Friday, January 17, 2020

Visiting a few houseplant shops, in Los Angeles

Knowing I'd have a little time to kill after closing down the Huntington Gardens and before meeting up with Andrew and other family for dinner, I researched a few houseplant stores in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles. Houseplants are exploding in popularity in Portland and across the country, I wondered what trendy L.A. would have up it's sleeve. I used a story in L.A. Magazine for reference, even though it was from 2018 I figured as long as the shops were still in business they'd still be worth visiting. First up, Planta...

Plants like this along the sidewalk are a sure sign this is gonna be a good stop.

Inside the nursery a few plants were showing off their holiday spirit.

I don't think I've ever seen so many dyckia in one place.

Moving undercover...

Mounted plants and kokedama. Kokedama with dried Spanish moss, I don't think I've seen that before.

It's always good to be reminded of where you are in the world.

Cryptanthus!

These 6" pots were going for $21.

Oh baby! Yes I am falling hard for the dark sansevieria. This 10" pot labeled Sansevieria kirkii var. pulchra was going for $75. Nope, I will not be spending that kind of money on a sansevieria.

I headed to the inside shop next, but it was small and nothing caught my eye—remember this is L.A., even the houseplants can pretty much be outside.

Next up was Ponderosa Cactus.

Love, absolutely love, their sign.

By the front door...

And inside.

Based on the fact the shop was almost empty and I spotted the sign below, I think they were closing. I didn't get a chance to ask the person manning the shop. She was busy helping folks pick out plants. Their Instagram account only lists the Tucson location now. Bummer.

My next stop, The Juicy Leaf. Ya gotta love that name.

This was a fun shop to browse...

And like with Planta, if I lived in the area I would definitely stop in on occasion.

None of the shops I visited had anything that made me think they had their finger on the pulse of the next "hot" thing though. Our Portland shops are just as good...some even better.

Headed back to the car I spotted Nature's Perfection across the street. There was no question they had plants.

Lots of them. No great displays, think plants as convenience store inventory.

Finally, I thought I would link to a story from The Guardian: A growing concern: is it ever OKAY to steal plant cuttings?  It starts with a theft from Portland's Potted Elephant (which I visited here) and concentrates on the hot houseplant market. I posted a link to it on my personal FB page and followed as it appeared on a few other FB group pages. Lively conversations ensued. Some comments—people okay helping themselves to bits and pieces—I found very concerning. Oh and thanks to the blog commenter who suggested I share the link here, I wouldn't have thought of it.

Weather Diary, Jan 16: Hi 43, Low 32/ Precip .16

All material © 2009-2020 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

17 comments:

  1. "Is it ever okay to steal plant cuttings?" How is this even a question? Pilfering, swiping, call it what you will, if it ain't yours, you can't walk off with it. Grrrr
    I like that (pricey) sansevieria a lot. I've taken sansevieria leaf cuttings (from my own plant!) and rooted them. The new growth that follows doesn't match the parent plant (so far). I find it puzzling and frustrating.

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    1. Ah that's interesting, about the new growth on your rooted sansevieria cuttings. And yes, I too wonder how that question even needs to be asked, it seems people can justify anything.

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  2. LA is not a plantly city like Portland or Seattle. I have searched in vain for groups like HPSO that tour private gardens. It's an entirely different culture where any fruit growing on a tree wherever it grows is considered community property. Delivery people will snatch a lemon. Passersby in cars will pinch a persimmon. But we have an even bigger problem: poaching rare native plants like Dudleya farinosa for the foreign market. See https://www.npr.org/2018/05/20/611570479/the-case-of-the-stolen-succulents. I was unaware of the problem for the little shops. Thanks for opening my eyes.

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    1. I was trying to explain that to my husband (LA not being a planty city) and he just couldn't wrap his head around the idea. And ya, that story about the dudleya is pretty horrible.

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  3. Nice little rundown of LA's plant shops. Too bad it looks like one of them was closing down. Potted Elephant posted that article on their Instagram too, most people were sympathetic, but there were some pretty far-out comments. People used to pick the peonies in my front garden until I moved them into the back. I felt miserly doing it, but it bugged me and still does.

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    1. Ya, I read the comments on the Potted Elephant's Instagram post, people never cease to surprise.

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  4. Always surprising what people think is okay. Having once hosted a garden tour was appalled at people helping themselves to my veggies, flowers and cuttings. Love the picture of the hanging rat tail cacti in the window. The sansevieria is a stunner.

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    1. Ha, you've reminded me of when my garden was on a tour and a friend who was here helping me out was horrified to see people helping themselves to my cherry tomatoes.

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  5. The PNW seems to be the IT place for plants from what I've seen through your (and Peter's, who I miss a lot) blogs. The area is a Mecca!
    Helping oneself to cuttings is never okay in my book, esp. in a store that depends on revenue. Most gardeners are generous and more than willing to share cuttings if asked, but get indignant, rightfully, if folks help themselves. A few years ago, I saw a plant at a local college and tracked down the director to ask if I could collect some seed. He was surprised and glad to be asked and thanked me for being considerate. Apparently, not everyone plays by the Golden Rule of 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'

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    1. I miss Peter's blog posts too! And good on you for tracking that fellow down, I hope your seeds prospered.

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  6. When I lived in Santa Monica (decades ago!), I had a neighbor who regularly visited the nearby garden center to pinch cuttings, although I didn't learn of that behavior until she'd moved. She was elderly and I chalked the behavior up to her age and limited means so, while I was disturbed by the behavior, I wasn't as incensed as I've been in more recent years when other gardeners complained of thefts from their own doorsteps. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's become and industry-wide concern. When did this general sense of entitlement become so pervasive?

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    1. It's amazing and horrifying isn't it, the entitlement. Our whole culture has changed.

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  7. It is a sad statement about our society when people are stealing snips, seeds and even plants.

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  8. Ugh, people taking plant cuttings without asking boggle my mind. Same goes for picking flowers in gardens that aren't yours...and that includes my roses even if they have "lots of flowers", neighbor! And I agree that LA doesn't have the most,b plant stores. I'm always impressed by the PNW ones you share!

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  9. This reminds me of many years ago, when I heard a scuffling noise coming from front porch area. I was tending the baby and home alone so it was a few minutes before I could investigate. Cannot tell you how stunned I was when I turned on porch light to see - nothing - where a large potted plant and plant pedestal had been. Had to have been more than one person. Later I saw in local newspaper that there were 'plant thief gangs' hitting neighborhoods.
    Love tour of interesting shops; your "plants as convenience store" place is the one for me. Mission: find (less expensive) sansevieria from the dark side!

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  10. That last shop, Nature's Perfection" is the one for me. I don't need fancy displays. I want the plants! I love that the PNW has so many plant resources, even indoor plants which are cheaper to produce in warmer climates.

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