Nine plants to give for Valentine's Day when you don't like roses

February 14th, 6 p.m. You've forgotten all about Valentine's Day. In front of the florist's stall, you discover the price of a dozen roses. To buy this tiny bouquet, the last for miles around, you're about to break your Livret A savings account. Instead of sacrificing your savings, discover our selection of plants to offer for Valentine's Day. Or to keep for yourself.

From the beginning of February, Hoya Kerrii invades florists' stalls and garden centers' shelves. In fact, this is almost the only time of year when this heart-shaped succulent is available.

Easy to care for, hoya kerrii is the perfect Valentine's Day gift for patient gardeners. In fact, it can take up to two years to see it grow. It then forms a liana with fleshy limbs and delicate flowers.

To avoid hoping in vain, make sure you buy a plant with roots and not a limb stuck in the ground!

Granted, giving the gift of a single leaf can make you look like a cheapskate. If you want a present that stands out, opt for pothos 'Neon.

This plant-liana native to the Solomon Islands has almost fluorescent green sagittate leaves that are sure to catch the eye.

All gardeners can grow pothos. But it's best to avoid giving this plant as a Valentine's Day gift to animal lovers. Golden Scindapsus is toxic to cats and dogs.

Prefer flowers? Buy anthurium andreanum. Also known as fire tongue, this flowering perennial is native to Ecuador and Colombia.

It blooms as an elegant, heart-shaped spathe. Choose the color to suit your tastes and feelings: red for passion, white for admiration and pink for friendship!

In the wild, Anthurium blooms only in winter. But indoors, it can bloom several times a year, in any season.

Of all the plants with heart-shaped foliage, Ceropegia woodii is one of the simplest to grow.

Its vines, dotted with silvery-green cordate blades, are perfect for hanging. In summer, small pink and purple flowers even bloom along the stems.

Like other succulents, the Lover's Vine tolerates forgotten watering and is easy to cut. The icing on the cake is chain of Hearts ability to communicate. If it's thirsty, it lets you know. Its leaves hollow out and point downwards.

In the language of flowers, the camellia symbolizes love, devotion, admiration and fidelity. If, like me, you had to write a book report on the Lady of the Camellia in high school, the plant evokes impossible passion, the 19th century, courtesans and phthisis. Romantic, you die.

And what could be more poetic than the camellia's delicately chiselled flowers? Single or double, plain or two-tone, pink, white or red, they light up gardens in midwinter.

And that's just one of the advantages of this flowering shrub. Unlike jasmine, camellia blooms in February without needing to be forced.

Looking for a good excuse to expand your alocasia collection? Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse! Alocasia cucullata has large, cordate green leaves, while those of alocasia zebrina are saggy.

But before you succumb to its charms, make sure Alocasia is right for you. This tropical plant requires warmth, humidity, sun, premium soil and constant vigilance.

Still want to give it a try? Download theMonstera app. By following our watering reminders and maintenance tips, you should succeed in not killing your Alocasia cucullata.

With its four heart-shaped green and purple leaflets, Oxalis tetraphylla is reminiscent of a four-leaf clover. A godsend for those who need to add a little romance and a lot of luck to their lives.

This hardy plant can be grown in the garden or as a houseplant. In exchange for a little light and water, your oxalis will reward you in spring with pink and white flowers.

But be careful if you plant it in the ground. Like Joe Goldberg in You, oxalis tetraphylla can become very invasive.

It's impossible not to fall under the spell of Caladium and its huge, heart-shaped leaves.

Almost impossible to find a few years ago, Caladium is slowly making its way into the best e-shops and among plant-addicts. You can now choose between the green and pink foliage of Caladium bicolor 'Rosebud', the red limbs of Caladium bicolor 'Red Flash' and the translucent ones of Caladium bicolor 'White Queen'.

But don't expect to arrive with a bouquet of caladiums for Valentine's Day. The plant is native to Brazil. In February, in our latitudes, it goes dormant and only the bulbs are for sale.

Orchids are practical plants. They can be given for any occasion without taking too many risks. They symbolize love, purity, refinement, luxury and innocence.

To be sure you're sending the right message, pay attention to the color of the petals. White stands for pure love, pink for tenderness, yellow for eroticism and green for hope. In any case, forget purple: the hue is associated with justice and knowledge, and has little to do with love.

There are over 25,000 species of orchid. Phalaenopsis and Cymbidium are the easiest to care for. More demanding, the jewel orchid Macodes petola) reveals foliage that overshadows the beauty of its flowers.

While some varieties are Cupid-approved, others should be left off the list of plants to give for Valentine's Day.

Start by banishing syngonium podophyllum. Admittedly, its heart-shaped leaves are charming. But the crowsfoot plant is said to have the power to drive a wedge between men and women. Avoid giving it as a gift to your partner, favorite colleague or roommate if they're of the opposite sex. On the other hand, there's nothing to stop you cutting it for your soon-to-be-married ex or your crush who never calls you back.

Another plant with supernatural properties: Bougainvillea spectabilis. If you've decided to buy a Remarkable Bougainvillea, leave it outside! Firstly, because it can't stand the dry air of the house. Secondly, because its flowers are magical. Used in voodoo rituals, they bring misfortune into the house as soon as they cross the threshold.