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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The pandemic houseplant buying boom isn't slowing down. Rochester’s first and only plant shop of exotic and hard to find tropical houseplants has relocated to a larger store.
Stem is now open on Monroe Avenue in Rochester. Co-owner Samantha Mills knows a lot about plants. She is a horticulturalist who found her calling in uncommon and super hard to find houseplants.
“This is a philodendron serpent, so it has very fuzzy stem and these big they need leaves. I absolutely adore it. I have a thing for the creepy plants, I think -- creepy and weird,” laughed Mills.
Samantha and her best friend, Kerynn Laraby, turned their passion for exotic plants into a booming online plant sales business and now brick and mortar store where people can see and discover all kinds of exotics. They first opened the shop in 2021 on Alexander Street.
“There is a plant shop in Syracuse that has hard to find things and a plant shop in Buffalo that has hard to find stuff,” Mills said. “But there is nothing in Rochester so we figured let’s tap into an untapped market.”
People collect all kinds of things…sports memorabilia…cookie jars…stamps. Plant enthusiasts are collectors too and will spend $1,000 on one plant. Stem has some super rare houseplants. @SPECNews1ROC #houseplants pic.twitter.com/ZMSL57zNcQ
They find and sell some of the rarest house plants you’ve ever seen or heard of. Stem sells plants anywhere from $4 on up to $1,000. Indoor gardeners of all skill levels are welcome at Stem.
“It is something that you get to nurture that rewards you,” Mills said. “For me, it’s like ‘hey I did that and it’s kind of thanking me with that new leaf and it’s appreciating my company.’ For people who struggle with social interactions plants can kind of them that feeling that they are lacking."
New plants arrive every Wednesday at Stem. The shop is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 149 Monroe Ave. in Rochester.