No one would mistake Seattle for the tropics. Sure, a few front yards have palm trees and last year, SeaTac clocked a sweltering 108 degrees. But we’re a long way from the lush jungle that cultivates rare, exotic plants. However, there’s a shop in Wallingford that brings a touch of the tropics to Seattle.

Joe Barbuti, owner of Seattle Plant Daddy, is our very own one-way ticket to bring a living piece of the tropical jungle into your home. Through quality and affordability, Seattle Plant Daddy matches exotic and rare plants with homes in Seattle, in a queer-friendly space.

No half-dead plants are allowed at Seattle Plant Daddy, but that’s because Barbuti operates a bit of a plant hospital. About 60% of the plants at the shop arrive after an arduous journey, sometimes from places as far away as Indonesia. When they arrive, the Seattle climate is a bit of a shock. These plants need some extra care and attention to return to thriving, which is where the Plant Daddy lends his expertise, greenhouse space, and custom soil blends.

"These tropical plants come from Bali, Borneo, and Australia," Barbuti said. "I take time to regrow them and acclimatize them to Washington state. We make sure they're a quality product, because that’s so important. People tell me horror stories about getting a fiddle-leaf fig and then it dies, and I think, 'Of course it's dead. It didn't grow here.'"

Along with the benefit of buying a plant that won’t get shocked by Seattle weather and die immediately, Seattle Plant Daddy focuses on affordability. How can they sell high-quality, exotic plants from far-off places at a reasonable price? Plant Daddy’s greenhouse propagation operation.

"We can't get these plants here in Seattle, so we ship them over, which costs a lot of money," Barbuti said. "But once they are over here, we propagate the hell out of them and can then offer them at affordable prices. I want everybody, no matter what their tax bracket is, to be able to afford plants, have plants and enjoy them, and then watch them grow."

Now that we have the affordability piece down, we should address the elephant in the room: it’s far too easy to kill houseplants in Seattle. Especially in the darker winter months, which is precisely the most terrible time to have a soul-crushing plant moment. But Seattle Plant Daddy is here to rescue us from that, as well. Quality and affordability reign supreme, but making sure each plant is matched with the correct space is also important.

The Plant Daddy is a matchmaker of sorts, finding out details of each customer’s plant desires as well as finding out details of where the plant will live. And Plant Daddy is always available as a relationship consultant if things start to feel like they’re not working out.

"We have a set of plants at the store that are our go-to, beginner-friendly, 'kill-proof' plants," Barbuti said. "If you’ve had problems in the past, we can recommend five or six plants and then come back in a month and let me know how they’re doing. We're really here to help people pick out the right plants for what they need for their space."

From the educational value of finding a plant that won’t die in three days, to visiting the shop’s mascot Marvin, a 7-year-old French bulldog, you can become an amazing houseplant parent with help from Seattle Plant Daddy.

And it’s about to get even better. The adults-only store will soon open the Jungle Bar, a beer and wine standing bar for sipping while shopping.

Seattle Plant Daddy is located at 1325 N 46th Street in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood. The store is open for in-person shopping from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Order online through Seattle Plant Daddy’s website and follow along on Instagram for announcements of new plants in stock and the upcoming opening date of the Jungle Bar.

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