We’ve often wondered if Walmart is seen as a smart choice when it comes to buying live plants. As Walmart offers unbeatable convenience and prices, how can we tell if their plant quality, selection, and care compare to anything else out there?
Well, after a bit of first-hand research and a couple of interviews found on the internet with renowned plant experts, I think we’re ready to discuss whether or not we can finally consider Walmart as one of the main garden centers. Naturally, this would be the frugal version of anything related to plants, so the standards and brackets in which we will place the giant retailer fit the purpose.
First thing first: Walmart plant sales growth outpaces the retail industry
Demand for live goods at big box stores has been increasing in the past couple of years. According to the National Lawn and Garden Report, Walmart’s plant sales increased by 8% in 2022, overcoming the general retail industry at its 4% pace.
As consumers are also looking to add more plants to their homes and gardens, Walmart has expanded its offerings to become a one-stop shop. However, considering that there are plenty of stories out there talking about short-lived ferns and lifeless succulents, should we even see Walmart as our go-to when we want to adopt a new plant? Here’s what we should take into consideration:
Walmart plant pricing: as much as 50% below competitors
There’s really no need to question the affordability of Walmart plants. Based on price comparisons, Walmart has both indoor and outdoor varieties at significant discounts. While this sounds quite appealing, lower prices often correlate with a much lower quality. Considering this, we need to ask ourselves: are the plants really healthy enough to thrive?
How Walmart sources plant: regional growers and strict standards
To fully grasp Walmart’s plant quality concerns, it definitely helps to know its supply chain. Unlike some rumors of reselling cheap overseas plants, we can definitely confirm the majority of locations partner with their own regional growers within a 100-mile radius.
For example, the Bentonville, AR supercenter sources no less than 95% of live goods from Arkansas-based grow operations. This also makes room for healthier varieties suited to the zone in question.
Besides, Walmart instituted a series of new plant vendor guidelines in 2022, meant to cover disease and insect testing, integrated pest management, watering and fertilization protocols, and inventory timing aligned with peak seasons.
Store managers declared that these standards definitely helped improve plant health and longevity, at least compared to five years ago when issues were more widespread. However, problems can fall through the cracks, so you better pay attention. Luckily, there is a series of tips that might guide you to pick up the best specimens out there.
Choosing high-quality Walmart plants: what you need to look for
The secret to success with Walmart plants is to try to be as selective as you can when it comes to buying anything. Here are some signs you need to pay attention to if you’re looking for healthy and thriving plants:
Succulents
- plump and firm leaves
- compact rosettes
- no brown spots or lesions
Houseplants
- bright green leaves
- no dried or yellow foliage
- strong stem structure
You can also check under leaves and right at their base for bugs or webs that could signal pests. Also, we’d advise you to look into root systems if you can, healthy roots, for instance, should be 100% white. If your plant looks somehow damaged but you still want to rescue it, you can negotiate a discount with the Walmart garden associate.
A step-by-step guide to properly caring for these plants
Providing the right amount of care is just as important as choosing robust plants from the start.
Water based on plant needs
Well, we can agree that the number one killer of Walmart plants is overwatering, that’s for sure. The least you can do is make sure that the drainage holes are completely clear and water the plant when the soil is partly dry.
Transplant into bigger pots
You’d be surprised, but almost all Walmart plants will require at some point transplantation into a bigger container. You can upgrade the size as the plant grows.
Fertilize during active seasons
Nutrient deficiencies might cause houseplants to lose their leaves or outdoor plants to become somehow stunted.
Inspect for issues
You can catch all the problems early on by checking for insects, odd growths, leaf damage, and root-bound plants. You can tell the signs of under or overwatering.
Final verdict: Shop Smart and Walmart plants will definitely deliver
For all the convenience of a one-stop planting spot, Walmart’s plant quality differs. However, if you vet the health early on, understand how proper care works, and implement good growing practices, you can definitely achieve gardening success.
The secret is to adjust your expectations. You can view inexpensive Walmart plants as an experiment. When you pick hardy varieties and provide attentive care, the rewards of lush pots and landscape greenery outweigh the risks.
What types of plants can you find at Walmart?
Walmart is well-known for selling a fairly wide variety of indoor and outdoor plants. However, its overall focus is mainly on beginner-friendly varieties that are hardy and easy to care for. We made an overview of what you can expect to find there.
Top indoor houseplants sold
After closely surveying plant offerings for the past 3 years across more than a dozen Walmart locations, here are the most commonly sighted indoor houseplants sold. You will find here a list separated into three different sections, from plant variety to key attributes and care level.
- Snake plant (Sansevieria): sturdy, sculptural leaves, tolerant of low light – beginner-level
- Pothos: trailing vines, easy propagation – beginner level
- Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum): glossy dark green leaves, with white flowers – beginner level
- Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema): patterned leaves, low maintenance – beginner level
- Spider plant (Chlorophytum): fun arching foliage, fast-spreading – beginner level
- ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas): waxy leaves, handles neglect very well – beginner level
- Succulents: echeveria, aeonium, sedum, mixed – beginner level
- Cacti: clustering types and miniatures – beginner level
- philodendron: heartleaf, brasil varieties – intermediate
- ferns: Boston Fern, Bird’s Nest Fern most common – intermediate level
- Orchids: phalaenopsis and dendrobiums – intermediate level
All in all, this table indicates the 11 most popular indoor houseplants that are commonly available at most Walmart locations, rating over 75% in observed frequency depending on current tracking. Starter sizes are generally typical, ranging from 2 to 6 inches in plastic nursery pots.
