Besides “how to start a terrarium” and “how to maintain a terrarium,” one particularly common question among terrarium newbies is “where to buy terrarium plants online.”

terrarium plants online nursery purchase

Pistills Nursery Portland (Pinterest)

Of course, you can look in your local nursery – if you have one, but there are online stores that offer wider selections from which you can choose.

In this article, we’ve put together a list of the 5 best suppliers where you can buy terrarium plants online. 

Is Buying Terrarium Plants Online Safe?

So, if you buy plants or seeds online, how can you be sure that:

  1. The plants aren’t manufactured as some sort of poison (sounds crazy, but remember this?)
  2. What you buy is going to take?

The truth is, in both cases, you can’t be completely sure. But you can do your research on exactly who it is that you’re purchasing through. When you buy seeds or plants through a company like Amazon or Etsy, the organic materials are coming from somewhere. Do a little digging and come to a decision.

Maybe even buy the seeds or plants directly from the source! Always be sure to do some additional research on the plants and seeds specifically on a website like ours too so that you get a more specialized take on whether they’re the right choice for you and your terrarium. Once you’ve decided which one is right for you though, these are the 5 best places to purchase plants for your terrarium online.

The 5 Best Places Online to Buy Terrarium Plants

Well, before we get into the best places to purchase terrarium plants online, we should probably make sure that you’re prepared for the arrival of your goodies. So, do you know if your terrarium will be sealed or unsealed? If you’re a little confused by that question, then you need to read the post linked above.

Perhaps you know the answer to that question though – great! Have you planned out your mini garden so that your terrarium is optimized for healthy growth? Some terrarium plants work better together than others. Check out our 4 favorite options if you’re unsure as to where to start. If you want a terrarium that’ll literally feed you, then give our 10 best edible terrarium plants guide a quick peruse.

If you have any other questions that need answering before you hit that purchase button, then don’t hesitate to ask them in the comments section below. We either know the answer or can quickly find it for you.

1. Amazon 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know what Amazon is. As the biggest online store across the globe, Amazon has just about everything you’d ever want to buy, and terrarium supplies are no exception.

From terrarium soil and containers to thermometers and tools, Amazon has everything you need to build a terrarium. They also provide plants for terrariums, with a large selection to cater to all your terrarium needs.

As opposed to individual terrarium plants, there are also bundled assortments so you can have a diverse variety of plants in your terrarium from the jump. One of our favorite examples of this idea is from JM Bamboo. It features eight seasonal dwarf plants designed to coexist with a unique care plan for your terrarium.

This assortment includes 8 different plants in 2.5-inch pots, with heights ranging between 4 and 6 inches. According to customer reviews, you’ll be most likely receive:

  • Red Polka Dot Plant/Hypoestes
  • White Polka Dot Plant/Hypoestes
  • Sansevieria Hahnii
  • Dieffenbachia “Camilla”
  • Furcraera/Mauritius Hemp
  • Baby Rubber Plant/Peperomia
  • Baby Rubber Plant/Peperomia
  • Parlour Parm
  • And/Or Kalanchoe

The plants generally arrive safely without any damage, and the seller sometimes throws in some extra moss. Terrarium plants grow fast, so keep in mind that you’ll need to upgrade the pots in the future to keep them healthy and thriving. Or, you can pop your plant babies into that carefully curated substrate that you’ve so thoroughly thought through.

2. Etsy 

For many online shoppers, jewelry, accessories, and craft supplies are what first come to mind when they think of Etsy. However, this online store also excels in the gardening department.

Etsy has a wide selection of terrarium supplies, including tools, containers, soil, and of course plants. Basically, they have all that you need to start your own terrarium.

If you’re looking for an assortment of terrarium plants, feel free to check out this one from HirtsGarden. The seller will send you 8 different terrarium plants (variety according to season) in 2-inch pots. Customers reported speedy delivery with minimal damage as well as extremely helpful customer service.

