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B I R M I N G H A M

 

42 | SEPTEMBER 12 • 2024 
J
N

Y

oung “plantreprenuer” 
and plant enthusiast 
Jake Janowitz, 24, of 
Birmingham, has recently 
launched Botany Birmingham, a 
boutique plant shop featuring rare, 
uncommon, collector’s editions and 
unique houseplants available for 
residential and commercial use.
As a lifelong nature fanatic, the 
recent Michigan State University 
graduate decided to bring his 
passion to the masses. Now vending 
in five-to-seven farmers markets per 
week, including Birmingham, Troy, 
Northville, Brighton, Milford and 
Rochester, among others, Botany 
Birmingham is quickly becoming a 
staple of the local market scene.
Botany Birmingham will sell at 
farmers markets through October 

when the season concludes. Still, the 
plant-obsessed and plant-curious 
alike can also make an appointment 
to visit Janowitz’s in-home plant 
showroom in Birmingham.

A CUSTOM GREEN SPACE
Working side-by-side with his 
mother, Marla Michele Must, who 
runs the marketing side of the 
business, Botany Birmingham was 
launched with the goal of helping 
people green their personal spaces. 
 Studies show access to green 
space can boost physical and mental 
health, including psychological 
wellbeing and improved heart 
functioning.
“I just love green space, and I 
wanted to create that in my own 
space,” Janowitz says of initially 

launching the plant showroom in 
his home, which is both mold-proof 
and climate-controlled. “When I 
was buying plants, I looked around 
at different sellers and saw how they 
were doing things. I thought, ‘I can 
do this on my own.’”
Currently, Botany Birmingham 
sells a selection of rare, tropical, 
pet-safe, beginner and common 
houseplants suitable for all plant 
care skill levels and interests. The 
business offers delivery and plans to 
launch online sales soon, as well as 
plant shipping.
Janowitz also plans to expand 
into “plantscaping,” or interior plant 
design services for residential and 
commercial needs to help people 
create their dream green space. 
“Plants can be a daunting task for 
someone who’s new to them,” he 
says.
For readers interested in indoor 
plants who aren’t sure where to start, 
here’s a quick guide to top-sellers 

that Janowitz and Must assembled, 
including care tips and more.

CALATHEA
“Calathea tend to fly off the shelves 
at our farmers markets, and for a 
good reason. It’s easy to see how 
their striking color and patterns 
can mix together to enhance a 
corner of your room. They prefer 
filtered water and can’t receive 
direct sunlight. For this reason, 
we tell customers to shade them 
from bright windows. In addition, 
Calathea are non-toxic and pet-safe.”

RARE PLANTS
“Each ‘rare’ plant we carry has 
a unique story, genus and care 
requirement. Due to their slow 
growth and limited supply, prices 
are higher regardless of demand. 
Their variegation (white parts 
of the leaves) are unable to 
photosynthesize. As a result, we 
encourage customers to provide 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BOTANY BIRMINGHAM

Botany Birmingham launches with indoor 
houseplants for all styles and tastes.

A Boutique for the 
Plant-Obsessed

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jake 
Janowitz