If you're visiting New York City and want to turn your apartment into a jungle, these plant shops are worth bookmarking. From Harlem to Chinatown to Brooklyn, here are some of the city's standout destinations for rare aroids, tropicals, succulents, and collector-level greenery.

1. Plant Corner NYC

Address: 183 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10026

Website: plantcornernyc.com

Instagram: @plantcornernyc

Plant Corner is a Harlem gem specializing in rare houseplants and exotics. Their layout is airy but dense with variety. They often feature hard-to-find species arranged by light requirement, pet-safe status, and size categories for easy browsing. A YouTube shop tour praised it as "the BEST Rare Aroid Shop in NYC." They keep a careful approach to plant health and labelling, which makes confidence easier to carry home with you. Expect variegated monsteras, unique ferns, and well-chosen tropicals in stock regularly.

2. Dahing Plants

Address: 289 Grand St, New York, NY 10002

Website: dahingplants.com

Instagram: @dahingplants

Dahing is one of NYC's better-known rare and collector-friendly plant shops. They offer tiers like "Full Size, Large, Huge" and carry a serious roster of tropicals, statement plants, and lush interiors. Their local deliveries are strong (so you don't have to wrestle with subway and plant transport), and their online presence shows big specimens and rarer stock you might not otherwise find. Because of their more established name, inventory can turn over quickly—if you see something you love, move on it.

3. Tula House

Address: Brooklyn (Greenpoint)

Website: tula.house

Instagram: @tulahouse

Tula House is beloved by NYC plant lovers for blending boutique aesthetics, quality stock, and community energy. They carry both common and rare plants, and one interesting feature is their own custom soil mixes, which helps keep pests down and plant health high. They also host "Tula Trade," a plant swap event where people bring plants to exchange for store credit—a fun way to refresh your collection. If you're in Brooklyn, it's a compelling stop for rare plant finds in a thoughtfully curated space.

4. Foliage Garden

Address: 120 W 28th St, Manhattan, NY

Instagram: @foliagegarden

Foliage Garden has been around for decades, and its longevity gives it access to rare or specialty stock others may not. Located in the NYC Flower District, it's among the oldest plant stores in the market and carries some of the more unique philodendrons, exotic begonias, and "Jurassic begonias." Because it's inside the Flower District, it benefits from proximity to major plant and flower wholesalers, giving it strength in volume and occasional rare finds.

5. The Old Yew

Address: West Village, Manhattan

Website: theoldyew.com

Instagram: @theoldyew

The Old Yew combines boutique vibes with rare plant ambition. They stock organic plant care products, unique planters, and a selection of interesting houseplants—some that border on collector-grade. It's a smaller space, but perfect for when you want something special in a charming setting.

6. Greenery Unlimited

Address: Brooklyn (Greenpoint)

Instagram: @greeneryunlimited

Mentioned in NYC plant-shop roundups, Greenery is praised for combining common and rarer stock. One guide calls it "the most beautiful plant store in New York City." While it may not always carry ultra-rare aroids, their plant health, display sense, and community presence make it a worthwhile stop when exploring Brooklyn.

7. Cactus Store

Address: 5 Essex St, Lower East Side, NY

Instagram: @cactusstore

Originally from Los Angeles, the Cactus Store opened a NYC location at 5 Essex Street in a greenhouse-style space. It focuses heavily on sculptural, characterful cacti and succulents—not just cookie-cutter succulents, but ones that look like living art. Because it's a niche shop, its rare stock is deeper in its specialty (succulents and cacti) than in broad tropicals. If you love arid plants, this is a must-visit.

NYC Plant Crawl Tips

Flower District is your power zone. Many shops cluster around 28th Street, so if you're staying in Manhattan, plan a loop through that area to hit multiple strong picks.

Ask for "in back" stock. Many of these shops store rarer or not fully displayed plants behind the scenes—don't hesitate to ask if they have a "collector's stock room."

Bring a trolley or bag. The subway, stairs, and crowds make transporting large plants tricky.

Check weekly restock and Instagram drops. Shops like Dahing and Plant Corner often tease new rarities via social media.

Be patient and respectful. NYC real estate is brutal, so many shops are compact, humid, and dense—not always perfectly organized. But that's often where the magic lives.