To meander through the new Rewild shop at Ballston Quarter is to root through a veritable indoor jungle of greenery—and cute vessels to pot it all in. It’s the second location for the plant store, which first put down roots in 2018 in DC’s Shaw neighborhood and earned a following of young urban dwellers (think Millennials) looking to create an oasis in their condos, apartments, or new abodes.
“Our mission has always been to bring people in the city a little bit closer to nature,” says co-founder Joseph Ressler, who runs the outposts with Kyle Cannon and Lily Cox. They accomplish that with a crop of unusual varieties of everyday houseplants, all of which fill the 1,500-square-foot store to the brim.
“I’d call it organized chaos,” says Ressler. On any given day, you’ll see several hundred options, he says. A large garage door serves as the entryway; leaves drape from the ceiling, and flora lines the shelves. There’s a philodendron display in the middle, a cactus corner, a section for taller stems, and unique vessels—cylindrical planters in a range of colors such as unfinished clay or matte white, clay wash pots, and beautiful ceramics. Future plans include bringing in items from Virginia-based ceramicists.
As for the plants: light-green Sansevieria sayuri (snake plants), zigzaggy hanging cryptocereus cactus, a Euphorbia drupifera (aka green giant), as well as the always-popular pothos, hoya (love the rope iteration!), and monstera, Ressler’s favorite. For a nature enthusiast, he says it’s boring, but his description is far from it.
“I like when plants are doing something—putting out a new leaf, leaning toward the sun,” he notes. “I like when they can speak to you in some way. Not that I’m going to speak back, but [monstera] are very reactive.”
Ressler and his team seek to give you that relationship with the greenery in your home. The staff is hands-on and well-versed in the products: They’ll point out that items closer to the windows are higher-light plants and require direct sunshine, for instance. Buy a new pot for a beloved fern you brought from home, and they’ll repot it for free. Most of the pots are unfinished on the inside and have drainage holes. “It makes the user experience easier because you can just drench the plant; the water drains out, the soil gets moist, and the roots can suck up the nutrients,” says Ressler. Rewild also provides care instructions and a 90-day plant guarantee.
“We’re really there for the lifetime of the plant in your home,” says Ressler. While Rewild’s prices are on the higher end, the beauties typically won’t break the bank: Smaller plants are $5 to $10, medium ones are $20 to $30, and those for the floor are $70 to $90. Larger statement-makers are $200 to $1,500—the 17-inch ponytail palm among them, though that’s not necessarily ideal for your tiny apartment. “It’s the perfect plant for the lobby of a hotel,” says Ressler.
For a final flourish, Rewild has a dedicated gathering area in the back of the space that will host biweekly workshops such as plant care, terrarium building, and, potentially, classes, so you can flex your green thumb, too. 700 N. Randolph St., Ste. 190, Arlington
This story originally appeared in our January issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.
