The nine best plants to give for Mother's Day

Telegraph

22-03-2025

With Mother's Day fast approaching, if you haven't decided on a present already, you're probably starting to scan the internet for ideas for something a little special. When thinking of Mother's Day gifts, we often initially resort to cut flowers, or perhaps a flowering house plant; but this year, perhaps inspiration could come from the garden itself. A plant that will grow and survive year on year, as opposed to a cut bunch of flowers that will be lucky to survive the week, is a lovely and thoughtful gift.
Your mum might be incredibly green-fingered, or perhaps she simply enjoys flowers of all shapes and sizes. Maybe she isn't into gardening very much at all and has a shaded garden, so she might want plants that are easy to grow and will come back year after year with little fuss or attention. Whatever her tastes, here is a list of plants, for gardens big and small, some better known and others to make this Mother's Day gift something a little more memorable – that will last for years.
For the rose lover
Rosa 'Tottering by Gently'
Rosa 'Tottering by Gently', David Austin Roses
Giving your mum a rose for Mother's Day might not seem like the most original idea in the world, but this thoroughly modern shrub rose stands out from the crowd and is easy to grow. Introduced in 2018, this relatively recent introduction boasts large yellow, single flowers that are a great attraction to pollinators, giving a very relaxed and naturalistic quality to the garden. Ultimately achieving about four feet in height and spread, it flowers throughout the summer.
For the tea drinker
Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, Jurassic Plants
Forgive me for being presumptuous, but most mums love a cup of tea, and here's a plant that you can buy her so that she can make her own using the leaves. This camellia is a little more challenging to grow than most. It's best grown in a large pot of ericaceous soil, living outside during the summer and then given protection from the extreme wet and cold of the winter in an unheated greenhouse or porch. Pure single white flowers will appear during the summer.
For the experienced grower
Rhododendron 'Irene Koster'
Rhododendron 'Irene Koster', Millais Nurseries
Deciduous azaleas are botanically known as rhododendrons and make great garden plants. The flowers of 'Irene Koster' appear in June and are highly scented; following that display, the leaves take on a bonfire-like quality in the autumn, showcasing everything from deep cherry reds through to oranges and yellows. If your mum has lots of different plants and you're looking for something out of the ordinary, then try this deciduous azalea, but make sure that your mum has acidic soil – if not, these can be grown successfully in large pots full of ericaceous soil.
For the flower arranger
Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'
Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight', Sarah Raven
Panicle hydrangeas are among the showiest shrubs in the garden and make wonderful gifts for Mother's Day. An easy-to-grow shrub, they should be pruned every spring, before a blowsy eruption of white bracts and flowers appear in late summer. These shrubs make perfect gifts if your mum is into flower arranging – particularly if she likes dried flowers, as once these flowers have matured, they can be cut and allowed to dry slowly in some water to then be used to decorate the house. They also make perfect Christmas decorations when sprayed silver or gold.
For the jam fan
Malus 'Red Sentinel'
Malus 'Red Sentinel', Victorian Nursery
If your mum's got a bit of space in her garden and she enjoys making crab-apple jelly, then this is one of the best crab apples that I've grown in a garden, and I would thoroughly recommend it. Crab apples make wonderful trees for small gardens because they're not too dominant and only achieve around 15 feet in height, depending on the rootstock. More importantly, they offer interest in the spring with beautiful blossom, followed by great autumn colour, then large red, rosy, bauble-like fruits that persist well into the winter – a great source of food for birds, too.
For the statement-maker
Albizia julibrissin 'Rosea'
Albizia julibrissin 'Rosea', Burncoose Nurseries
This is a wonderful tree for a sheltered garden or an urban setting, but worth avoiding if you've got a particularly cold or exposed plot. If your mum's garden fits the criteria, this is a rather unusual tree that produces exquisite pink, powder-puff-like flowers over feathery fern-like foliage. Ultimately achieving a height of around 20 feet, this light canopy doesn't feel oppressive in a garden and can quite happily grow in a large pot to keep it more compact in size. It's one for the more experienced gardener, but once in bloom it's certainly a statement and will make her garden the talk of the street.
For the style-conscious gardener
Magnolia 'Yellow Bird'
Magnolia 'Yellow Bird', Ornamental Trees
I've added another tree to this selection because the planting and the growing of a tree is an incredibly special journey that we can go on, and to give a tree as a gift makes that even more poignant. Recent breeding has produced several yellow-flowered magnolias which are truly show-stopping when in full bloom. Yellow Bird is probably one of the strongest-coloured yellow magnolias out there. It ultimately achieves a goblet-shaped large tree that flowers a little bit later than most magnolias, which makes it less prone to frost damage. Ultimately reaching a height of about 20 feet, it's perhaps one for those with big gardens.
For the low-maintenance grower
Trachelospermum jasminoides
Trachelospermum jasminoides, Crocus
If your mum dabbles in the garden but generally likes to enjoy it over a cool gin and tonic in the evenings, then this trachelospermum is great for covering fences and gazebos, and to fill the night air with its glorious gardenia-like scent throughout the summer. In sheltered gardens this climber will be evergreen, offering interest throughout the year; and as long as it has that touch of shelter it is very easy to grow.
For the fruit aficionado
Apricot 'Tomcot'
Apricot 'Tomcot', Blackmoor
This variety of apricot is not only incredibly prolific, producing lots of juicy, orange fruits during July, but it is also one of the easiest to grow, being at home in a greenhouse or grown on a south-facing fence or wall. These trees can be easily grown in a fan shape and don't take up much room. Apricots, like a lot of other stone fruits, flower early, especially when in a greenhouse, so they need to be hand-pollinated with a soft paintbrush, which can be a very mindful and enjoyable exercise. For those with smaller gardens, this apricot can also be grafted onto a dwarfing rootstock, which makes it perfect for growing in pots. In a moveable pot, this apricot can be given a little bit of extra protection in the winter in an unheated greenhouse and then brought out onto the patio for the summer.