Best Plant Gifts for Milestone Birthdays

Loved ones’ birthdays are always a fun time to celebrate what makes them so special. Sometimes, these birthdays are milestones in someone’s life, signifying coming of age, wisdom, and growth! These landmark birthdays often are celebrated in specific ways and are a great time to truly show your appreciation for your friends or family. Picking birthday milestone gifts for these very special days can be tough, which is why we have put together some suggestions for different milestone birthdays to give you some inspiration! Plant birthday ideas are always a great option, being long-lasting and a consistent reminder of your love for the birthday recipient. Don’t see anything here that fits your loved one? There are many more options for you to consider in our birthday plant collection!

Best Plant For a 16th Birthday Milestone Gift

A passage into adolescence, this birthday is the first landmark birthday most people celebrate. Young green thumbs are often less skilled with keeping plants alive, but that doesn’t mean that the plant can’t be fun! The ZZ Plant is one of the easiest houseplants to care for, but has beautiful, glossy green leaves that are fun for any shelf or bedroom space! ZZ Plants have low watering requirements and don’t require and spritzing, and only really need low to medium light - perfect for a new plant parent and birthday milestone gift!

Best Plant For an 18th Birthday Milestone Gift

An 18th birthday marks the first steps into adulthood! For one of the biggest landmark birthdays, giving a plant that is bold and beautiful is a must! The Flamingo Flower is a symbol of happiness and joy, with its unique red spathes inspiring awe for any owner! This plant birthday idea is also easy to take care of for junior green thumbs, only needing more water once the soil has dried a bit, and only needing a medium to bright indirect light. These plants do enjoy a little spritz now and then, and is a great plant to continue building responsibility! 

Best Plant For a 20th Birthday Milestone Gift

As people grow into their twenties, they truly are starting to discover themselves and their uniqueness. This is a special time for many as an important milestone in coming of age. Get a plant that represents that uniqueness such as a fun variation like the Croton Iceton, showing off a rainbow of unique colors!  With yellow, coral, and blush tones that can reach up to 3-6 feet tall, this is a fun plant to watch grow. The Croton needs bright, indirect light to encourage the leaves’ coloration, and likes medium amounts of water along with occasional spritzes! 

Best Plant For a 21st Birthday Milestone Gift

For many, the 21st birthday is the most significant birthday milestone gift! A symbol of truly being recognized as an adult, your whole life is laid out ahead of you. Marking this day with something special is a must, which is why we suggest the Watermelon Peperomia! This plant stays a reasonable size, meaning it will travel wherever the giftee plans on going. It also is easy to care for as they get wrapped up in the exciting journey life is about to take them on. Watermelon Peperomias look unique, highlighting the special qualities of the person that you are gifting it to. 

Best Plant For a 30th Birthday Milestone Gift

Thirty is a special birthday, where someone has often started to navigate adulthood. Often, people have started to really explore career options at this age, which is why we suggest considering the Chinese Money Plant! This plant not only looks unique but is said to bring good fortune. It is one of the most popular plants for Feng Shui, and is known as Norway’s favorite sill plant due to its aesthetics! Chinese Money Plants like medium to bright indirect light, has moderate water needs, and is fine with low humidity homes. 

Best Plant For a 40th Birthday Milestone Gift

Encourage someone to flower into their forties with a plant that is just as elegant and refined as this milestone! Hibiscus is a great choice, not only having beautiful yellow or red trumpet-shaped blooms but also growing beautifully as it is nurtured. Known for symbolizing beauty and joy, this plant is a great birthday gift for anyone in your life! Hibiscus is a bit harder to take care of, living fine outdoors as long as the temperatures don’t dip below 50°F. You can overwinter this plant in a very brightly lit location. Hibiscus prefers moderately moist soil and some humidity, so be sure to spritz it sometimes!

Best Plant For a 50th Birthday Milestone Gift

A fiftieth birthday is a special time to celebrate someone who has a variety of experiences and stories to tell. Consider getting something that symbolizes positivity, such as the Dracaena! This plant is in the top ten NASA plant list for being a great air purifier and is a stunning addition to someone’s home. They can go quite a long time without being watered, but do need a spritzing occasionally to stay happy and healthy! The Dracaena’s red sap gives it its name, symbolizing a female dragon. This fact makes the plant a great gift for any of the fierce ladies in your life! 

Best Plant For a 60th Birthday Milestone Gift

Only a showstopper is appropriate for someone turning sixty, which is why we suggest you consider a stunning plant such as the “Elephant Ear” Alocasia Regal Shield. The large, heart-shaped leaves of this plant are what gives it its nickname, resembling the large flapping ears of an elephant! Alocasia plants are well known for their elegance despite their large, tropical leaves, and are gaining in popularity because of this! The yellowish purple veins on the bottom add interesting color to the otherwise green leaves, and if taken care of properly this plant will grow up to nine feet tall and four feet wide! This plant is a little picky, needing bright, indirect light indoors, consistently moist water, and high humidity given through a gravel tray or humidifier. Spritzing the leaves can lead to foliar disease. 

Best Plant For a 70th Birthday Milestone Gift

Bringing relaxation and peace to any home, the Peace Lily is a great option for a gift for any seventieth birthday party! The white, beautiful flowers of this plant are a great touch to any home, and this plant is also super easy to care for! Preferring medium light but surviving in low or high sun, and preferring moderately wet soil, this plant is not only a great decoration piece but relatively easy to handle regardless of how developed someone’s green thumb is. The plant also symbolizes peace and tranquility, turning any space into a small personal meditation or spa space!

Best Plant For a 80th Birthday Milestone Gift

Ferns symbolize eternal youth, new beginnings, and hope for future generations. These plants are delicate yet magical, making them an awesome pick for any eighty-year-old in your life! We suggest the Boston Fern, easy to care for, and a natural air purifier! This plant does very well as a hanging option, especially in a bathroom with bright indirect sunlight as it loves to have a bit of humidity! It doesn’t need to be watered too often, making it easier to handle for those who may be unable to poke and prod at their plants every day! Many ferns can be delicate, but the Boston Fern will stand up to a little bit of abuse!