Animal Crossing: New Horizons received a new update this morning that adds plenty of new features like an expanded museum and special events that will play out over the next couple of months. The first of these events is Nature Day, which runs from now until May 4. Nature Day will give you special Nook Miles+ bonuses completing gardening tasks around the island, such as planting trees and tending flowers. Nature Day also sees the arrival of a new vendor maned by an old friend.
Leif the sloth, who originally debuted in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, returns as one of the traveling merchants who will show up to your island at random. In New Leaf, he ran the Garden Center, which eventually merged with Timmy and Tommy's store. Here, the player could purchase flowers sets, tree saplings and various gardening tools like the axe and the watering can.
Leif held a special event called Weeding Day in which the player was tasked with pulling out weeds around the town. When they were finished, Leif would reward them with new public work projects or flower sets. Leif appeared again in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. In the mobile game, Leif hosted the Spring Flowers Event, where players were tasked with planting specific flowers and catching rare bugs. As a reward, he would give out garden-themed furniture and clothing.
Like the other NPC vendors that come to the island, Leif will park his cart in the plaza and sell goods to you. Just like in New Leaf, Leif's merchandise revolves around gardening, consisting of shrub starters and flower seeds. The shrub starters include Holly, Azalea (pink and white), Hydrangea (blue and pink), Hibiscus (red and yellow), Olive (orange and yellow) and Camellia (pink and red). Certain shrubs bloom in certain seasons: Azaleas bloom in spring, Hibiscus' in summer, Hydrangeas in the fall and Holly in winter.
The flower seeds that Leif sells are non-native seeds that you won't find at Nook's Cranny. The types flowers Leif sells will vary depending on what flowers occur naturally on your island and what kinds Timmy and Tommy sell. Leif will also buy weeds from you from 20 Bells per weed, which is double the amount you'll be offered over at Nook's Cranny. Interestingly, when you speak to Leif while visiting a friend's island, he'll remember you. This makes him only the second character to do so after Celeste.
As of now, it does not look like Leif will become a permanent fixture of island life anytime soon. Since his cart is currently the only place to get shrub starters, its best to stock up on as many of them as you can and decorate your island with them as quickly as possible before he leaves.