We’ve also noticed that some flowering plants make regular appearances during peak seasons such as winter and spring. Some of them include African violets (with their vibrant purple blooms), Orchid Cactus (with fragrant red or pink flowers), and Chrysanthemums (with yellow, rust, and white color varieties).
Where does Walmart source its plants?
Walmart has a wide network of plant suppliers that differs depending on region. Some locations could buy their plants from local or even regional greenhouse growers. However, a wide majority of them come from large commercial growers and farms that can supply hundreds of stores on a larger scale.
Major supplies
One important source is Costa Farms, which is also one of the largest wholesale plant producers in the country. It works with some of the biggest retailers in the country, such as Target or Publix.
They also supply a series of Walmart stores from their nurseries in Florida, North Carolina, and the Pacific Northwest, which also have the capacity to grow tens of millions of plants a year. For example, their main facilities include:
- 125 acres in Miami, FL – which are mainly focused on indoor and outdoor plants
- 5 acres of greenhouses in Huntersville, NC, that produce 2 million indoor plants every year
- 200+ acres of growing fields and 12 acres under the roof in Canby, or yielding 20 million plants every year
They also emphasize efficiency, through automation such as auto-potting lines, while they still ensure optimal growing conditions. Costa Farms, for instance, is widely recognized by the Sustainable Agriculture Network for its new-age, eco-friendly practices, which also include solar-powered greenhouses.
This also helps them supply some of the most affordable options to mega-chains such as Walmart in a high volume, ethical manner.
Can we consider Walmart a good place to buy plants?
Here’s a list with a couple of drawbacks we felt are worth mentioning:
- inconsistent plant health/quality – because of mass shipping and in-store plant care
- limited rare/unique varieties – due to a focus on mass-produced beginner plants
- lack of expert guidance – employees might have minimal plant knowledge
Even if Walmart doesn’t compare to the selections and services offered by a dedicated nursery or greenhouse, it can still fill the need when you look for an inexpensive plant without going out of your way.
Return policy and plant guarantees
Walmart offers plenty of flexibility, especially when it comes to returns. For instance, live plants can be easily returned or exchanged within 1 year of purchase, as long as you present a receipt.
Troubleshooting plants bought at Walmart
If you offer an adequate amount of care at home, and you follow all the light, water, and temperature preferences, there are a couple of reasons why the plants you bought from Walmart might not thrive:
Pre-existing issues
- pests and diseases: issues might start early during shipping or even storage
- root damage: roots disturbed during each transit
In-store plant care
- overwatering: excess moisture that leads to disease
- under-watering: plants decline without enough water
Acclimation challenges
- light shifts: transition from greenhouse to home
- temperature stress: exposure to outdoor extremes
Recommended practices for Walmart plants
In order to give Walmart plants the best chance of survival, we’d advise you to inspect closely for pests before buying anything. Also, you should check the soil moisture to effectively avoid bone-dry or soaked plants.
Try to allow the plants to get used to the new environment in which you brought them, generally 2 to 3 weeks before repotting or moving to the final location. Maintain a consistent and proper watering schedule, based on the variety of each plant.
Besides, when you buy discounted clearance plants, make sure you approach them with a lot of caution and prepare yourself for some rehabilitation. Always try to quarantine to check for issues before exposing them to other plants.
Walmart plant pricing
As a discount retailer that sells high volumes, Walmart and its everyday plant prices generally beat out the wide majority of local nurseries. Based on the market basket analysis of Walmart pricing that spans over the last 5 years versus regional competitions, we can say that their prices run around 20% below other market rates on average.
We can certainly say that in spring, you might see the lowest sale prices on houseplants and new shipments of outdoor garden plants, right before inventory builds up again. As fall sees steeper discounts for outdoor clearance plants, they are also looking to sell off before winter. Here’s a short list of plant categories ranges:
- annual flowers – $5 to $15 per 6 pack
- vegetable starts – $2 to $4 per plant
- herb starters – $3 to $5 per pot
- houseplants – $5 to $25 depending on their size
- bonsai trees – $25 to $75 depending on size, age, species
Within each of these categories, smaller young plants tend to run a bit cheaper, as more mature plants in nice planters or bonsai formations hit premium prices. Budget extra if your haul fills over a couple of carts!
Where can you find plants in-store
If your store has its own dedicated garden center, you will always manage to find the widest selection of living plants, which is exactly what we wish for, in the end.
Seasonal displays
Make sure you stay on the lookout for special holiday displays throughout the store, especially those that feature all kinds of friendly options like orchids, succulents, and flowering plants. Popular seasonal placement areas can also include entryway displays, end caps on aisles near related products, checkout lane impulse buy sections, and temporary sales carts or even kiosks.
We strongly advise taking a stroll through all parts of the store outside the garden center at least once, especially if you buy around peak gift season.
When it’s best to shop for the best selection
If you live in a temperate region with four seasons, you should definitely take spring into consideration when it comes to the right selection of plants at your local Walmart garden center.
Rare and unique plants you can find at Walmart
As Walmart sticks primarily to mass-produced common species, you can discover from time to time more unique plant offerings. Here’s how:
tips for finding something rare and beautiful
- check the stores and Walmart.com and watch out for frequent inventory changes
- shop early in the morning or late in the evening when the stock is fresh
- time visits around huge plant truck shipment days
- you can ask garden center employees if you’re aware of any specialty items expected
The overall threat of finding an uncommonly coveted plant for a steal exists for experienced collectors. However, you still have to put in some kind of effort to efficiently assess Walmart’s ever-rotating stock.
If you found this article useful, we also recommend checking: 12 Things You Don’t Need In Your Home At All
