I am a rare plant fairy. I sell exotic plants to customers all over the world.

Jocelyn started selling rare plants during the pandemic. Business is growing now. “Every Friday there is a” rare plant drop “. This knows that the customer sets an alarm. “

Jocelyn Ho, also known as the Rare Plant Fairy, began selling plants from his spare bedroom in Detroit during a pandemic. Currently, Ho and his team of employees operate from two locations in hopes of expanding across Canada. Rare plant fairies offer over 100 species of the world’s rarest exotic plants, some starting at $ 35 and others priced in the thousands. This is her story.

— As told by Taradeboa

I love everything in life sciences. I studied birds, had an aquarium, and studied coral reefs at the University of Toronto. But I never thought I was so interested in plants.

I moved to Toronto at the age of two from my hometown of Hong Kong. Growing up in Ajax, I spent my leisure time in the garden looking for four-leaf clovers for hours. In 1990, I drew a small fir tree on the lawn in the front yard with my father. The last time I ran the car, it was still there.

I’ve always had foliage plants (simple, low-value plants such as African Violet) since I was a kid, but my collection really exploded just before COVID-19. Trapped in my house, I had to start collecting rare specimens. If I couldn’t go out, I could take in nature. The more I learned about plants, the more I was fascinated.

I had so many plants in my house that my husband started complaining about the space and cost they occupy. To prove that it was an investment, I cut out some of my plants (Monstera Delicio Satai Constellation and Philodendron Pink Princess) and sold them for $ 1000.

That was the seed money for the entire business. To date, we have not borrowed a single loan. I am now known for the Monstera Delicio Satai Constellation Plant. The plant grows thousands of plants each week and sells more than 100.

When I started the business, I went only with my personal name, Jocelyn Ho. Unfortunately, as a Chinese business owner, it was not easy to sell for the first time under your own name. It can be difficult for a woman or a minority entrepreneur.

There are many questions, including questions that you would ask if you suspect a scammer. where do you live? Can you hold it in my hand and send me a photo? I’ll do it, but after a while I’m tired. I needed an alias name that was easy to remember. People sent me a list of their plant wishes and I would give them these plants, so the “rare plant fairy” seemed to fit the bill.

After earning my first degree in botany and biology at the University of Toronto, I flew around in terms of career. I worked in a major fashion house. took a picture. I was a teacher, but after getting my master’s degree in Hong Kong, I became a speech therapist. This all sounds very random, but I was able to take in the skills I learned from all these different industries and put them into this business.

Sustainability fully drives our business decisions. Our nursery center uses 100% renewable energy and our shipments are carbon neutral. We partnered with Shopify to calculate carbon emissions from shipping costs and put that money into a funding program to recover and quarantine carbon.

Many of my plants are bred and cultivated in Detroit, but some of the early mother plants are obtained from places such as Thailand, Indonesia and South America. We grow plants from cuttings or seeds we make for breeding. We are also sending the mother plant to a partner lab in Thailand to replicate it and are building another lab in Detroit.

I am currently growing my rare, exclusive plant. By mating two plants, you can guess what a baby plant will look like, but not until it grows. When something special happens, grow the next generation and give the plant a name. I have some of these plants and they will be available exclusively by the end of the year or by 2023.

Even before COVID-19, the trend of planting was on the rise, but the pandemic definitely helped things. People were trapped in their homes and wanted something to beautify their space.

For plant lovers, I suggest you start with something more common that you can get for about $ 10 to learn what your habits are. Some people tend to put their plants on or under water. Some people will love their plants to death. Most important is the consistency of the amount of care given to the plant. I will say that when you are just getting started, practice with more common varieties and take care of the plants as part of your routine.

Every Friday at 7pm (Eastern Standard Time) there is a “rare plant drop”. This knows that the customer sets an alarm. We mainly sell online and currently supply to over 100 shops in the US and 2 shops in Canada. We want to grow our business further in Canada. My dream is to go back to Toronto and open a shop there.