices and also rare indoor plants that have a patent so you cannot propagate. A purchase from one of these stores is a great initial investment.
If you are unsure what plants to buy, you could chat with the wholesaler directly to ask what is popular, or you could visit an online marketplace to see what is in high demand. A great option is to research what your potential customers are already looking for.
I know that plants like the Monstera Thai and other variegated plants are really hot right now, but the basic Golden Pothos is still my best seller, so don’t forget about the OG plants!
You can also check stores for low priced plants or even clearance plants that they are trying to move out quickly. Just make sure to follow these tips for buying houseplants at big box stores first! Reselling lower priced plants can yield some great profit.
What if I want to sell my plants offline?
I have sold plants at garage sales before and that is a good starting place, but you could also sell at Farmer’s Markets and Pop-Up shops. Just check the local regulations for avoiding any legal trouble and remember to avoid selling propagations that have a plant patent.
Who knows, your plant-selling business might take off and you will open a plant store that will be known and loved by all local houseplant lovers! Good luck and let me know in the comments if you have any more tips to add!