A Congo Nuclear. A tiny variegated, multicolored Gymnocalycium cactus.
These rare and unusual plants—and many more—are available at a newly opened shop in Scottsdale.
The Botanist, owned by best friends and former Chicagoans Sarah Hechtman and Stephanie Paluch, features exotic plants that you won’t find anywhere else, and a wide variety of handmade pots and planters.
Oh, but you might say, “I don’t have a green thumb. I would just kill such a special plant.”
Hechtman’s response? “We all have a green thumb!”
Though her mother was a gardener, Hechtman wasn’t interested in plants until she brought a plant back to life and became hooked. She began doing research on how grow and nurture plants and shared her knowledge on an Instagram account called BeginnerPlanting, which she plans to keep while running the shop.
“I have made friends all over the world, and I like sharing fun plants, basic care tips, and my life in general,” she says.
To say that she is a plant enthusiast is to greatly understate the situation.
“I have more than 200 plants at my house now,” Hechtman confesses.
Hechtman’s grandparents lived in Scottsdale for many years, and she decided to move out and join them after she earned a degree in marketing and advertising from Western Illinois University in 2007.
She and her now-husband, Nate, opened and franchised a business called EnerGreen Carpet Cleaning 10 years ago, which Hechtman helped run until she opened The Botanist along with Paluch.
The seeds for The Botanist were planted during a visit Sarah made to Chicago to visit family. There she saw her first retail plant shop and saw one in her own future for the first time.
“I said to the owners, ‘You are living my dream. How do you make money on plants?’” she recalls.
Once she decided a plant shop could be a reality, the next step was getting Paluch to move to Scottsdale to be her partner.
In Chicago, Paluch worked in broadcast journalism and founded a dog-rescue organization, but finally, Hechtman was too persuasive.
By the time Paluch decided to move to Scottsdale and co-own the shop, she, too, had become interested in plants.
“During Covid-19, I got into plants, and I learned by trial and error,” she says.
Paluch likes the exotic flora that is offered at The Botanist.
“Rare plants drew me in,” she explains.
The rarest plant at the shop now is the Congo Nuclear, a very unique philodendron, and they can find a variety of other interesting plants through their sources.
The two owners are committed to supporting small businesses, such as the artists who create the pots they sell, and they plan to offer many opportunities for plant lovers—or novices—to get their hands dirty.
A back room at the shop will be the location for classes, coffee vendors, workshops, and much more.
“There will be something for everyone,” Hechtman says.
If, when you visit The Botanist, you feel like having a conversation with the plants that inhabit the shop, you may feel free to do so, the pair says. They, themselves, are guilty, they admit.
“Yes, we talk to the plants. Each plant gives off its own unique [vibe] ... and we love to connect people to the plant that speaks to [them]!"