While the plants at Denver’s plethora of nurseries may be pricier than offerings at Home Depot or Lowes, the extra outlay benefits your bundle of joy: Most of the sales associates at the big-box stores simply aren’t as plant savvy as these local purveyors, who dole out advice before you buckle in your bromeliad. Their involvement doesn’t have to stop there, either—most offer additional perks to help you care for your new addition or grow your family further. After all, it takes a village.

Green Lady Gardens
Jessica Schutz built her store in the Art District on Santa Fe on a simple idea: People don’t kill plants; they’ve just never had the right one. Her handy labeling system plays matchmaker, helping you identify appropriate selections for your home’s light level and your experience. 733 Santa Fe Drive

The Herbery Boutique
Long before houseplants became a home decor obsession, Dennis Reedy was hawking them from his Capitol Hill shop, which put down roots in 1974. At times, the sprawling stock spills into a fenced-in courtyard alongside the building—and can be seen on the shop’s Instagram, @herberyboutique. 819 E. Sixth Ave.

Little Lula Rose
An outgrowth of proprietor Oliver Miller-Finkel’s coffeeshop down the road, Lula Rose General Store, this cactus-and-succulent-focused nursery inhabits a sunlight-filled former car dealership in the Congress Park neighborhood. 3030 E. Colfax Ave.

Overgrown Home
Once you graduate from spider plants to rare orchids, you might turn to individual collectors on Facebook Marketplace. That is, unless you know that in October 2020, Anna Bernhardt and Nathan Samsel opened this West Highland shop, where rare imports from Ecuador and Indonesia grow hydroponically in the store. 4322 W. 35th Ave.

The Plant Room
Victor Sosa-Meza’s one-year-old brick-and-mortar in Jefferson Park already has a reputation for hard-to-find varietals, like pink princess philodendrons and Thai Constellation monsteras. Aficionados have driven hours for his rare collectibles sale at the end of each month (check his Instagram page for exact dates). 2304 Federal Blvd.

Please, Plants
Alongside pothos, parlor palms, and other high-demand selections, Olivia Meininger sells sex toys, lingerie, skincare products, and smoking accessories at this Capitol Hill boutique. Funky red bulbs create a vibe that says nightclub instead of nursery. 226 E. 13th Ave.

Rosehouse Botanicals
This South Broadway living botanica takes a delightfully scattershot approach to curation, stocking cacti, succulents, air plants, orchids, and tropical varietals. Partner Kristin Schuch also works at Apothecary Tinctura, so you’ll find her essential oils and herbal medicine here too. 14 S. Broadway

ReRoot
Owner Paige Briscoe applies the punch-card model commonly seen at coffeeshops to her RiNo locale: Choose any four-inch plant for free after purchasing 10. Since you’re already getting something for nothing, we recommend buying the dried-eucalyptus-packed shower bundle, which releases a soothing scent when exposed to steam. 1218 34th St.

Steph Floret
Stephanie Esposito runs a mostly online shop selling beginner-friendly goods (check her events page to catch her IRL at the occasional farmers’ market) as well as flower arrangements.

Tiny Plants Denver
If there’s anything Denverites love more than houseplants, it’s happy hour. Megan Ramos takes full advantage with her monthly Tiny Plant pop-ups at Bierstadt Lagerhaus, where she works as a bartender. Not a beer drinker? Follow @tinyplantsdenver for Ramos’ occasional Tuesday sojourns to Stem Ciders’ RiNo taproom—on those days, ticketholders receive four plants paired with a flight of apple goodness. Ciders & Sides tickets from $25

The Terrorium Shop
Rodent skulls. Insect specimens. Scavenged teeth. Amber Hage-Ali runs a little plant shop of horrors in the Regis neighborhood, where her artful, one-of-a-kind “terroriums,” showcasing responsibly sourced taxidermy bones alongside moss and other greens, please fans of all things macabre. 3611 W. 49th Ave.

Tigerlily Goods
Frustrated by wasteful bouquets, Neicy Geis opened Tigerlily Goods in West Highland to encourage shoppers to gift still-living foliage. We especially love her section of pet-friendly offerings that won’t make a curious kitten ill post-nibble. 3795 Grove St.

The Urban Nursery
Annie Huston owns both this indoor nursery in RiNo and an outdoor-oriented shop in Englewood called Birdsall & Co. The Garden Boutique. Stop by the Urban Nursery for help matching a plant with a container—because, yes, the container matters. 3040 Blake St., Suite 131

Angela Ufheil
Angela Ufheil
Angela Ufheil is a Denver-based journalist and 5280's former digital senior associate editor.