About Us

The Grand Leaf started with a realization: after years of collecting plants, I had never once received a truly ecofriendly shipment. All of the packaging included poly-fill, plastic tape, etc. With a love for our environment and plants, I started brainstorming how I could run my own plant shop while considering the environment at every step!

Around the same time, I noticed something else: there were few, if any, direct to consumer tissue culture labs in Canada. Tissue culture is one of the most sustainable ways to grow rare plants that are wild species, since it removes the demand that drives poaching.

I took a leap and used all of my personal savings to build a tissue culture lab, as well as two greenhouses, in my yard. With all the supplies (and the most supportive family!), I set out to grow ethically propagated rare plants, right here in Canada, packaged and grown the way I believe they should be.

Our packaging is recyclable or biodegradable wherever we can manage it — we're upfront about our current exception (see 'Shipping Info' page). Our water and light come from a sustainable source. Right now, we're building toward a fully in-house tissue culture pipeline: some of our plants are imported and acclimated while that pipeline comes online, always sourced strictly from trusted sellers, while others are already propagated entirely in-house from our own mother plant stock. Every listing tells you which is which. That way you can own the plant of your dreams with much less environmental impact — and always know exactly where it came from.

We hope you enjoy browsing the available plants. If there is ever a species you are hoping for and do not see, let us know! We love adding to the list of available species.
Shop & Turn Over a New Leaf ☘︎
Sustainability Commitment Details

Ethically Sourced

All of the plants for sale are grown from in-house tissue culture, imported from trusted sellers, or grown by traditional cuttings. This helps minimize the environmental impact throughout the plant's life.

Our mother plants are sourced in one of these ethical ways:

  • Trusted international sellers
  • Local plant shops
  • Plant shows/swaps
  • Heirloom/Gift/Donation
  • Grown from seed

Sustainably Grown

Our plants are grown using the most sustainable practices we can achieve!

  • Water is sourced directly from an on-site well. This means it is naturally filtered before being used. Not only is it healthier for the plants, but it is easier on the planet!
  • The electricity used to pump our water and provide supplemental heat/light (in both the greenhouse and lab) is sourced from on-site solar panels
  • All the fertilizers we use are 100% natural, and sourced within Canada. We utilize worm castings, guano, and kelp concentrate to keep our plants happy and healthy! Specifically, the guano is harvested from bat boxes on-site, which also supports local bat populations. Organic fertilizers break down gently, so there's far less risk of runoff or soil acidification compared to synthetic alternatives — better for the plants, and better for the land around them!

Sustainably Packaged, Carefully Shipped

A lot of thought went into how our business could ship plants in the most eco-friendly way possible, without compromising the plant or unboxing experience itself!

100% Recycled Box

  • The boxes used are 100% recycled materials, and can be recycled again or composted.

Compostable Kraft Paper (and/or reused newspaper)

  • The kraft paper we use is made of completely recycled materials. It is used for both the void filling and for wrapping the plants themselves. It can be composted in your greenbin.

Locally Sourced, All Natural Wool Roving - No Polyfill!

  • Wool was a more sustainable choice than cotton, as there are local wool farms nearby. Any cotton would be shipped at a much greater distance, which would increase the emissions that go into the supplies. I chose to purchase 100% natural wool roving from Wool Revolution Co. The wool is completely biodegradable, or can be reused for small projects like cat toys!

Sustainably Sourced Sphagnum Moss

  • The sphagnum moss we use to ship and grow is harvested sustainably & ethically

Biodegradable Kraft Tape

  • The tape used to seal the box is compostable - made of 100% recycled paper and plant-based glue. It can be composted with the box itself or separated before recycling.

Our Current Exception

  • In winter months, we use Uniheat shipping warmers to keep your plant protected from the cold. The heat-generating contents inside are biodegradable — but per the manufacturer's guidance, please dispose of the whole heat pack (once cool) in regular household garbage rather than composting. We're actively working toward a fully plastic-free heat pack and will update this page the moment we find (or create!) one.