Buying a large houseplant without regretting it

Height to the ceiling, width available, and the distance from the window. Then take a photograph of the spot at midday and show it to the shop. This one habit prevents most large-plant mistakes, because it moves the decision from your memory to the person who knows the stock.

A big plant is sold on its foliage, and foliage is the part that recovers. Look instead at the base of the stems for softness or dark patches, at the trunk for splits, and at the soil surface for the white crust of long-term over-watering.

Ask to see the drainage holes. Roots circling tightly at the bottom of a heavy pot mean it has been in there a long time and will need repotting sooner than you want.

A plant that arrived last week is still adjusting from greenhouse conditions and will drop leaves again when it moves to your home — twice the shock in a month. One that has been on the floor for a few weeks and looks good has already survived one transition.

Cold does more damage than the journey. Below about 50°F, wrap the canopy in a sleeve or paper for the walk to the car, and never leave a tropical plant in a cold boot while you do other errands. In summer, the opposite applies: a closed car in the sun will cook it.

Lift by the pot, never the trunk, and lay it down rather than letting it bend against a roof.

Expect some leaf drop. It is acclimation, not failure. Put it in its final spot immediately, do not repot it, do not fertilise it, and water only when the top few inches are dry.

Rotate it a quarter turn every couple of weeks so it does not lean, and be patient. If it is still dropping leaves after six weeks with correct light and water, that is the point to go back to the shop and ask.

Talk you down to a smaller plant if your light does not support the big one, tell you honestly what a species will do in your conditions, and often deliver. Many independents deliver locally for a modest fee, which is worth it for anything over about four feet.