Gifts for Houseplant Lovers in Canada
Gifts for houseplant lovers in Canada should help with the two things a Canadian winter does to plants indoors: the days get very short, and furnace heat makes the air very dry. Most houseplants come from warm, bright, humid places. A gift that adds light, measures humidity or makes watering easier helps them get through to spring.
Quick answer: the most useful gifts deal with winter: a grow light for short days, a hygrometer to see how dry the air really is, a humidifier if it is, a moisture meter to stop overwatering, and practical extras like a moss pole, propagation glasses and pots with drainage holes.
How this list works: these are kinds of things, not particular products, and we have not tested or ranked brands. Each one is here because it fits a job the Canadian season actually sets, and each links to the guide on this site that explains that job. The buttons open an Amazon.ca search so you can compare for yourself.
For short winter days
In much of Canada a December day lasts about eight or nine hours, and the sun is low. Plants a metre back from the window get very little.
Clip-on grow light
What it is: A small LED light on a flexible arm that clips to a shelf or stands in a pot, often with a timer.
Why in Canada: It makes up for the short days of a Canadian winter for plants away from a sunny window.
Goes with: Houseplant light calculator →
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Plant stand or shelf
What it is: A tiered stand that holds several pots near a window.
Why in Canada: In winter the brightest spot in the house is next to the glass. A stand lets more plants share it.
Goes with: Houseplant winter care →
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For dry furnace air
Forced-air heating dries a Canadian home in winter. Measuring it comes first.
Hygrometer
What it is: A small digital gauge that shows the room's humidity and temperature.
Why in Canada: It shows how dry the air really is in January, so they know whether their plants need more humidity at all.
Goes with: Houseplant winter care →
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Cool-mist humidifier
What it is: A room humidifier that adds moisture to the air without heating it.
Why in Canada: Humidity-loving plants brown at the leaf tips in dry winter air. A humidifier near them helps when a hygrometer shows the air is dry.
Goes with: Houseplant problems →
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For watering and growing
Overwatering kills more houseplants than anything else, and winter makes it easier, because plants use less water when the light is low.
Soil moisture meter
What it is: A probe pushed into the pot that shows whether the soil is wet or dry at the roots.
Why in Canada: In winter, plants dry out much more slowly. A meter stops the habit of watering on a schedule.
Goes with: Watering guide →
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Moss pole
What it is: A pole for climbing plants to grow up, so they make bigger leaves.
Why in Canada: Monsteras and philodendrons are among the most common houseplants in Canadian homes, and they climb in nature.
Goes with: Monstera care →
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Propagation glasses
What it is: Small glass vessels in a stand for rooting cuttings in water.
Why in Canada: Rooting cuttings is a pleasant winter project, and roots are easy to watch in glass.
Goes with: Plants that grow in water →
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Pots with drainage holes
What it is: Clay or plastic pots with a hole in the bottom so extra water can escape.
Why in Canada: Water that cannot drain sits under the roots, and in a cool winter room the mix stays wet for a long time.
Goes with: Houseplant problems →
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good gift for someone who loves houseplants?
Something that helps in winter. In Canada the days are short and the indoor air is dry from November to March, so a small grow light, a hygrometer or a humidifier helps their plants more than another plant does.
Do houseplants need a grow light in Canada?
Many do in winter. Days in much of Canada drop to about eight or nine hours in December, and plants away from a south or west window get little light. A grow light on a timer makes up the difference.
Is a humidifier good for houseplants?
For humidity-loving plants such as calatheas, ferns and prayer plants, yes. Check first with a hygrometer: if the room is already reasonably humid, a humidifier is not needed.
What should I not give a houseplant lover?
A pot with no drainage hole, unless it is a decorative outer pot. Water that cannot drain sits at the bottom and rots roots, which is one of the most common ways houseplants die.