• Investigation reveals sources for exotic flora.plant image by cherie from Fotolia.com
  
  Even if you already have a favorite place to buy plants, you might be looking for a source that provides out-of-the-ordinary or exotic species. Options for purchasing plants abound and, if you know what you're looking for, you won't become overwhelmed. Whether you prefer to shop in person or by ordering, there are truly hundreds of retail locations, online and wholesale options from which to choose. Become an investigator and track down precisely the plant you need.
  
  

Retail Establishments

• Three common retail establishments offer plants for sale: home improvement stores, large discount department stores and grocery stores. Home improvement and hardware stores often feature garden centers that offer a staggering variety of plants. Hardware stores without a garden center often market seasonal plants and seedlings in a small display area. The local mega-mart department store -- Walmart, Kmart, Target, etc. -- sells plants in a garden center, seasonal displays or near the home improvement department. Finally, grocery stores offer an unlikely, yet common, location to purchase plants. Grocery and drug stores typically display plants in front of the store or in a dedicated floral department.
  
  

Wholesale Nurseries

• A professional nursery offers quality, quantity and selection -- their business is plants and, if you want to buy plants in person, a nursery offers the opportunity to browse through greenhouses and plants to your heart's content. Nurseries staff professional and knowledgeable growers who can answer questions and locate hard-to-find products.
  
  

Online and Mail Order

• Hit the internet to find the homepages of plant suppliers -- they accept online orders or will send you a catalog to order by mail. The University of Minnesota Libraries offer a plant database that allows you to search through an exhaustive listing of mail-order and online plant sources. Access the database at https://plantinfo.umn.edu/arboretum/default.asp.
  
  

Newspaper or Online Classifieds

• Check newspaper and online classifieds under the construction, for sale or bargain headings. Landscaping contractors, homeowners and architects sell leftover or excess plants from completed projects. Check the "free" section of the classifieds to find homeowners who will give you plants if you remove them and haul them away.