Clean well maintained shop with friendly employees, but I feel like the name is quite misleading. I didn't see much of anything here that was truly unusual or rare. Their inventory is dominated by your typical cultivars of philodendrons, anthuriums, pothos, etc. Most of these plants are widely available at garden centers and other plant stores. Even the carnivorous plants and staghorn fern they had are varieties I've commonly seen elsewhere. They also carry spray painted tillandsias, a practice I dislike because it obscures the plant's natural appearance and is something I generally associate with novelty retail rather than horticulture. I visited hoping to find some unique specimens, such as uncommon orchids, metallic leaved begonias, rocklike pseudolithos, or other harder to find collector plants. Casual indoor plant owners would probably find this store adequate, but I'd recommend those looking specifically for rare or unusual plants to skip this place. Update: Soon after writing this review I got a very emotionally charged message from the owner who mentioned that my review is a "public dig" and asked "Is it your goal to damage a women owned and run small business?". It leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I leave an honest respectful review (all I did was highlight who this store would be good for!) and I get a response like that. Especially ending in her saying "I hope you have a better day than I now will have". It's all very unprofessional. read more

Cute, quaint plant shop of indoor plants, pottery that make a nice addition to your home or thoughtful present. First visit to Crimson Horticultural Rarities on Piedmont Ave but a frequent visitor to their former location in the Temescal Neighborhood and bought my first air plant about 10 years ago. Floor staff friendly, provides assistance and advice. Ended up with a Swiss Cheese plant (monstera adansonii) kokedama which is the Japanese art of growing plants in a moss-covered ball which is definitely a conversation piece. Pricing on the higher side so I visit for the unique arrangement or rare plant I haven't found. Crimson Horticultural Rarities also provides full service event arrangements and indoor plant design for your place. read more

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Great vibes and so many different options. The staff were nice and helpful. Definitely would recommend checking this place out.

I love this place!! Unlike a lot of other plant shops, crimson feels curated with love. I have gifted (and bought for myself) plants, ceramics, and jewelry everything they have super cute and unique. read more

Such a dreamy little plant shop we stumbled upon while visiting the East Bay last week! If I ever had my own shop, it would look a lot like Crimson. I love the apothecary vibe, deep colors, lush greens mixed with dried florals... definitely gets the creative juices flowing. They also have a floral design area which I imagine would be perfect for workshops and getting a more hands-on experience. They carry great little gifts and cards (picked up a cute mushroom one for myself) and everything you could possibly need for that plant addict in your life. While a bit pricey, I was very impressed by their selection of local handmade ceramics & pots as well. Definitely add this spot to your botanical adventures! read more

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This is by far THE best plant shop on Piedmont Ave. Okay, maybe I'm biased because they match my esthetics. But their pics online match the vibe of their space. So many places have shiny Instagram but when you actually go in get slightly disappointed it isn't the glamorous place it touts itself to be. But not Crimson. It has a magical, beautiful and organic feel. The plants are lush, all the wares are high quality. I've purchased several plants and pots here to gift to family and friends. I also attended a wedding where they created all the stunning floral. Go in and support this gem in the neighborhood! read more

My mom introduced me to this store. Yes I know I have a cool mom! They have a really nice selection of plants. They are pest free and really quality plants. They have these beautiful kokedama style plants mounted on wood. I am obsessed. I have gotten a Staghorn Fern, Peperomia Hope and a Fern from them. They have a handful of rare plants usually near the checkout area. They also feature some great local ceramicists in their pot selections. Parking is easy enough to find. This is a great place to buy a gift card for the plant lover in your life. read more

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I've bought some of my favorite plants from crimson. The selection is unmatched. Great customer service and support.

A friend recommended this place and so glad they did. The store is gorgeous and has such fun plants. Sales clerk were sweet and very knowledgeable. I told them my outdoor plant set up and they were able to point me in the direction of a Fishbone Cactus. They told me about the flower it blooms and showed pictures. Very excited for this new plant addition! Also, the pot it was in was too wide for my balcony so they repotted it into two cute pots I got there for me before I left! $2 for the soil, $20 for each ceramic pot, $50 for plant that I could've easily split into a 3rd pot! read more

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Came here after seeing this store when going to Fentons and it is truly one of the most magical plant shops I've been to. There's so many plants in there that I've never seen before that are so beautiful! They were also having a labors day sale so I got 2 of the most beautiful hanging kokedamas for a fraction of the price I got others for from other shops as gifts. I think now many of my plant loving friends have kokedamas from me haha. would definitely come back to see what other selections of plants they have in the future! read more

