Questions about buying a plant.
Short answers. Anything else: hello@pilf.me — a person replies, usually the same day.
Buying
How do I buy a plant?
Scan the QR code on the tag, or tap the top of the tag with your phone. Pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay or a card. Show the confirmation to whoever’s at the counter, and take the plant.
Is sales tax included in the price?
No. The tag shows the price before tax. Chicago sales tax (10.5%) is added at checkout as its own line: a $22 plant is $24.31.
Do I need an account or an app?
No. Checkout asks for an email address, for your receipt, and your card or wallet. Nothing else.
Does it come with the pot?
It comes home in its plastic nursery pot, which has drainage holes. The terracotta planter it sits in on display is $12 more — tick the box before you pay.
Can I buy one for someone else?
Yes. Pay, then send them the confirmation. They show it at the counter and take the plant.
Can I order online and have it delivered?
No. Nothing ships. Every plant is paid for on your phone and picked up where it’s growing.
Do the staff know the plants are for sale?
Yes. The business agreed to host the plants and knows what the confirmation looks like. Staff don’t take payment — it goes to PILF.
Returns
Can I return a plant?
No. All sales are final: you see the plant before you pay, and you carry it out yourself.
What if I paid and the plant was already gone?
Email hello@pilf.me with your receipt and you’ll get a full refund, including the tax.
After you take it home
How do I get it home when it’s cold?
Below 50°F, tropical leaves can be damaged in minutes. Carry it inside your coat or a bag, and don’t leave it in a cold car.
Should I repot it?
Not for the first couple of months, and don’t feed it yet either. The nursery pot has drainage holes, which is what a plant needs. For something nicer, set the nursery pot inside it.
How often do I water it?
Each plant’s entry gives the days between waterings and how to tell when it’s thirsty. Find your plant.
What do I do if something looks wrong?
Each plant’s entry lists what it’s telling you — yellow leaves, drooping, brown tips — and what to do. Or email a photo to hello@pilf.me.
The plants
Are they safe for pets and kids?
Spider plant, peperomia and hoya are non-toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA) and on the non-poisonous list kept by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Poison Control Center. The others irritate the mouth or stomach if chewed — keep them up high. The safe ones.
What do the scores mean?
Ease is how easy a plant is to keep alive. Presence is how much it does for a room. Together they place it on the PILF Matrix. How each is scored.
Where do the plants come from?
Most start as cuttings or divisions in Wicker Park, Chicago. The rest come from a Chicago grower and spend two weeks in quarantine first.
PILF
What does PILF mean?
It’s short for pilfer. More about PILF.
Where can I buy one right now?
The first places open the week of October 12, 2026, in and around Wicker Park. Places to PILF.
How can my business get plants?
Partner with PILF — it’s free for pilot partners.