Celebrate a Wedding Anniversary with a Themed Indoor Plant

Maidenhair Fern
Maidenhair Fern

Anniversaries are important, and you can celebrate each wedding anniversary in a memorable and meaningful way by finding that “perfect” gift.

The tradition of giving gifts for a wedding anniversary extends back to medieval times. During the time of the Holy Roman Empire, a man would crown his wife with a silver wreath on the 25th anniversary and a gold wreath on the 50th anniversary.
Since then, each year has a “theme” dedicated to help you find the perfect gift for your partner.

Giving plants is a wonderful way to celebrate a love that grows with time. Whether congratulating the happy couple or expressing your own love for your own spouse or significant other, a gift plant can blend traditional and innovative gift-giving into a timeless expression of love.

Use this themed list for inspiration — and don’t forget to include a personalized gift message with your gift plant.

1st Year: Paper — Money Tree

Probably the most popular feng shui plant, the money tree is said to bring good luck and fortune wherever it goes. It’s also supereasy to care for, and can bounce back if you neglect it a little. This plant makes for the perfect paper (aka money) year gift.

2nd Year: Cotton — Gardenia ‘Veitchii’

The sweet, aromatic fragrance and beautiful lush blooms of the gardenia are the perfect gift for your partner. These white blooms look like the cotton blooms from a cotton plant, but they smell much better.

3rd Year: Leather — Burgundy Rubber Tree

Bold, dark, and beautiful (and dare we say, sexy?). The rubber plant makes a great focal point in any room. Its dark and thick leaves are basically the plant equivalent of leather and will make the perfect gift for your partner.

4th Year: Fruit and Flowers — Flamingo Flower

Get your color fix with our flamingo flowers. This year-round bloomer is a tropical treasure, instantly bringing vacation vibes to your home with its bold blooms. They change color through the year, ranging from vivid scarlet to pretty pink and rich purple.

5th Year: Wood — Aralia Ming Stump

Honestly, we love this plant so much. Yes, it’s definitely a stump — but what a gorgeous one. Unusual and full of character, they make the perfect gift to celebrate a significant milestone in your relationship: five years.

6th Year: Iron — Variegated Laurentii Snake Plant

Just like iron, this plant is tough. We’re talking extra tough, leave it and forget it (then remember it) tough. This hardy plant will make the perfect anniversary present.

7th Year: Wool — ‘Tuscan Blue’ Rosemary

Bring the Mediterranean to your home with this aromatic, evergreen herb. The smell and feeling of the leaves in your hands will help enact the coziest feeling (just like wool would). You can even use the rosemary to make your partner a home cooked meal for a romantic night in.

8th Year: Bronze — Peacock Plant

When it comes to showmanship, you can’t go wrong with peacock plants. Bronze colors of dark red on the bottom and variegated green and yellow on the top make their foliage stand out. These beautiful plants have earned the nickname prayer plants. This is because they raise and lower their leaves throughout the day, as if they’re worshipping.

9th Year: Pottery — Dieffenbachia Carina

With big, eye-catching leaves, it’s no wonder Dieffenbachia Carina is such a popular houseplant. We love the way the speckled leaves look like a rustic pottery style. This plant makes a great gift because of its beauty and easy-care nature.

10th Year: Tin — Sansevieria Fernwood

This beautiful plant is extremely easy to care for (it’s part succulent, after all), but it comes with a little slimmer, thinner and slicker leaves. It’s tough, like tin, and makes a wonderful, eye-catching present.

11th Year: Steel — Dracaena Collection Black Leaf

These dark, leafy fronds demand attention and are the perfect plant to fit the theme of “steel.” Not to mention this easy-care plant is also tough as nails.

12th Year: Silk — English Ivy Glacier

With its beautiful, white patterning, this plant makes a great climber that does well in shade, staying green all year round. It’s tolerant to low levels of light and will instantly brighten up dull parts of your home. Give it as a gift to make your significant other smile.

13th Year: Lace — Maidenhair Fern

Delicate and elegant (just like lace), this plant makes the perfect gift for your 13th year. Its leaves are absolutely stunning, with gentle fronds that spill attractively over the edge of whichever pot you plant it in.

14th Year: Ivory — ‘Elephant Ear’ Alocasia Regal Shield

Replace the traditional (and not very ethical) ivory with this “elephant ear” Alocasia ‘Regal Shield.’ Its thick and durable green leaves show off with dark-purple-tinged undersides. Growing up to 9 feet tall and 4 feet wide makes this one a focal point to any brightly lit room.

15th Year: Crystal — White Stripe Dragon Tree

A tropical plant that doesn’t mind living inside, this is one of the most adaptable and easy-to-care-for plants available. Even better, the white stripes on this plant are so dramatic, they practically sparkle.

20th Year: China — China Doll

Technically a tree, but small, China doll is a fast-growing indoor plant that happily fills up your green space. Very easy to grow, it makes a wonderful gift and adds a lushness with its finely divided leaves and glossy green foliage.

25th Year: Silver — Giant Bird of Paradise

This plant is a Lively Root favorite, especially because of the silvery-white flowers that it can produce. This striking plant makes for a thoughtful and romantic anniversary gift.

30th Year: Pearl — String of Pearls

Who doesn’t love a succulent that has this much unusual beauty flowing from all directions, right? This one-of-a-kind succulent is a perfect gift for your significant other

35th Year: Coral — Pink Polka Dot Plant

The foliage of this plant is an attractive mix of brightly colored perennial flowers. We love this as a gift because it makes for an amazing contrast to your green space and helps you spice things up. After all, it’s been 35 years.

40th Year: Ruby — Ruby Rubber Tree

Bright, pink and beautiful. The rubber plant makes a great focal point in any room. It’s easy to take care of and will last a lifetime (just like your relationship).

45th Year: Sapphire — Split-Leaf Philodendron

It doesn’t get more iconic than the split-leaf philodendron. This large plant will instantly bring on-trend jungle vibes to your home. Much like a sapphire, the plant is a timeless classic and your partner is sure to love it.

50th Year: Gold — Golden Pothos

The golden pothos is one of the world’s bestselling plants, and for good reason. Not only is it beautiful, but it’s is also extremely easy to maintain. A must for any green space.

55th Year: Emerald — Ficus Altissima

The evergreen emerald leaves with standout pale veining are absolutely breathtaking. One of our most popular plants, this little tree makes the perfect gift.

60th Year: Diamond — Bountiful Fiddle Leaf Fig

Perhaps the most popular house plant because of its big, broad leaves full of gorgeous veins and vibrant color. This is the diamond standard of house plants.

About The Author

Lively Root sells home-grown plants and eco-friendly products that are packaged and delivered right to your doorstep. Founding members have over a century of horticultural experience as growers, retailers and landscapers, ranging from small plants, to indoor plants, outdoor plants, large trees and flowering shrubs. They have planted and maintained trees on residential and commercial properties.