If you’re looking to start small or trying to scale up your terrarium with more plants, you may want to consider buying individual terrarium plants. For example, BlackRiverAirPlantCo offers beautiful Tillandsia Rubra air plants which are small, measuring at 2.5 to 3 inches each. They range in color from green to hot pink to a mix of both.

HirtsGarden also offers individual 2.5-inch pots of Golden Baby Tears plant, which is a wonderful option for newbies since it’s easy to take care of. It’ll grow as tall as 4 inches, spreading as far as you give it room to spread.  

3. Josh’s Frogs 

Josh’s Frogs is a warehouse that’s not open to the general public. The company was founded by Joshua Willard (a poison dart frog hobbyist and vivarium enthusiast) in 2004. 

Josh’s Frogs offer a nice selection of house plants and captive-bred animals, namely poison dart frogs. When it comes to terrarium plants, they offer assortments under certain categories to help you find plants that better match your needs. Note that all the plants are shipped bare root without pots.

For example, the “Go Green” terrarium plant kit is a terrific choice for monochromatic theme lovers. It includes 1 Syngonium ‘Pixie’, 1 Alternanthera ‘Green’, 1 Pilea ‘MoonValley’, 1 Pilea Depressa ‘Baby Tears’, and 1 Spikemoss ‘Jori’. 

The “Teeny Weeny” selection consists of 5 terrarium plants, chosen specifically for there small leaves and/or compact size. They’re perfect for tiny terrariums and include 1 Helxine Soleirolli ‘Angel’s Tears’, 1 ‘Little Darling’ Begonia, 1 Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’, 1 Dwarf Lady Fern, and 1 Gold Tip Spikemoss.

There’s also a “Fern Garden” selection that offers 1 Southern Maidenhair Fern, 1 Dwarf Lady Fern, 1 Korean Rock Fern, and 1 Rabbit’s Foot Fern, as well as a “Color Me Red” assortment that includes 1 ‘Little Darling’ Begonia, 1 Pilea Glauca ‘Red Stem Tears’, and 1 Alternanthera ‘Burgundy Thread’.

4. The Violet Barn 

Another fantastic store where you can buy terrarium plants online is The Violet Barn. They’ve been growing and exhibiting plants since 1975, and have been shipping to customers around the world since 1985. 

The Violet Barn even hybridize many of their own plants, especially famous for their ‘Rob’s’ and ‘Ma’s’ series of African violets and their ‘Bristol’s’ series of gesneriads (African violet relatives). Their plants are grown in a renovated barn with an attached glasshouse and other buildings.  At any given time, approximately 30,000+ plants are being grown.

For their terrarium plant selections, they offer an extensive variety of miniature terrarium plants divided into several categories to make your search easier. 

For example, there’s a “Miniature Ivies & Creeping Ficus” selection where you get to choose from 24 varieties of plants. The “Miniature Grasses” selection includes 8 plants to pick from, whereas the “Miniature Gesneriads” selection offers 9 plants.

5. Black Jungle Terrarium Supply

Last but not least, Black Jungle offers excellent products and start-up information for beginners and experts alike to help you build and maintain a successful terrarium. You can find a lovely selection of plants in their terrarium section, but we especially appreciate the “True Miniatures” section that helps newbies get plants that are exactly right for terrariums.

Our favorites from Black Jungle include Mini Mondo Grass – Ophiopogon Japonicus Nigrescens ‘Nana’, Miniature Fern – Bolbitis Heteroclita, Syngonium ‘Teeny Tiny’, and Macodes Petola (Jewel Orchid).

Wrap Up

best places to buy terrarium plants online

Kal’s Gardening

There you have it, a list of 5 of the best places you can buy terrarium plants online. They’re all reliable stores, so you should be in safe hands. Between these suppliers, you’ll definitely find the terrarium plants you need. If you’re aware of any other great online places to get plants for a terrarium then let us know about them in the comments. Not only would we love to know, but other readers will too! Help a terrarium newbie find their forever online terrarium plant store.