My rare plants sell for five figures. The business helps me support my extended family, but I work about 100 hours a week.

"I've always been a gardener and enjoyed being around plants. While I was in graduate school studying math, my collection of houseplants grew. There's an attention to detail and a hyperfocus that I found in both mathematics and plants, so my hobby complemented my academic career. During the pandemic, my interest in rare plants blew up. I started getting a bigger collection and trading up for more valuable plants."

"I grew up in Vietnam, and I'm the embodiment of the American dream for my family. They put all their eggs in my basket, which allowed me to come to America and study. Now, I feel it's fair to return their investment. I support not only myself and my husband, but also my parents, my brother, my sister-in-law, my niece, and my nephew."

Harry Luu began collecting houseplants during graduate studies in mathematics, finding a similar attention to detail and hyperfocus between the two pursuits. During the pandemic his interest in rare plants expanded into larger collections and trading up for more valuable specimens. After finishing his degree and teaching math in California, he left academia three years ago to sell plants full-time and now runs PlantZaddyTherapy. He supports a family of eight, having emigrated from Vietnam and feeling obligated to repay his family's investment. He set prices by rarity and desirability, used Palmstreet to grow his platform, and relied on investment returns and sales data as a safety net.

Read at Business Insider