If you’re like me, you are always on the lookout for a unique gift for those hard-to-by-for people in your life. You know, the ones who already seem to have it all.

Over the years, I’ve found that giving the gift of bonsai is a great alternative to giving the “same old, same old” gifts. Bonsai are great gifts for so many reasons:

1. Bonsai are so unique. How many people can say they’ve received a bonsai tree as a present at any point of their life?
2. Giving bonsai says a lot about you. Think about it this way: Instead of picking another ugly tie or usual gift cards, giving bonsai  says, “hey, I’m a thoughtful person with diverse interests. And now you are, too. Welcome to the club.”
3. They’re not that expensive.  For roughly the same price as a tie, a box of golf balls, or a sweater, you can give a great tree. Plus, people don’t know how much they cost, so they may think you spent a whole lot more.
4. Bonsai is forever. Okay, maybe not forever (we all have lost one or two over the years!) but theoretically, they should last a long time. Longer than flowers or chocolates for sure!
5. They’re great corporate gifts. All of these reason apply doubly in the corporate world – a landscape littered with Starbucks gift cards and $10 bottles of wine. Here, originality is especially lacking, which is all the more reason to step it up with a truly unique (and beautiful!) gift everyone will admire.

My best example of this was how bonsai changed our annual family Christmas party. We institute a $50 limit on a “Secret Santa” type of exchange, a limitation that for years produced a predictable parade of lame gifts (imagine bird feeders, Bill Cosby-style sweaters, Home Depot gift cards and more).

One year – in a move prompted more by desperation than anything else, I decided to give a bonsai tree. I was a bit reluctant (and skeptical to the response I would get) because while my family is many things, let’s just say no one was a bonsai enthusiast. But the person who received it absolutely loved it and has since purchased many more. Plus, everyone in the room wanted to know where I got it, how to take care of them, and many more details.

So, next time you’re facing a gift-giving dilemma and having a hard time finding that perfect gift for that challenging person to buy for, go with a bonsai. Chances are you won’t regret it!