This is a very small shop with specific indoor plants that all look amazing. I saw pictures and just knew they would have good ideas and recommendations. My fellow YEE took amazing photos and I just had to come check it out The staff is so knowledgeable and expert that I was tempted to drop a hundi on a small potted plant... that's before I got vetoed by Bae walking sir Winston outside. I settled instead for natural plant food that will help spruce up the vegetation we have already at home. They definitely take COVID serious, limiting foot traffic in the smallish store taking temperatures of everyone entering as well. Between the smiling knowledgeable staff, the green vibrant painted walls and thriving plants just ooze life! I didn't realize I was craving to be surrounded by sustainable oxygenating plants until I walked in. A zen moment for sure. read more

Crimson Horticultural Rarities - Was tempted to bring this lovely home - Flowers & Gifts Near Me - Oakland, California

2nd location! Much more open and plenty of staff. There is a floral design area in the back and a lot more home products merchandised. They still help you pot and repot your plants. And have many of the ceramics of the Temescal location. I find parking easier on Piedmont, so I will probably frequent here more often. If you're into the bigger plants - they stock more here. Check out the selections in their online shop and then head in with the photos - most likely they will have the varietal. Mandatory temperature checks and hand sanitizing at the door. Super knowledgeable and kind staff - definitely a welcoming spot! So nice to see businesses expanding during the pandemic. read more

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Happy another Crimson has opened a stone's throw away from me! This is my (and my mom's) plant haven/addiction that's become our kryptonite in the best way. Whenever my parents visit, we take a seemingly innocuous walk down Piedmont Avenue and 100% of the time we always end up in Crimson. The plant specialists who work here are so nice and helpful, especially when my mom is dropping horticulturalist names, asking if they have certain rare breeds, and comparing two very similar looking plants for lengthy periods of time trying to decide which one to buy. It's pretty entertaining accompanying her and listening to her random jargon of "philodendrons, Hoyas, peperonia, variegated, calatheas." I've definitely learned a ton of plant names in our visits. Needless to say, I've also fallen into the plant rabbit hole as my place is full of burgeoning plants. Crimson has a TON of beautiful, unique plants that I would recommend for gifting or keeping you company. They totally add a lot of life to my place and excited to see what will pop up next! read more

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Very friendly knowledgeable staff & a great selection of plants from all over the world, decorative pots, and well curated care products. read more

Crimson Horticultural Rarities - Flowers & Gifts Near Me - Oakland, California

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Their variety of plants are awesome in quality and size. I love their unique style that celebrates the beauty of natures curiosities. The Crimson instagram feed is informative, playful, and gorgeous. Perfect addition to Piedmont avenue! Also....to call this business "unkind" because they don't take cash is really bat shit crazy. Armed robberies happen daily and they are doing what they need to do to protect their staff and stay in business. I cherish Crimson Hort, it's not easy running a store front. read more

I've been exploding all the East Bay plant shops and this one is now in my short list of favorites!! The layout, variety of pots, super friendly service and all around gorgeous plants make this place spectacular. Can't wait to come back again and again! read more

I love crimson! They are great and def super knowledgeable. They hire a main zing people that are always willing to help you and are a dog friendly spot which is always nice. The selection is awesome with not just plants but other household items as well. My only complaint is that they are a bit pricey! read more

Meh. Ive had much more welcoming service. You can tell when people want you to shop at their store versus when they don't. They're not necessarily mean, but its the energy. ‍ read more

I hope the owner notice this review and evaluate the sales clerk they hired for this business. I stood in line long & then decided to buy a plant & was just asking questions regarding two plants..This lady decided I'm wasting her time & told me 'let me look into other customers'!! & simply ditched me..I was not taking long & was making a decision between a $58 & $95 plant)...I walked straight out.. I'm a business owner myself & the biggest mistake clerks can make is assume who's your customer..I don't post reviews like this..But so pissed off the way I'm treated.. read more

I've been a long time client of Crimson. I've bought nearly all my plants here, from large to small. I am severely disappointed with my most recent purchase. Two months ago I bought a HUGE beautiful shuffler stump for over 300$ here. As soon as I brought it home it began to die. I called them twice, explaining what was happening. I was told twice that it sounded like over-watering, though I had only watered it twice over the span of these last two months. I also asked if I could return it (this was while it was still beautiful) and was told no. Fast forward to last week where I had to PRY it from the pot it came in because it was SO severely root bound and overpacked with lava rock. This plant was so overgrown it was strangling itself, and the lava rock was preventing any nutrients from reaching it's roots. I could barely successfully get it out of it's pot, it was so overly packed with rocks. And no, it didn't grow all of these roots in one month. It was packed and purchased this way. Because every time I tried to stick my finger into the dirt, I couldn't get anywhere. I also called as soon as I got home and asked if that was normal. Needless to say, as a professional nursery, they should NEVER sell a plant this root bound, or poorly planted to a customer. Let alone such an expensive plant. From now on I'll be going to Sloat Garden Center in Pleasant hill, where I spoke to them about what happened to my schefflera. They were kind, understanding, and reassured me that they never pack their plants with lava rock, or let them get that root bound. I'm very disappointed and saddened, as a plant lover and collector. read more

