(left)Vicky Popat and (Right)Mickey Popat. Image Credit: PlantOGram/Entrepreneur
Mickey and Vicky Popat turned a shared love of gardening into PlantOGram, a fruit-tree gifting company that generated $4.2 million in annual revenue in 2024. The Florida-based couple began with a modest investment, selling their luxury belongings to purchase a used van and take their business idea forward.
What started with fruit trees in their backyard gradually developed into an online business serving customers across the US and international markets. Their journey highlights how a simple personal interest can grow into a substantial business through persistence and practical decisions.
Selling luxury belongings built a $4 million
The Popats' business idea emerged from their experience growing fruit trees at home in Orlando, Florida. According to Entrepreneur, Mickey Popat worked in finance, while Vicky was a teacher.
Their weekend gardening hobby eventually resulted in more than 80 fruit trees in their backyard, including varieties that introduced friends and family to tropical fruits they had not encountered before.Mickey had grown up enjoying fruits such as guavas, mangoes and lychees after immigrating to the United States from South Africa in the early 1990s. When visitors tasted the fruit grown at the couple's home, they became interested in growing trees of their own.
Their requests helped the couple recognise an opportunity to turn their gardening knowledge into a business.In 2007, they decided to pursue the idea full-time. As Entrepreneur reported, the couple gave up their luxury cars, including Lexus and Jaguar vehicles, along with expensive clothing and other luxury possessions. They used the money to support their new venture and bought a $1,500 Ford Econoline van.Rather than beginning with a large investment or an elaborate shop, they focused on keeping expenses low and getting their trees in front of potential customers.
A backyard hobby became a door-to-door business
The early days of PlantOGram involved considerable hands-on work. Entrepreneur reported that the couple visited farmers' markets on weekend mornings to source different plants and test what customers might want. They loaded the trees into their van and travelled around neighbourhoods, approaching households directly.At times, they displayed as many as 50 plants on a customer's driveway to demonstrate the available choices.
Vicky also created a book listing their products, making it easier for prospective buyers to browse the selection. Business cards left at people's homes helped generate enquiries, which the couple recorded manually to keep track of customer preferences and how people discovered the company.Fox Business reported that the founders operated on an especially tight budget in the beginning, even setting aside just $5 for lunch.
Their approach relied on personal contact, careful spending and learning from each interaction rather than investing heavily in advertising.The experience also helped them understand that customers were not simply buying trees. Many viewed them as meaningful gifts that could grow alongside children and grandchildren, potentially remaining part of a family for decades.
Learning to ship living plants opened new markets
As demand grew, the couple began exploring ways to reach customers beyond their immediate surroundings.
About a year after launching PlantOGram, they established a website to provide information about their trees. According to Entrepreneur, the website initially did not support online payments or direct orders, but it gave potential customers a way to learn about the business.A customer in Georgia later approached them about a particular tree that was difficult to find elsewhere. The couple agreed to send it, but the first attempt did not go smoothly.
The tree survived for only around a week and a half after arriving. The customer continued supporting the business while the founders worked to find a more reliable shipping method.With advice from their fathers, the couple developed a standard approach to transporting their plants. Instead of removing the plants from their containers and shipping them bare-rooted, PlantOGram began sending them in their containers.
Mickey told Entrepreneur that the company had achieved a 99.9% success rate for its plants using this approach.The improved method helped the business reach customers nationwide and eventually expand internationally. PlantOGram had begun shipping to Europe, Asia and the Middle East, with plans for further expansion.
PlantOGram offers more than 200 varieties of fruiting trees
The company now operates online and sells more than 200 varieties of fruiting trees, according to Fox Business.
Its selection includes mango, avocado, lychee, nut and spice trees, giving customers different options depending on their interests and growing preferences.PlantOGram is committed to American-made products, including its plants and packaging. The company can ship its fruiting trees both domestically and internationally, extending its reach beyond the Florida neighbourhoods where the founders first approached customers in person.Recognition has also helped bring attention to the business. According to Fox Business, PlantOGram was included on Oprah's annual Favorite Things list in 2022. The company also benefited from growing interest in gardening during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when more people began exploring ways to grow plants in their homes and outdoor spaces.Mango trees have become particularly popular, while avocado and olive trees have also attracted interest.
The founders see fruit trees as gifts that continue providing value long after the initial purchase. Olive trees, in particular, have gained attention in corporate gifting because of their associations with peace and prosperity.
A shared vision continues to guide the couple
PlantOGram's growth has not changed the founders' preference for retaining control of their business. Entrepreneur reported that the couple deliberately avoided outside investment, choosing to build the company using their own resources and revenue.
They wanted to remain responsible for their decisions, successes and setbacks.Their partnership has also been central to the business. Mickey and Vicky divide responsibilities while keeping their shared goal of growing the company in focus. The couple also value the opportunity their business provides to spend time with their children while involving them in experiences connected to gardening and their farms.Entrepreneur reported that PlantOGram generated $4.2 million in revenue in 2024. That figure reflects the distance the company has travelled from its early days of door-to-door selling.