When hairstylist Lindsay Palm found herself out of work during the pandemic last year, she channeled her energy into a totally different business. Together with her close friend Ashley Aikens, she opened Good Roots, a plant shop in the lower level of her Glen Ellyn home. Word spread fast about this secret place where you could unearth your new ficus best friend, plus decor like Turkish textiles, in what used to be a kids’ playroom. “We had no expectations, but it turned out to be a proof of concept,” says Palm. In November, they moved the whole lush operation to a storefront in downtown Glen Ellyn, expanding the selection to include paintings by local artists, pillows, candles, pots, trays, sage bundles, and other home accents arranged in inspiring vignettes. As for the vegetation, you’ll find both common and rare (everything from a snake plant and a string of pearls to a Pink Princess philodendron). The big daddy of them all, though, is not for sale: a 37-year-old Hindu rope plant that belonged to Aikens’s late grandfather. In tribute, “Gramps” welcomes shoppers from the sun-filled front window. “Everyone,” says Aikens, “should name their plants.” 492 Crescent Blvd., Glen Ellyn
