Eight plants for the host, with the pet-safe ones marked.
A pie gets eaten and a bottle gets opened, but a plant is still on the windowsill in spring, which makes it a host gift with staying power. Look for one that's safe for the host's pets, already in bloom or close to it, and easy enough to keep going after the dishes are done.
Schlumbergera truncata
The only plant here named for the holiday, and it is usually in bloom right on cue. Give it long, dark nights in early fall and it can bloom again next November.
Salvia rosmarinus
A gift for the cook: snip it straight into the stuffing. "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance," wrote Shakespeare, a fitting thank-you on a day about gratitude. Give it your sunniest window, or the garden where winters are mild.
Phalaenopsis
Elegant, easy to carry and safe for cats and dogs. A moth orchid's flowers can last four months or more, long after the leftovers are gone.
Streptocarpus ionanthus
Small enough for a crowded counter and happy to bloom on a bright windowsill through the winter, and nearly all year after that.
Guzmania lingulata
A burst of warm color that stays bright for two to four months, for little more than a splash of water in its cup.
Spathiphyllum
For the host who'd rather be told: it droops dramatically when thirsty, then perks right back up after a drink. Best in homes without pets or small children.
Dracaena trifasciata
The gift for the friend who swears they kill every plant. It shrugs off low light and missed waterings. Best in homes without pets.
Chrysanthemum × morifolium
The classic fall pot, ready for the front porch, and toxic to pets, so it's happiest outside. A hardy garden mum can wait in a cool garage and go in the ground in spring; a florist mum is a one-season treat.
Each card links to the plant's full care card, with its care rating, light, water and pet safety, all traced to university extension services, the ASPCA or botanical gardens.
Ask the host whether to bring a dish; otherwise, bring a small gift such as wine, flowers already in a vase, a specialty food or a plant.
A host gift is a kind extra and never a must. Lizzie Post of the Emily Post Institute says guests don't have to bring a host gift, and no host should expect one.
Yes. It lasts long after the meal, it needs no vase, and the host can enjoy it for months or years. Pick one that suits the host's home, especially if they have pets.
Of the eight here, the ASPCA lists the moth orchid, African violet, bromeliad (the Guzmania sold as a gift) and rosemary as non-toxic to cats and dogs. The ASPCA doesn't list the Thanksgiving cactus by name, but NC State lists it as non-toxic to pets. Peace lily, snake plant and mums are toxic to pets, so save those for homes without them.
Look at the stem segments. A Thanksgiving cactus has pointed, claw-like teeth on the edges, and a Christmas cactus has rounded, scalloped edges. Many plants sold as Christmas cactus are really Thanksgiving cacti or hybrids, which is why many bloom around Thanksgiving. See the Thanksgiving cactus care card and the Christmas cactus care card.
Either is kind. Cut flowers need a vase, so bring them already arranged in one. A potted plant is ready to set down as it is, and it keeps going long after the holiday.