River City Roots Expands Offerings with Rare Plant Room

Aurora shop combines plants, creative workshops, and locally made goods

From rare houseplants to hands-on craft workshops, River City Roots brings plants, décor, DIY craft supplies, antique furniture, and creative experiences together in downtown Aurora.

Alongside familiar favorites, the shop carries distinctive varieties of Monsteras, Philodendrons, Hoyas, Syngoniums, Begonias, and Pitcher Plants.  Creative workshops include terrarium and kokedama making, stained glass, hand-built pottery, mosaics, and projects using decorative molds and transfers. The shop also offers seasonal workshops, including its stained glass pumpkin suncatcher class, along with activities such as plant bingo.

The family-owned store creates many of the products it sells, with each employee bringing a different skill to the business. Jill Craft, a former art teacher, makes stained glass, pottery, and floral arrangements, while her husband, Bryan, a retired engineer, focuses on woodworking projects, including benches, charcuterie boards, and floating shelves. 

Hannah, a graphic designer, creates laser-engraved products and plant-themed T-shirts, while Haley, an interior designer, helps customers with décor, plant selection, and care. Customers can also place custom orders for laser engravings, floral arrangements, stained glass, pottery, woodworking, and T-shirts.

River City Roots has recently expanded its plant selection with the addition of a new “green room”. The space is not a greenhouse but will provide additional room for plants, including rare and harder-to-find varieties such as Cream Cheese Monsteras, Florida Beauty and Jose Buono Philodendrons, Tri-colored Syngoniums, and Miranda Pitcher Plants. 

The green room also includes a free potting bench for customers who purchase a plant and pot, along with a terrarium bar, an expanded plant and soil selection, and an indoor fountain.

Craft said the shop also hopes to add a living wall to the new room and make the expanded space a destination for plant enthusiasts. She has considered offering plant rental and care services to local offices, though the idea is still in its early stages.

This fall, customers can also find seasonal décor and themed crafts throughout the shop.

River City Roots is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 5pm at 412 2nd Street in Aurora. The shop can be found on Facebook under River City Roots and on Instagram at @river.cityroots.