The Best Plant Gifts

Christmas cactus.

The right plants can bring serenity, beauty and dashes of color into any home. As gifts, plants are excellent for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and other special occasions, as individuals can look at their plants years after receiving them and recall past events. Some of the best plant gifts include bamboo, bonsai trees and cacti.

Bamboo

Bamboo is a plant in the Gramineae (grass) family of plants, which grows primarily in the monsoon regions of eastern Asia. According to The Columbia Encyclopedia, it is the tallest grass plant in the world, and can sometimes reach 100 feet in height. While individuals (particularly in Asia) commonly use bamboo plants as industrial materials for producing furniture, scaffolding, utensils and paper, the plants also make excellent gifts. Bamboo shoots are perennially green, fast growing and easy to care for. In addition, horticulturists commonly train single or multiple plants to grow in patterns or designs. For example, on Valentine's Day you could give a heart-shaped bamboo (which you can find online or at a local plant shop) to your significant other.

Bonsai Trees

The word bonsai is comprised of two Japanese words: "Bon," which means tray, and "Sai," which means planting or growing, according to Bonsai Gardener. Thus, bonsai is the art of growing a plant, most commonly a tree, in a small tray or container. The objective is to produce a miniaturized or stunted version of the tree, which horticulturists accomplish through careful training and pruning. Purchasing a pre-trained bonsai tree is not as expensive as it once was, as the art of bonsai is becoming more and more widespread. According to the above source, one of the most popular types of bonsai tree is the bald cypress, which is slow growing and adaptable to a number of different soil types and climates. It is also well known for its light-colored leaves, which turn a brownish-orange color in autumn. If you are giving a bonsai tree as a gift, make sure to include instructions for care.

Cacti

There are two main groups of cacti: desert cacti and jungle cacti, both of which contain many colorful, attention-grabbing, and easy-to-care for species that are great for gifts. According to Cacti Guide, desert cacti---all of which are native to the Americas and nearby islands---are the better-known variety. These typically flowerless plants feature rounded, cylindrical or flat stalks that are covered with characteristic spines or thorns. And while desert cacti are a good gift choice, jungle cacti are perhaps even better, as they produce vibrantly colored flowers. Some of the best jungle cacti for gifts include the Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter cacti (known collectively as holiday cacti).

References

• Bonsai Gardener: How to Grow and Care for Bonsai Trees
• Cacti Guide: Growing Cacti: Tips on Growing Cacti
• The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition: Bamboo

Resources

• eHow: How to Care for Bonsai Trees