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Horti Houseplant Subscription Review – January 2018

Horti subscription box

Horti
4.3 overall rating
3 Ratings | 1 Reviews

Horti is a new houseplant subscription box for urban dwellers that not only sends plants but educates you on how easy it can be to take care of them. Pick how often you'd like to receive a new plant--monthly or bi-monthly--and a plant, plant pot, and dehydrated soil will be shipped right to your door. NYC based subscribers can also choose a bi-monthly plan that includes a plant and additional planting accessories.

Horti shipping box detail

This is a review of the Newbie US, $35 every other month, box. According to the Horti site:

Every two months, you will receive a 6” plant (or two or three smaller plants) with a beautiful hand-painted pot or planting accessory, along with the key information to sustain it.

Horti shipping box open

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

Horti Subscription Box Contents

About Horti Houseplant Subscription Box

The Subscription Box: Horti

The Cost: $35.00 + free ground shipping

The Products: Each box will include a 6" robust houseplant with a hand-painted pot or planting accessory, soil, and care instructions.

Ships to: US

Horti January 2018 Review

Envelope containing info cards

thank you card with info on the horti company

My first shipment from Horti came with an envelope with info cards inside. This first card gives more information on the company's mission to "sell you on planting" and that they are"building a community of urban gardeners who aspire to cultivate cleaner, happier lives!"

a helpful chart for diagnosing common plant problems

This card tells you how to check your plant to see if it needs water and also provides a chart to help diagnose common plant issues.

instructions on how to replant a plant

repotting instructions continue

The next card explains how to safely re-pot your new plant from its shipping pot into its new home.

information on ferns

This card provides some extra info on ferns:

"Ferns are among the oldest living plants on earth. There are an estimated 15000 varieties in existence and they don't produce fruits or seeds, instead reproducing by spores. Fern species live in a wide variety of habitats, from remote mountain elevations, to dry desert rock faces, to bodies of water or in open fields."

It also lets me know that my new fern is going to need moderate to bright, diffused light and would prefer a warm, humid environment. Sad news for this fern - my house is chilly and dry!

a list of possible ferns with "crispy fern" checked

Next, there's a list of possible ferns. I had no idea there were so many! My new plant friend (victim?) is a Crispy Fern. My husband and I name all of our house plants after celebrities and so this one shall be named Crispin Glover.

the plant arrived well packaged in bubble wrap

Here's how everything looked straight out of the box. The plant is well-packed in bubble wrap.

a small heating pack was included to keep the paint warm during shipping

When I removed the bubble wrap, I found that the plant had been shipped with a little heat pack to keep it safe from freezing temperatures during the winter. Horti actually emailed me as soon as I placed my first order to let me know that there would be a shipping delay due to the extremely cold temperatures during the Polar Vortex. I like that they let me know what was going on and care about their plants arriving alive.

the plant in a plastic bag

Shipping the fern in this zip-top bag helped keep the soil from going everywhere and also helped keep moisture close to the plant.

a crispy fern

crispy fern detail

Crispy Fern - Estimated Value $12.00

My new crispy fern arrived looking very green, well-hydrated, and very happy. I'd never seen this type of fern before receiving in this box. I like the long leaves and how wavy they are. They look like they've been through a hair crimper. I'm glad to add something more original to my collection than the Home Depot selection I already have. I estimated the value of this plant based on prices I've paid for more common plants plus the good health of the plant.

terra cotta pot with white paint accent

bottom of pot with hole for drainage

drainage tray

terra cotta pot on the matching drainage tray

detail of pot that says it was made in italy

Hand-painted Terra Cotta Clay Pot with Drainage Tray - Estimated Value $10.00

My new fern came with a handpainted terra cotta pot with a matching tray for drainage. I like the simplicity of the terra cotta pot with the modern addition of the white dipped-look paint. So many cute plant pots I see don't have a hole for drainage, which can be bad if over-watered. The pot is stamped with a mark stating it was made in Italy. I'm glad I won't have to run out to find a new pot for my crispy fern, as I'll be happy to display this one in my home. It was a little tricky to find a good value on this pot because you can grab a terra cotta pot pretty cheap at the hardware store. This one is handpainted so that adds some value in my mind.

bag of dehydrated wonder soil

detail of wonder soil

Wonder Soil Expanding Soil 3" Wafer - Buy a pack of 24 for $42.99

I almost missed his little soil wafer when I was unpacking the box. Just when I thought I'd have to go buy a bag of soil to re-pot my new plant, there was this hiding in the extra packaging materials. This is such a cool thing - you just add 1 1/2 cups of water to this wafer and the soil instantly expands to be the perfect amount for my new plant.

Wonder Soil Before and After

I put the soil wafer into a gallon-size Ziploc bag and then added 1 1/2 cups of water. The soil started to expand immediately and I helped it out by mushing the contents inside the bag. In less than a minute I had the perfect amount of soil to repot my fern into the included pot.

