In today’s most refined interiors, greenery is no longer an afterthought; it’s the focal point. At The Plant Daddies, the philosophy is rooted in intention. “We do everything with a purpose. How we style [plants] and place [them]—that’s where our specialty is,” says co-founder Dane Jordan.
Born in the early days of lockdown, the company emerged when Jordan began selling plants from his personal collection and styling Zoom-ready backdrops for friends across Los Angeles. A handshake in the Hollywood Bowl parking lot with business partner Macy Lucarelli sparked the idea. Soon after, Kenny Rickerd joined, completing the trio and transforming a side hustle into a design-forward brand.
The name, like the business, grew organically. Lucarelli had been posting updates of his lilikoi passion fruit vines, and friends began calling him the “Plant Daddy.” When Jordan initially filed for a business permit under a less memorable name, Lucarelli suggested checking Instagram. The handle “The Plant Daddies” was available; they trademarked it and never looked back.
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“Our specialty is elevating horticulture and pairing it with beautiful vessels, placing them in the right environment, utilizing materials and color palettes,” Jordan explains. Using high-end terracotta, limestone and onyx pots, each installation becomes a living sculpture. “The pairing with the vessels is what really elevates it,” Rickerd adds. “We deal with exotic and rare specimens, but it’s how we pair and present them that makes it luxurious.”
Their sourcing process is unconventional. “We source from everywhere,” Rickerd says. “We’ve sources from personal collectors, people’s front yards, private growers and big box stores.” Jordan sums it up: “It’s a hunt.” That hunt has led to signature specialties, one being the Australian bottle tree. “We pull the roots out to show the caudex, which is very architectural looking. We then clean them up to display.” What was once a basic tropical becomes a statement piece, often the architectural anchor of a room.
From homes exceeding $19 million to properties with rooftop tennis courts and car lifts in living rooms, The Plant Daddies have become a go-to partner for elite designers across Southern California. “Luckily, with how design culture has moved, plants and horticulture are almost mandatory for any space, especially elevated spaces,” Jordan notes. “The centerpiece of the entire operation is where the plant material is going, and it’s really cool for us to be a part of it.”
“Our specialty is elevating horticulture and pairing it with beautiful vessels, placing them in the right environment, utilizing materials and color palettes” - Jordan
With two Southern California locations in Orange County and Irvine, the brand continues to evolve. “Along with interior installs, at our Orange County location, we’re pushing large-scale specimen trees,” Rickerd says. “We want to be the ones to provide exceptional statement pieces to landscape designers and architects.”
They’ve embraced what Jordan calls “the archetype of an actual plant daddy”—saving trees from demolition and giving them new life. Every project is 100 percent custom, with maintenance services to ensure longevity. For newcomers, they downscale large plants into “Baby Daddies,” mini versions of trees and plants set in hand-carved stone vessels, making the brand accessible.
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Ask what makes Plant Daddies ICONIC, and the answer is simple: “Our ability to make the impossible happen while pushing the boundaries for horticulture.” From trees suspended over furniture to crane-lifted specimens on construction sites, Plant Daddies proves that in modern design, horticulture isn’t an accessory—it’s the exclamation point.
And of course, the Plant Daddies wouldn’t be here without their mamas—Jeanette, Carla, and Daria—who they attribute a large portion of their success to.
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