Kivonshe was the winner of our (Green Lady Gardens) 5-year anniversary Monstera Thai Constellation raffle. Today she's the subject of our Colorado Local Plant Enthusiast feature.
Kivonshe is a new but avid plant collector. She recently transplanted to Colorado from Texas and enjoys hiking with her dogs, watching True Crime, and rewatching old TV shows on streaming platforms. Fun fact: she once came in 2nd place on a cruise in a karaoke contest!
Follow Kivonshe on Instagram @_blackplantit
Who introduced you to, or what got you into plants? When?
I bought my first plants Jan 2022. I was going through a tough time mentally and emotionally closing myself off to humans so that I could regroup. As I was taking care of my plants, I noticed I was providing myself that same amount of care and attention. They taught me a lot about myself, mental wellness, and I just wanted to share that love with the world through plants.
What was your first plant?
So I bought 3 plants at once lol Petra croton, Gold Star croton, and a spider plant
How many plants fo you have?
I currently have over 40 plants. I don’t know the exact amount lol
What makes plants so special? How do they make you feel?
Plants are special in the way that they force you to slow down, have patience, and they teach you the true meaning of support systems. When I was going through my hard time, I had 3 friends who were there for me when I couldn’t be there for myself. My leaves were falling off. I was dormant. But they were there, giving me light, watering me. Eventually, I came back better. Plants are amazing in that they could literally go BALD! If the root system, the support, is in tact, they come back even better!! That makes me feel amazing
Which plant in your collection would you save from a fire?
Omg this is the hardest question! I would have to say my monstera adonsonii. One of my dogs chewed it and I nurtured it from a single stick with roots for over a year! In the last 2 months, I’ve gotten 3 leaves!
On the flip side, do you have a plant that you kind of wish would just die? (Real talk.)
Haha! It’s definitely my raindrop peperomia. (No offense!)
Are there any overrated plants? How about underrated?
I’d have to say Monsteras are overrated. They are amazing plants but like…okay. Philodendrons and snake plants I feel equally are underrated. Philodendrons are little chameleons and resemble characteristics of quite a few plants. Snake plants are sneaky little things lol you look and look and you’re like “are you even growing” then BOOM! Super rewarding but they’re definitely like the tooth fairy or something that sneaks overnight lol
What is your advice for someone starting their plant journey?
Give yourself grace! You’re going to mess up. Growth is in the mistakes. The 2nd thing I would say is listen to your plant. It will tell you what it needs and when you’re doing the absolute most!
What plant tip do you swear by?
Leave your plant alone! I’d rather see droopy leaves and know to water than to overwater and kill the roots. You can always hydrate the roots but once it’s rotted, that’s it.
What is your biggest plant fail or greatest accomplishment?
Fail: my mammy croton leaves were falling off and I had no idea why! I realized later, through another plant, that it was simply going dormant lol I threw it away for no reason!
What plant myth drives you nuts?
Notching lol people make it seem like “yea just injure your plant and it’ll shock it” that’s not always the case.
Do you have any wishlist plants?
Not in particular. Maybe a huge split leaf philodendron.
What plant describes you best?
Not a specific plant but Croton lol they’re soooooo temperamental, they do what they want when they want, and are dramatic as hell! That’s me.
Tell us a plant story.
I walked into my house one day, greeting all my plants per usual, and I noticed a stick in the dirt. I’m like….what plant were you? Lol I could NOT figure it out for the life of me. I checked the roots, seemed to be fine so I’m like cool, I’ll just water as necessary like I’ve been doing. Few weeks go by, I come home to greet my plants, and 2 leaves sprouted lol it was my Audrey Ficus!!!
If you’ve ever shopped at GLG, what did you buy?
I bought a small burgundy maranta and 2 hanging macrame ropes.
All images are property of Kivonshe Williams.
Some content may have been edited for clarity.