The Verdict: If you're trying to grow your houseplant collection and have trouble finding good local sources for plants - this subscription might be for you! I've found that when I pick up plants at Home Depot, there is little to no information on how to properly take care of the plant. All the information provided with my Horti subscription made me feel more confident about actually keeping this fern alive. I like that as I keep this sub going, they'll start introducing me to progressively more challenging plants. I'm also impressed with the care they used to ship the plant in the winter - my father in law had a company ship us orchids last winter and they arrived frozen.

To Wrap Up: 

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? I can't say that you'll get the same fern as me if you sign up today, but they will get a plant shipped out to you quickly after you subscribe!

Value Breakdown: At $35.00 (includes free shipping) the average cost of each item is $11.67.

Check out more reviews in the Eco-Friendly Subscription Box List!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

Would you sign up for a houseplant subscription?

Starting at $28.00
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"So you are eager to build your indoor jungle? This is the perfect subscription plan for you. Whether you are a planting newbie with low confidence or a planting enthusiast with an unsatiated hunger for more plants, this plan will help you reach your greenery goals! Every month, you will receive ... read more.

Emily Cosnotti
Emily Cosnotti
Emily is a design enthusiast who loves beautiful objects. She's really into vegan snacks, corgis, home goods, and minimalist makeup. She is currently fostering a healthy subscription addiction.

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21 comments

Erin

I have absolutely no need for more houseplants but that didn’t stop me from subscribing… this is great! I love the thorough care info they provide and the quality of the products. Can’t wait to see what plant I get 🙂 fingers crossed I’ll get a crispy fern too.

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Rosamunde

Emily, I just wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoyed your review. This Sub sounds very interesting. At $35 including shipping I’m sure the value is justified, I just don’t know if it’s in my budget. Being an avid gardener, I love digging in the dirt & winter is my least favorite season. C’mon Spring!! Also, I have faith in you & your ability to nurture & raise lil’ Crispin Glover😂 into the handsome crinkled fern he’s meant to be. 👍❤😉

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Allison

I want something like this, but where you can fill out a survey or something and they pick the type of plant and pot that suits your needs/taste.

Like…..flowering plant, succulent, vine, fern, cat/dog friendly, low sun, etc

And for planters: modern, rustic, weird/unique, black, bright colors, etc.

That subscription I would immediately subscribe to!

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Beth

Ohhh me too…what a great I idea. This is a bit to expensive but I do love plants and its such a feel good box. I live in a apartment that only gets a small bit of direct light at the end of the day. I still up them in the window for the day but in the winter and it being really really cold it can freeze them. What I will say that helped my plants is by not using water from the sink or letting sit out before I do so.

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Emily Cosnotti

Ooo that sounds like a great subscription!

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Danielle

God, I love this so much. I just wish it wasn’t so expensive 🙁

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justmissjamey

Same

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Virginia

You can also fill the tray with rocks and keep water in there to help with humidity if you ever want to move it from the bathroom.

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Emily Cosnotti

That’s a great tip, thank you! I love all this plant help, everyone is so plant-knowledgable!

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betsy h

this i love!!!

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Janet

Do they include any information on if the plants are pet safe? I’d love to have some plants at home but am afraid of poisoning the cats (who will try to eat anything that fits in their mouths).

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Erin

FYI I saw on the horti site they have a pet-friendly subscription…

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Emily Cosnotti

On the card that has information about ferns, there is a box that says “true ferns are mostly safe for pets” – that seems a little too vague! I don’t have cats and my dog has no interest in plants so this hasn’t been something I’ve had to worry about but that is super important info for a lot of people (and their pets!)

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Amy

Here’s a great resource—I like it because it lists plants by all of their common names as well as their scientific ones.

Cats: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/cats-plant-list

Dogs: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/dogs-plant-list

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Janet

Thanks! Very useful. I think I’ll avoid plant subscriptions unless they are sticking to the safe list. I don’t need more plants in my office.

Amber P

Those ferns last forever. I’m terrible with plants – like TERRIBLE – and I had one that lasted me a couple of years. It finally died after I moved it to another part of my desk and basically forgot about it. I think it held on for a good 3 months.

It’s kind of sad really. I should be barred from owning plants.

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Emily Cosnotti

Haha you’ve given me a good boost in confidence that I can keep this lil fern alive!

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jane

Consider putting the fern in your bathroom that you shower in as the room can be quite humid during & after anyone showers.

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Emily Cosnotti

Thank you! I just actually thought that might work this morning and popped the plant onto a bathroom shelf. It was probably my imagination but I think it’s perking up already!

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Dea

These plants just want to see you sans attire LOL.

Seriously, I’ve never seen a “crimper” like that, and I love it! Thank you Emily!