HOUSTON – A native Houstonian grew tired of the lack of representation in the plant retail industry and decided to do something about it.
Bree Iman Clark is the founder of The Plant Project. It was the first Black-woman-owned plant shop in Dallas in 2020. The Montrose collective is the location of Clark’s third and newest shop.
“When I was looking for places, I wanted it to be at a place that was culturally diverse,” Clark said about selecting Montrose.
Clark said she grew up watching her parents and grandparents cultivating their outdoor gardens but never saw people who looked like her owning their own plant shop. So, she wanted to fill that void.
“I knew I wanted to see something different in the plant world,” Clark said. “I wanted to see a more diverse plant parenthood. I never knew I was going to be the first Black woman-owned plant shop in Texas.”
Plants aren’t the only things flourishing in this space. The plant project also carries items made by Houstonians, with an emphasis on Black and Brown businesses.
“It’s more than a plant shop. It’s a place where community and plants both grow,” Clark added.
Clark is also planting a seed in the community by hosting free workshops where people can learn how to take care of their plants and themselves through self-care.
“Plants go through seasons just like we do. We have our good seasons, our bad seasons,” she said. “They’re all part of life, they’re all part of growth and I feel that that is just a major role in not just growing plants but living a healthy and nurturing life,” Clark said.