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Brooke Lewis, of Scenic Root, laughs as she talks to a customer at PlantCon Dallas at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, in Dallas, Texas, Sunday, October 25, 2026.<\/p>\n
Anja Schlein\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Brooke Lewis, co-owner of\u00a0The Scenic Root<\/a>, was dressed from head to toe in a custom fairy costume Sunday afternoon at Plantcon Dallas, complete with an antler headband covered in moss, mushrooms and leaves and a staff made of white sunflowers.<\/p>\n The 32-year-old plant enthusiast, whose business is based about five hours south of Dallas in Johnson County, said she has dressed as something different for each of the three years she\u2019s had a booth at the convention.<\/p>\n People browse through booths during PlantCon Dallas at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, in Dallas, Texas, Sunday, October 25, 2026.<\/p>\n Anja Schlein\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n She does it as a way to stand out in a room full of plant vendors, Lewis said, and to bring more spirit to her customers.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Lewis joined hundreds of others who find joy and community in all things green for the two-day event at Dallas\u2019 Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, which features interactive workshops, presentations and exhibitors selling plants, jewelry, pottery, tote bags, art and terrariums. Business owners paid a $495 fee to host a booth, according to the PlantCon website<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI started with succulents, and then I snowballed, and now I\u2019m a full-blown, crazy plant lady,\u201d Lewis said as she talked about her three-year-old business. \u201cAnd I made it my job.\u201d<\/p>\n Orchids held onto sticks with colorful dragonfly clips, African violets spotlighted on white shelves and tropical plants nestled in moss, foregoing pots, were among the hundreds of vendor items.<\/p>\n African violet plants hang on a rack at PlantCon Dallas at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, in Dallas, Texas, Sunday, October 25, 2026.<\/p>\n Anja Schlein\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Britt Parrish<\/a>, 38, who teaches PlantCon\u2019s classes on Japanese plant-growing technique Kokedama, said she\u2019s been with the convention team \u2013 one of the original five visionaries \u2013 since its inception in Nov. 2020<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cNobody could\u2019ve imagined that it would be like this,\u201d she said, gesturing to the convention floor. \u201cThere didn\u2019t used to be as many vendors or as much variety in attendees.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been beautiful to see, a journey for me. Every PlantCon I\u2019ve seen their growth, and I\u2019ve seen my growth as a content creator.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: How a greenhouse at the State Fair of Texas is helping the South Dallas community<\/a><\/p>\n Parrish said she started as the convention\u2019s ambassador coordinator, a role where she brought creators together to promote and \u201chype\u201d PlantCon, before transitioning to a permanent special guest hosting workshops and presentations.<\/p>\n Irene Lo, left, sits with her daughter Peggy Nakazono at a workshop during PlantCon Dallas at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, in Dallas, Texas, Sunday, October 25, 2026.<\/p>\n Anja Schlein\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n \u201cI do a lot of house plants, tropicals, people associate me with Kokedama, but I really just like making plant care simple, approachable and relatable,\u201d Parrish said. \u201cThat\u2019s what it should be. That’s how you get people into this community, this hobby.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Many attendees were clothed in green, botanical prints and plant-themed accessories \u2013 jewelry, handbags, and props \u2013 as they wandered through the maze of booths.<\/p>\n Melanie Williams, PlantCon\u2019s head of logistics, had green glitter spread across her cheekbones and various clips and pins on her hat and lanyard as she sat at PlantCon\u2019s podcast setup.<\/p>\n Plant sprouts, a crocheted pink sunhat with a red flower, a rubber worm and PlantCon memorabilia \u2013 all of which Williams said she\u2019s collected within the nearly five months she\u2019s worked her \u201cdream job.\u201d<\/p>\n For Lewis, Williams and Parrish, a hobby blossomed into a lifestyle.<\/p>\n PlantCon Dallas at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, in Dallas, Texas, Sunday, October 25, 2026.<\/p>\n Anja Schlein\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Related: Dallas plant shop owner offers tips for bluffing your way to a green thumb<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Williams has been passionate about plants for more than 15 years, she said. She used to live in New York City, which she described as a concrete jungle, and owning house plants helped her connect with nature there.<\/p>\n After she was laid off from her corporate job earlier this year, Williams said she felt scared and wasn\u2019t sure what she\u2019d do. Then, she found an opportunity with PlantCon.<\/p>\n \u201cOn my birthday, I saw the listing for this position, applied and now I\u2019m here,\u201d she said. \u201cI really feel like I manifested this role.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing the look on people\u2019s faces when they come in or find their dream house plant and their jaw drops,\u201d Williams added. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the things that excites me the most.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Marwin Romero, left and Chris Thompson, look at plants during PlantCon Dallas at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, in Dallas, Texas, Sunday, October 25, 2026.<\/p>\n Anja Schlein\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Across the country for PlantCon<\/p>\n PlantCon didn\u2019t just lure Dallasites. Bunny Hou, 31, and Doug Clair, 59, traveled from two different sides of the country just to experience the convention.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Hou, who lives in Atlanta, works for a mental healthcare company, but she has also built a social media following<\/a> based around plant education.<\/p>\n Her plant journey began with her grandmother, who died eight years ago and always had a garden filled with persimmon trees, chilis and Thai eggplants while Hou was growing up.<\/p>\n Bunny Hou listens in a workshop held during PlantCon Dallas at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, in Dallas, Texas, Sunday, October 25, 2026. Hou traveled from Atlanta for the event.<\/p>\n Anja Schlein\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n \u201cI like to do things that keep her really close to me,\u201d Hou said. \u201cThen, I noticed there was a whole plant community and different types of plants\u2026 it just grew from there.\u201d<\/p>\n Clair, owner of California-based The Drunk Cactus<\/a>, collects vintage soda and beer cans.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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