Dinosaurs and disco balls. Miniature trolls and a five-legged dog. Every inch of the shop is blooming with color, plants familiar and unknown and art of all kinds. Herbalists and plant junkies alike need to step into the oasis of greenery and handmade art at Pot Heads Plant Shop.
Located in Downtown Bryan, Pot Heads features a wide array of houseplants, cacti and succulents as well as handmade pieces from artisans across the state of Texas. The Local Makers Program allows the shop to give a storefront for small businesses to sell their products. After being raised in her grandma's flower bed, Pot Heads Plant Shop owner Bree Frasier says her love of plants began at an early age. After getting questions about what sparked her green thumb, she decided to put up pictures of her grandmother near the counter, so people could see the woman that started it all.
On November 7, 2022 Bree signed a lease on a building that had bare bones. By that February, she was able to get into the completed space and add her own artistic flair. Since she had already announced the shop, she says she wanted to get the doors open and managed to get the shop decorated and ready in about a month.
“I always knew I wanted to start a business but it's always changed throughout the years,” Bree says. “When I was a little kid I wanted to own a restaurant and be a chef because I like to cook. As I got older and was in high school I did FFA and I thought I wanted to run my own cattle ranch one day. Then the plant shop came to me.”
Inspired by the television show, Schitts Creek, where David creates an apothecary full of crafts and local vendors, Bree wanted to pay homage to that part of her personality as well. The shop has hosted events like Troll Terrarium Garden, Pottery Paint and Sip and T-shirt Tie Dying, and Bree says events consistently run all year long. Alongside the luscious greenery, the shop offers unique items like dinosaur-shaped pots, coyote tooth earrings, embroidered patches and shirts to rep the store dawning “Local Plant Dealer,” a clever play on the company name.
“Since my other business is murals, I was trying to figure out a way to bring in my art side,” Bree says. “I picked what I wanted to do for my program. Everyone interested has to apply and then everything has to be handmade, then I decide what I think will do well in the shop. I treat [vendors] how I'd like to be treated as a creative.”
With so much greenery to look at, eyes are easily drawn to the case up front with what Bree calls “the most high maintenance selection.” The Monstera Thai Constellation is one of her favorites, and she even has one as the shop plant, named Monty, that overlooks the counter. Inside this exclusive case is also a mican, that she says she will probably never get rid of because she nursed it back to health right when the store opened. Looking for something that’s not in the store? Bree says she offers paper and online plant request forms, which has been a popular option. She also has a thick stack of customer plant recommendations to be on the lookoutfor.
“When I had to place my first plant order for the shop, I had no clue what I was doing, and I ended up ordering 1,300 plants,” Bree says. “I didn't know what people wanted. People started asking for a lot of plants. I made my paper [request form], so when I go plant shopping I can look for them. Sometimes I can find the plants quick, sometimes I can't.”
It’s impossible to go into Pot Heads and not notice the four- and five-legged friends that frequent the
shop. Bree’s two blue nose pitbulls, Remi and Riot, tag along and add an undeniable sense of joy to all animal lovers. Both from Long Way Home Adoptables, Remi was confiscated from a drug raid with a broken jaw and Riot was likely tossed because of her fifth arm.
“Remi’s the shop greeter,” Bree says. “I can tell you when he's not here and I have somebody filling in for me. Everybody will ask whoever is filling in, not where Bree’s at — where’s Remi at? I think they're good for educating people about pitbulls. I have people come in here just for the vibes or they need a serotonin boost. You need to come pet the dog? Come pet the dog. You need to walk around and look at some plants, go ahead.” Between knick knacks and oddities, dogs to pet and plants of all kinds, Pot Heads has the right serotonin boost for everyone. After customer requests, Bree says she began offering repotting services. She has even taken in a damaged plant or two over the years to help nurse them back to tip top shape.
“I do have a lot of plants,” Bree says. “I did downsize as I started to open the shop because when you go home you don't want to take care of more plants when that's what you do every day. I take more of the damaged plants that I get in and try to bring them back to life.”
Glass bottles line the upper windows of the store each at different stages of growth from clippings of various plants. Bree says she has always been fascinated by root systems and propagating in clear Topo Chico bottles has given a good use to her drink obsession as well as being able to watch the progression of root systems. Besides getting to show off your personality through choice of pot, plants also provide the biological benefit of purifying the air in your home.
“[They] can help with stress and anxiety,” Bree says. “If you believe in certain stuff, it's also superstitious that [they] can protect your home if you keep certain plants by your front door. There's remedies that some people more into that herbal lifestyle can get from plants. You can infuse cocktail drinks with plants. There’s so much you can do.”
Proud plant parents and newbies alike are welcome into the shop and Bree says she can help lead people toward the perfect plant for them. Maintenance, pets and light all go into guiding a customer the right direction, but Pot Heads is sure to have just the right leafy friend for everyone.
“While saving a few dollars on a clearance plant might be tempting, it is much more rewarding to support your local plant shop,” Bree says. “At our shop, we tend to plants daily, providing them with the care and attention they need. Additionally, we are always happy to answer any plant-related questions you may have, and who doesn't love to pet our cute dogs!”
Though her grandmother passed before the shop could open, Bree says she has little pieces to honor her memory around the store. A plant stand in the shape of a bike near the counter and a metal plant holder by the entrance serve as reminders of where Bree originally found her love for plants and she says she hopes she can spark that love in others.
Pot Heads Plant Shop is located at 603 S. Sims Ave, Suite 112 in Bryan and is open Wednesdays through Fridays from noon to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. For more information about the shop, visit potheadsplantshop.com or call (979) 709-4544.
