October 2026 · 18 nurseries
How much plants cost, by pot size
What online nurseries are asking right now, from 5,777 listings across 18 nurseries. Pot size drives price more than anything else, so here is the typical price for each size, before shipping.
- Quart perennial
- $17
- Typically $14.00 to $18.12
- 1-gallon perennial
- $30
- Typically $26.99 to $34.70
- 1-gallon shrub
- $34
- Typically $26.95 to $42.92
- 3-gallon shrub
- $83
- Typically $69.99 to $99.95
- 3-gallon tree
- $100
- Typically $79.95 to $128
- 5-gallon tree
- $140
- Typically $125 to $150
- 4 to 5 ft tree
- $123
- Typically $91.20 to $145
Typical price by pot size
The dot is the typical (median) price; the bar covers the middle half of listings.
- Small pot or plug$11.60
- Quart pot$17.00
- 1-gallon pot$31.99
- 2-gallon pot$56.95
- 3-gallon pot$85.75
- 5-gallon pot$134
- 1 to 2 ft plant$48.95
- 2 to 3 ft plant$90.95
- 3 to 4 ft plant$102
- 4 to 5 ft plant$123
- 5 to 6 ft plant$144
| Pot size | Typical | Middle half | By plant type | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small pot or plugunder 1 quart, about 2 to 3.5 inches | $11.60 | $9.99 to $14.00 | Perennials $11.50 · Shrubs $14.00 · Groundcovers $9.99 | 588 |
| Quart pot1 to 2 quarts, about 4 to 4.5 inches | $17.00 | $14.95 to $19.99 | Perennials $16.95 · Shrubs $23.99 · Grasses $15.95 | 2,453 |
| 1-gallon pot#1 container, 2.5 quarts to 1 gallon | $31.99 | $26.99 to $36.95 | Perennials $29.95 · Shrubs $33.67 · Grasses $28.45 | 1,406 |
| 2-gallon pot#2 container | $56.95 | $36.99 to $69.95 | Shrubs $59.23 · Perennials $49.95 · Trees $69.99 | 232 |
| 3-gallon pot#3 container | $85.75 | $69.99 to $99.98 | Shrubs $82.58 · Trees $99.68 | 599 |
| 5-gallon pot#5 container | $134 | $110 to $150 | Trees $140 | 53 |
| 1 to 2 ft plantsold by height, usually trees and shrubs | $48.95 | $33.95 to $67.45 | Trees $44.95 · Shrubs $51.95 | 130 |
| 2 to 3 ft plantsold by height | $90.95 | $73.45 to $111 | Trees $84.95 | 90 |
| 3 to 4 ft plantsold by height | $102 | $87.95 to $125 | Trees $101 | 101 |
| 4 to 5 ft plantsold by height | $123 | $96.20 to $146 | Trees $123 | 76 |
| 5 to 6 ft plantsold by height | $144 | $120 to $176 | Trees $141 | 49 |
Popular plants by pot size
Typical price for familiar plants in the three most common sizes. A dash means too few nurseries sell that size to call a typical price.
| Plant | Quart pot | 1-gallon pot | 3-gallon pot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrangea | $21.99 | $48.29 | $89.95 |
| Rose (Rosa) | $23.99 | $32.00 | $79.95 |
| Plantain Lily (Hosta) | $18.00 | $31.99 | — |
| Coneflower (Echinacea) | $14.95 | $34.95 | — |
| Sage (Salvia) | $15.45 | $28.95 | — |
| Lavender (Lavandula) | $16.99 | $30.95 | — |
| Daylily (Hemerocallis) | $14.95 | $28.47 | — |
| Coral Bells (Heuchera) | $14.95 | $31.99 | — |
| Catmint (Nepeta) | $17.95 | $28.99 | — |
| Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) | $14.95 | $31.45 | — |
| Phlox | $15.95 | $28.95 | — |
| Clematis | $19.99 | $60.11 | — |
| Arborvitae (Thuja) | $21.99 | $32.08 | $94.57 |
| Boxwood (Buxus) | $22.19 | $24.95 | — |
| Holly (Ilex) | $26.59 | $34.61 | $79.95 |
| Juniper (Juniperus) | — | $27.45 | $84.75 |
What a planting costs
Plant costs only, at typical prices, before shipping and soil.
A 10-plant perennial border
$170 in quart pots, or $300 in 1-gallon pots
Five foundation shrubs
$168 in 1-gallon pots, or $413 in 3-gallon pots
A privacy row of eight arborvitae
$757 in 3-gallon pots
The same plant costs more at some nurseries
We compared 934 plants that two or more nurseries sell in the same pot size. In the typical case the priciest nursery asked 26% more than the cheapest, about $6 a plant. One in four cost at least 50% more, and 7% cost at least double. Before you buy, compare the pot size on each nursery's page (a “#1” is a 1-gallon) and add shipping, which often decides the real cheapest.
How we priced it
- Each listing's latest asking price over the four weeks to October 24, 2026, from the online nurseries we check every day.
- Pot sizes come from each nursery's own label. Labels we couldn't place with confidence, multi-packs and non-plant items are left out rather than guessed.
- “Typical” is the median listing; the range is the middle half (25th to 75th percentile). A size appears only when at least three nurseries sell it.
- Prices exclude shipping and tax. Updated monthly with the Sow Plant Price Index.
Plant cost questions
How much does a quart perennial cost?
About $17 at the online nurseries we track (October 2026). The middle half of quart perennial listings cost $14.00 to $18.12, before shipping.
How much does a 1-gallon plant cost?
About $32 across all plant types: $30 for a perennial and $34 for a shrub. A "#1 container" is the same pot as a 1-gallon.
How much does a 3-gallon shrub cost?
About $83 online, with the middle half of listings between $69.99 and $99.95. A 3-gallon tree runs about $100.
Why do nurseries charge such different prices for the same plant?
Pot size explains most of it, and nurseries label size inconsistently: a "#1", a "1 gallon" and a "trade gallon" are the same pot. Even at the same size, prices differ: for 934 plants sold in the same pot size by two or more nurseries, the priciest nursery asked 26% more than the cheapest in the typical case.
Should I buy quarts or gallons?
For most perennials, a quart catches up with a 1-gallon within a season or two in the ground, so quarts usually give the most garden for the money. Shrubs and trees grow more slowly, so a larger pot buys you years. Either way, plant in spring or fall and water through the first season.
Keep exploring
See what your design will cost
Sow prices every plant in your design across the nurseries we track, so you know the total before you buy.