Plants are so on-trend nowadays. Everybody wants them, nobody really knows how to look after them, but of course we’ll keep buying them until our flats are literal jungles. So we’ve decided to give you a rundown on some of the best plant shops in London where you can buy all the cacti, Swiss cheese plants, ferns and more you could ever want:
1. Conservatory Archives, Hackney and Clapton
You may already know about their Hackney Road store which, although very cute, is a little bit of a squeeze. But did you know that there’s another much bigger store on Lower Clapton Road, which also has a café?! Here you can drink coffee amongst all the gorgeous plants, and it’s just as Instagrammable as you might think.
The Conservatory Archives’ most recent store close to Caledonian Road is the largest of all three. More garden centre than plant shop, it’s characterised by a large courtyard showcasing myriad species suitable for exterior gardens.
You’ll find Conservatory Archives at three different locations across London. You can find out more here.
2. Forest, Deptford and East Dulwich
Forest is an online plant store with a couple of IRL sites in south London. They try to stock only easy-to-care-for plants, and they promise to teach you how to look after them – so the risk of you killing them is, in theory, pretty low.
They also offer a free potting service at both stores as well as various different workshops – candle making, macrame, terrarium workshops – you name it, they’re here!
You’ll find Forest at Arch 133, Deptford Railway Station, Deptford High Street, London, SE8 4NS and at Frogley Road, London, SE22 9DF. Nearest stations are Depftord and East Dulwich.
3. Prick, Bethnal Green
Prick was London’s first dedicated cacti store and it stocks some of the most unusual and exotic plants from across the UK and Europe. Store founder Gynelle Leon explains, “they are a beautiful and sustainable way to transform any interior. Due to their low maintenance and hardy nature, they’re well suited to modern city living.”
Low maintenance is definitely what us city folk need. Besides their cacti and other succulents, Prick also offers a range of homemade pots from local artists. They’ve moved from their Dalston location and now have a pop-up store in Bethnal Green.
You’ll find Prick at Unit 14 Palmers Road, Bethnal Green, London, E2 0SY. Nearest stations are Bethnal Green and Mile End.
4. Grace and Thorn, Hackney
Grace & Thorn is best known for its beautiful bunch of flowers, which have been used in various fashion shoots for famous brands like Whistles.
But they have a fantastic selection of plants and succulents, too. You can choose a box which includes the crème-de-la-crème of the store for just £55, and plants can include spider plants, Devil’s Ivy and rubber plants too. They also do a range of bespoke workshops and can help you decorate various different events in flowers or foliage.
You’ll find Grace & Thorn at 312 Hackney Road, Bethnal Green, London, E2 7SJ, and at Unit A, Poplar Business Park, 01, 10 Prestons Road, London, E14 9RL. Nearest stations are Hoxton and Blackwall.
5. Plant Warehouse, Bethnal Green
You’ll find the Plant Warehouse just down the road from Conservatory Archives in Bethnal Green, and it’s a lot more spacious. They have just about anything you could want, and there’s even a little resident pup!
Just down the road, you’ll also find a vast warehouse full of flowers and foliage. This is its sister store, the Flower Warehouse. It’s slightly cheaper than some of the other plant stores around, and the advice you’ll get from the friendly owners is unrivalled.
You’ll find Plant Warehouse at 270 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9DA, and at Flower Warehouse at 517A Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9BU. Nearest station is Cambridge Heath.
6. Botanique Workshop, Exmouth Market
Botanique Workshop is a blooming brilliant shop for cacti and succulent fanatics set in Exmouth Market. They have gorgeous plants, lots of wonderful handmade crafty bits and, well, sometimes there are dogs *pricks ears up and tilts head*.
Their handmade, own-branded products are made during shop hours, either at the counter or downstairs in their studio. They also do terrarium-making workshops and dried flower jewellery workshops too, so this is a great spot to come if you’re feeling creative.
You’ll find Botanique Workshop at 31 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QL. Nearest stations are Farringdon and Angel.
7. The Nunhead Gardener, Nunhead
All of these plant shops in London are gorgeous, but even so, The Nunhead Gardener stands out as perhaps the most spectacular one in town. Tucked away beneath the railway arches of Nunhead station, it’s a beautiful spot festooned in crawling house plants, shrubs, ferns and all manner of plant pots.
The brick-clad interior and sun-dappled outdoor courtyard are both easy spots to while away the hours, and the garden centre also offers an interesting selection of feeders, nesting boxes and insect houses to attract wildlife to your garden at home.
You’ll find The Nunhead Gardener at 1a Oakdale Road, London, SE15 3BW. Nearest station is Nunhead.
8. Battersea Flower Station, Battersea
Making excellent use of a tiny strip of land alongside the overground tracks, Battersea Flower Station was once the stables for the horses of Battersea Park, but since 2012 it has had a new life as one of the best plant shops in London. On a summer’s day – perfect for staying outside – a glorious, hypnotic explosion of colour awaits you here.
They’ve got two massive glasshouses packed full of spider plants, venus fly traps, cheese plants, a huge selection of cactus and other succulents, and there are also a massive selection of indoor pots that you can rifle through to find your favourite.
You’ll find Battersea Flower Station at 320 Battersea Park Road, London, SW11 3BX. Nearest station is Clapham Junction.
9. Cornercopia, Streatham Hill
Another worthy addition to this list of the best plant shops in London, Cornercopia is all about ‘beautiful plants and homeware’, and they certainly deliver on the former. There’s everything here from pet-safe plants and hanging plants to ‘easy plants’ – which is probably best for those who find it hard to not kill their foliage friends!
On top of this, they also have plant care kits, pots and watering cans, as well as beeswax candles, home textiles and jugs and vases to boot too.
You’ll find Cornercopia at 63 Streatham Hill, London, SW2 4TX. Nearest station is Streatham Hill.
10. The Secret Garden, Crystal Palace
Anyone who tries to tell you plant shops in London aren’t magical is just plain wrong. Promising houseplants, herbs, vegetables, perennials, shrubs, climbers, and bedding plants, The Secret Garden (what a name hey) is a treasure trove of all things that grow, and fans of London’s annual wisteria hysteria won’t be disappointed either.
Ignore the naysayers, buy everything in sight, and transform your place into a secret garden of one’s own – you won’t regret it. You’re also just a stone’s throw from The Alma pub and Crystal Palace Park – famous for its dinosaurs.
You’ll find The Secret Garden at 70 Westow Street, London, SE19 3AF. Nearest station is Crystal Palace.
BONUS! Columbia Road Flower Market
This list would be incomplete without a mention of Columbia Road Flower Market. This lovely Sunday market reigns supreme as the prettiest of all London markets by virtue of how colourful it is. Breaking up the greenery is every colour of the rainbow, from hot red roses, to mellow yellow tulips. Naturally, the whole market smells pretty amazing too. Read all about it here.
Fancy seeing over 30,000 different kinds of plants in the wild? If so, why not head to The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.