While Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are commonly celebrated in the United States, Grandparent's day is becoming more recognized. Occurring on September 12th this year, Grandparent's day is a time to show appreciation to the family members that taught us so many valuable life lessons, from how to execute a time-tested family recipe to how to correctly build a birdhouse. Grandparent's day is about celebrating that special connection we have across generations and throughout our family roots!

How can I make Grandparent's Day special?

First and most importantly, let your grandparents know how special they are to you on Grandparent's day. Handwritten notes or letters are a great way to express how much you love and appreciate them. After taking proper precautions, a great way to show your love is through sharing a meal, spending quality time, and sharing stories. During the pandemic, it may be safer to do this outdoors, or even through Zoom. The past year has been hard for connecting with the older members of our family tree, making it even more crucial to share your appreciation and love. 

What is a good gift for Grandparent's Day?

Regardless of what gift you give, the first thing you need to do is to make sure that you give it with a personal, handwritten note. Making a gift feel personal and truly expressing your love for your family members is the best way to show your appreciation. After you have your card or note, picking the perfect gift will depend on what your grandparents enjoy. Personalized collages, picture frames, and albums are always a great way to share memories. Buying something they need to help make their life more accessible can be very thoughtful. At Lively Root, we think that plant gift-giving is a great way to not only give a thoughtful gift that will brighten up a home but will also remind your grandparent of you every time they see it! 

What plant represents Grandparents Day?

While grandparents day has an official flower, the Forget-Me-Not, it doesn’t have an official plant! To help you figure out what plant best represents your relationship with your grandparent, we have made a list of ideas to perfectly symbolize your unique relationship and to help you celebrate your family roots!

Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureus)

The Golden Pothos is one of the most well-loved plants in the world! While being a wonderful air purifier, this plant is extremely easy to take care of and is very hard to kill. These plants can live in low light and will survive if you forget to water them for a few weeks, making them a low-maintenance gift. Pothos can also grow in low lighting, and are often seen in places like bathrooms or dimly-lit bedrooms. The plant is a climber, and drapes beautifully from a hanging pot. It grows quite quickly, and can easily be propagated to create new plants for your grandparents home! Being easy to care for is a great benefit to this gift, and represents persistence and is said to bring good fortune to its owners!

Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)

One of the most popular succulents, Aloe is easy to take care of and a great gift. Known for its awesome medicinal properties, the antioxidant-packed leaves of these succulents are often used to treat burns, and also are often seen in beauty products such as moisturizer. This hardy plant is great for any level of gardener, and also represents good health and protection!

Dragon Trees (Dracaena)

Said to help bring about positive changes and drive away negativity, dragon trees come in many different shapes and colors to perfect fit the person you are gifting to! While not quite as forgiving as the Pothos or a succulent, they are a great beginner plant, and can grow quite big if not trimmed! The Rare Cane Arturo variant has gorgeous, deep green leaves with yellow edges, while the charmingly-named Hawaiian Sunshine has dark green leaves with a lighter central stripe. The Janet Craig has solid green leaves, and the Lemon Lime has light green/yellow leaves with a unique dark green central stripe! Looking for something outside of the ordinary? The Black Leaf collection has a grouping of different Dragon Trees, and the stunning Magenta Dragon has shades of reddish purple!

Looking for a way to make your plant gift stand out? Lively Root is offering Plant Picks for a Purpose, cute ceramic message sticks in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. For every one bought, a tree is planted! They add a little message to your gift while also helping a charitable cause.

To find more ideas for Grandparent's Day plants including plant subscriptions and live succulent wreaths, check out our Grandparent's Day Plant Collection here!