So exciting the Piedmont shop is finally open! Best wishes to Allison and all the powerhouses keeping this ship sailing into 2021. read more

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Where is my order? I can't get a hold of anyone that works here, and my plants never showed up today. They were so happy and available, ready to sell me the plants and confirm my delivery time. They were actually really nice. But now when my plants are supposed to be here I can't even get a hold of them... I bought on the same day as my friend and they are experiencing the same thing. I guess I'll call my bank if I don't here back from them soon read more

Cute little shop with limited selection of some of the more trendy houseplants out there. A bit overpriced. Staff seemed nice though.

I found a beautiful plant and was ready to purchase. Before making the decision, I asked the staff simple questions: "What is the best way to take care of this plant? What temperature does it thrive in? (because it gets quite hot where I live.)" She answered me with what felt like a condescending tone, "Well you're not going to put it outside, are you? You know it's a houseplant, right...? If you're uncomfortable inside, your plant will be too." It is unfortunate that I was met with this response rather than with a helpful, educating answer. This was the determining factor to my not purchasing the plant, and I likely will not be a returning customer. read more

Bad return policy I purchased a item from Crimson as a Christmas gift. The item was not to the liking of the person I was gifting it to, so I brought it back to the store to exchange it for a more expensive item. I did not have the receipt but was able to show proof that I bought it at the store (credit card statement). The person who was "helping" me initially attempted to perform the exchange, but then changed their mind when they realized I made the purchase 10 days before -- they don't accept returns after 7 days. The exchange did not happen over what feels like a silly store policy which impeded the exchange for a more expensive item. Additionally, the store was closed for part of those 10 days due to the holidays. I left the store feeling like had it been someone else behind the counter, the exchange would have happened. Sticking to "we can't help you because that is our policy" is no way to increase business to what looks like a cool store. read more

Love this place! Great selection with a very helpful and knowledgeable staff. Prices are reasonable and I love supporting a local business. read more

I don't want to say it's better than the original, because the Temescal Alley location is charming as ever -- but this one is definitely bigger, with even more to discover. Half nursery, half art gallery, all worth seeing! read more

Crimson Horticultural Rarities - RAYPOZI wall planters. - Flowers & Gifts Near Me - Oakland, California

Staff were pleasant and helpful in reaching the high up planter I had my eye on. The store had a plentiful variety of plants for all ranges of gardening experience. Looking forward to hanging my string of hearts and planting these babies in my terrarium. Now to find more space for plants so that I can return and buy more. read more

Walking into Crimson is a bit like that scene in the movies where you stumble upon a hidden metaphysical store that transports you, except the magic here is plants. :) The staff are exceptionally kind and knowledgeable, and we're blessed to have such an oasis on Piedmont. read more

I've bought things here before and the store is clearly beautiful. The lady who helped me was very nice however when I went to pay they refused to let me pay with cash. My total was 138.85 and I tried to give them $140. They said it's because of covid as which I would understand maybe some time ago but now many businesses are fully open and tendering cash. Sad to see a business would refuse a sale instead of relooking at their own policies especially when the lady who helped me admitted this was the second time it had happened to her today. I also think this policy can be discriminatory and inequitable since there are a variety of reasons a person may or may not be able to only pay with a credit or debit card. This policy certain prohibits some people from being able to shop here and it's just not the kind of Oakland business I want to support. On the most practical note, If customers can touch and pick up products inside the store, it's really no different than also accepting cash. Will be supporting kind and inclusive businesses not this one. The manager was not receptive to feedback or even thinking about being flexible or how it affects customers. It's disappointing. read more

Beautiful store, knowledgeable staff. Great selection of more unusual plants and pots.

I AM OBSESSED!!!!!!! I am obsessed with everything about this place! The customer service, the location, the vibe and I love the freaking name! The best part is the plants. I've literally gone to this business three days in a row and each time except for the first time when I was scouting I bought plants. The plants are both a little pricey but also there are some that are really not that pricey it's a good in between. That aesthetic of the building is just what really drew me in. I also love that the plants are very well taken care of there was no root rot, there's no dead leaves there's no bugs nothing. The plants are in amazing condition. I am really big on customer service and the people are so friendly extremely approachable. If they don't know the answer to the question that you're asking about a specific plant they will find it out by asking another member on their team or finding the answer. I would highly recommend this place to anyone that is a plant lover their selection an assortment of plants is amazing. They also have really good pottery items and other small items that will go great in your home as well. Crimson is definitely one of my go to plant shops now in the Bay Area. Shout out to the entire team you guys are incredible read more