Small Houseplants for Wedding Favors: 150 Easy, Colorful Options

Growing 150 Mini Houseplants for a Wedding

Judy needs 150 small, attractive houseplants in 2.5-inch painted clay pots for her daughter's May 28 wedding in St. Louis. Starting in early February gives about 16 weeks—enough time for many plants to reach a nice size from cuttings. The wedding colors are purple, blue, and orange, so plants with colorful foliage are a plus.

Top Recommendations for Easy, Fast-Growing Plants

From Cuttings (Fastest, Most Reliable)

• Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina): Purple-striped leaves, roots in water or soil in days. Perfect color match.
• Purple Passion Plant (Gynura aurantiaca): Velvety purple leaves, orange flowers. Roots easily from cuttings.
• Coleus: Countless color combinations including purple, orange, and chartreuse. Roots rapidly in water.
• Swedish Ivy (Plectranthus verticillatus): Glossy green, trailing, very tough.
• Spider Plant Babies: Offsets root quickly; variegated forms add interest.
• Angel Wing Begonia / Wax Begonia: Colorful leaves, easy from stem cuttings.
• Rose-Scented Geranium (Pelargonium): Fragrant foliage, roots readily.

From Seed (Slower, Less Uniform)

• Wax Begonia seeds take 10–12 weeks to reach transplant size—tight timeline.
• African Violets from leaf cuttings may not bloom by May.

Strategy for Success

1. Use the greenhouse: Better light and humidity than a basement setup. If using basement lights, keep them 6–12 inches above plants for 14–16 hours daily.
2. Mix varieties: Sourcing 150 cuttings of one type is hard. Combine 3–4 species for visual variety and supply security.
3. Root in pots directly: Stick cuttings into moist potting mix in the final pots. Cover with clear plastic bags to raise humidity until rooted (1–2 weeks).
4. Timing: Start cuttings by early February. Most will be well-established by late April. Stop fertilizing 2 weeks before the wedding to avoid soft growth.
5. Cost control: Ask local nurseries for bulk cutting discounts or "mother plant" trimmings. Use a quality soilless mix (peat/perlite).

Final Advice

Wandering Jew, Purple Passion, and Coleus offer the best color match and speed. Root 50 of each, plus 50 green trailers like Swedish Ivy as backup. Label pots, keep evenly moist, and provide bright light. With greenhouse conditions, 150 healthy favors are very achievable.