Living Art in the Home: The Plant Daddies on Curating Exotic Trees, Custom Vessels, and High-End Plant Design

Lucarelli and Dane. Dane’s connection to organic materials started early in life while working for his father, a cooking professor, before transitioning to a greenhouse in Virginia and eventually pursuing formal studies at the Los Angeles Institute of Architecture and Design. Macy, coming from a background as a real estate agent, used large trees as memorable closing gifts for clients to keep his services top-of-mind. During the COVID-19 pandemic, while working out together in the empty parking lot of the Hollywood Bowl, Macy noticed a local nursery with long queues and proposed launching a plant business—unaware that Dane had just registered Green Vibes Plant Co.Combining forces under the memorable moniker "The Plant Daddies"—a nod to Macy’s history of planting passion fruit vines across Los Angeles—the duo set out to reshape the indoor plant industry. Early in their business, a pivotal moment occurred during an installation in West Hollywood. While unloading specimen plants, movers brought in an authentic Basquiat painting on loan from the Broad Museum. When the entire family gathered to admire the plants rather than the multi-million dollar art piece, Macy and Dane realized that curated greenery could serve as the primary design statement in high-end architecture.Through a shared work ethic, constant experimentation, and a willingness to break traditional horticultural rules, Macy and Dane have cared for over 10,000 plants and trees. Supported by a third business partner, Kenny, who handles financial and administrative operations, the duo has expanded their practice into a multi-location design studio with locations in Los Angeles and Orange County.Explore more at: theplantdaddies.com