Seasonal Species Guide
Discover the best plants to welcome home each season. Find the perfect timing and variety for you.
The best time to grow, repot, and welcome plants shifts with seasonal factors like air temperature, daylight hours, and humidity. Matching the timing reduces shipping stress, improves repotting and rooting success, and helps you welcome healthier plants. This guide covers care points (temperature, watering, light, humidity) and recommended varieties for each season — across foliage, succulents, agave, caudex plants, bonsai, orchids, carnivorous plants, roses, and aquatic plants.
🌸Spring (March - May)
Spring is when plants spring into action. New growth, repotting, division, and cuttings all peak at once. Now is the best time to find healthy plants and cuttings directly from growers.
15-25°C (59-77°F)
50-60%
Recommended Species & Categories
Aquatic Plants — Ideal for New Aquascapes
With water settling around 20°C and longer daylight, spring is the best time to start a planted tank. Plan foreground, midground, and background placement. Hardy epiphytes like Anubias and Microsorum are beginner-friendly, while stem plants like Rotala fill in with trimming. CO2 and liquid fertilizer accelerate growth.
Agave — Growth Season Begins
March to May is ideal for repotting and root management. Popular species like Titanota and Horrida arrive as bare root stock.
Houseplants — Repotting & Propagation
Spring warmth makes it ideal for repotting and dividing tropical plants. Get healthy, large specimens directly from growers.
Caudex — Waking from Dormancy
Caudex plants emerge from dormancy. Pachypodium and Adenium specimens are widely available. Spring sun promotes healthy root growth.
Tips for This Season
Tips for Spring Plant Shipping
In March, when mornings and nights are still cold, ask the grower for insulated packaging. From mid-April, standard packaging is usually fine. Sharing your preferred delivery date keeps plants from sitting in the box too long.
How to Welcome New Plants
Don't repot right after arrival — first let plants acclimate for a few days in bright shade. Never put shipping-stressed plants in direct sun. Water sparingly and wait for new roots to start moving.
Don't Miss Spring Sales
Many growers run sales as the growing season begins. Add favorites to receive price-drop notifications, and look for bundle discounts.
Care Tips
- Growing season begins — Most plants resume growth. Best time to find listings from growers.
- Ideal time for repotting and dividing plants — Complete before active growth begins.
- Watch for late frosts — Move plants outdoors gradually.
☀️Summer (June - August)
Summer is peak growing season for many plants. Summer-growing succulents and agaves surge while aquatic plants fill in fast — but sunburn and heat-and-humidity rot become the key challenges. Don't miss our heat management tips.
25-32°C (77-90°F)
40-70%
Recommended Species & Categories
Aquatic Plants — Peak Growth & Trimming
High light and warmth make summer the peak growth season for aquatic plants, rewarding frequent trimming with lush growth. But heat above 28°C can cause melting and algae blooms — use cooling fans and more frequent water changes. It's also the easiest time to propagate by replanting cuttings.
Succulents — Summer Growth Types
Summer-growing succulents like agave and pachypodium thrive. Watch for sunburn and ensure good airflow.
Tips for This Season
Summer Heat & Humidity Management
Use 30-50% shade cloth to prevent leaf scorch, and keep airflow up with bench placement or a circulator to limit humidity rot. High pot temperatures also damage roots, so avoid spots hit by afternoon sun.
Summer Shipping Precautions
A hot box invites rot. Choose the shortest transit with morning delivery, and avoid shipping on extreme-heat days. Letting foliage dry before packing helps prevent in-transit rot.
Starting a Hobby This Summer
Succulents and carnivorous plants are easy for beginners and show off their summer growth. Consult a grower along with a starter kit for the best plants and soil mix.
Care Tips
- Heat and sunburn management is critical — Use shade cloth and airflow to prevent rot.
- Watch for root rot — Water sparingly in the cool morning or evening.
- Great time to start growing — Succulents and foliage plants are beginner-friendly.
🍂Autumn (September - November)
Autumn means winter prep, autumn-growing plants, and great deals on plants past their bloom. Get ready for the cooler months ahead.
15-25°C (59-77°F)
50-60%
Recommended Species & Categories
Succulents — Repotting Autumn Types
Haworthia, Lithops and other autumn-growing succulents enter active growth. Perfect for repotting and division.
Orchids — Autumn Bloomers
Nobile-type Dendrobium and Cymbidium set flower buds in response to autumn's day-night temperature swing and cool nights. Exposing them to around 10°C outdoors is key to spring blooming. Bring them indoors before lows fall past 10-15°C and protect from frost. Kept warm indoors too early, they fail to bud and form keikis instead.
Tips for This Season
Winter Preparation Checklist
Decide where plants will come indoors, check grow lights and a mini greenhouse, and prepare cold-protection materials by October. Move cold-sensitive tropical plants inside before lows fall past 10-15°C.
Autumn Sale Tips
Many growers carry surplus stock after flowering and the growing season, so autumn is a great time to find deals. Follow your favorite growers and turn on new-arrival notifications.
Autumn Plant Care Tips
Consider LED supplemental lighting as daylight shortens. Gradually reduce watering and fertilizer. Move outdoor plants inside before frost.
Care Tips
- Time to prepare for winter — Arrange indoor spots and protection early.
- Great deals on plants as the growing season winds down.
- Autumn-growing plants enter active growth — Ideal for repotting.
❄️Winter (December - February)
Winter is the season to rediscover indoor gardening. Managing tropical plants under a mini greenhouse and grow lights, caring for dormant caudex plants, and styling deciduous bonsai.
10-20°C (50-68°F) (heating required)
40-60%
Recommended Species & Categories
Houseplants — Winter Indoor Green
Heated rooms are comfortable for tropical plants. Don't forget misting to combat dry air. Featuring species that grow year-round.
Caudex — Dormancy Management
Leafless caudex plants need dry rest. Maintain 10°C+ indoors. Winter is great for acquiring bare-root field-collected specimens.
Bonsai — Winter Styling
Deciduous bonsai show their structure in winter. Best time for wiring and pruning. Wait until early spring for conifer repotting.
Tips for This Season
Winter Warmth Solutions
Combine a mini greenhouse with a heat panel or horticultural heater to hold a minimum temperature, ideally with a thermostat. Windowsills get cold at night, so covering plants with fleece or bubble wrap protects them.
Winter Shipping Tips
Insulated packaging with a heat pack is essential. Specify daytime delivery and the shortest route. On days below 5°C, consider holding off on shipping cold-sensitive tropical plants.
Winter Shopping Opportunities
Year-end and winter bonus sales bring great deals from growers. Dormant caudex plants and bare-root roses are especially good buys at off-season prices. Start preparing for spring!
Care Tips
- Heating is essential — Hold a minimum temperature with heaters or a mini greenhouse.
- Enjoy indoor growing — Make the most of heaters and grow lights.
- Year-end sales and off-season prices offer great deals.
Note: Optimal temperature and humidity vary significantly by species. Manage conditions according to the specific needs of your plants. Consult growers or specialty shops if unsure.