Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Nevada & California. Photo courtesy of the National Forest Foundation.

We started Léon & George with a simple mission in mind: to bring plants and people together more easily and more often. But our belief that plants and people belong together goes far beyond the indoor greenery we place in our customers’ homes and offices. And as part of our commitment to create a socially conscious business, we want to bring our values not just to indoor spaces, but to outdoor ones as well.

That’s why our partnership with the National Forest Foundation ensures that for every plant sold on our website, a tree is planted as well, helping to offset our carbon footprint, mitigate climate change, and contribute to a better world for all.

Our responsibility

More than one million acres of US national forests are in need of reforestation, and as a California-based business, this is not a statistic we can ignore.

Planting new trees, particularly in the months and years after wildfire damage, is an incredibly effective way of replenishing healthy forests along with all the benefits and beauty they provide. To give you an idea, just one single tree can absorb over half a ton of carbon dioxide over the course of its 100 year lifespan— that’s above 50lbs per year! And cleaner air isn’t the only perk: planting trees supports wildfire recovery, improves water quality, alleviates the effects of climate change, and so much more.

More greenery for all

With your help, we’ve planted over 15,000 trees over the last two years, and are excited for the potential that lies ahead. By choosing to support socially conscious business practices, we all benefit from more greenery, both indoors and out.

Ron & Nico

Cofounders, Léon & George

We're in the business of making connections between plants, people, and the planet every day. So naturally, Earth Day is one of our favorite days of action. It's a day where we reflect on how our individual actions can impact the lives of our houseplants, our city parks, our forests, and relationships with each other.

Our plants are grown with the simple elements of sunlight and water. Some of them can take anywhere between 3 months and 10 years to grow before they find their way to your home. Occasionally they're fertilized, but they're naturally grown, never manufactured. This means no two plants are alike! At Léon & George, we merely preserve what nature has created, and offer you the service and tools needed to live alongside plants indoors.

We’re committed to supporting long-lasting relationships between each plant that goes out and their new homes. Similar to how pet adoption agencies vet potential parents, when you shop with us online or in store, we feel a similar obligation to matching plants with thoughtful owners and the environments they'll need to be happy indoors.

This year, we're celebrating Earth Day by acknowledging all of our plant-loving customers who make the world a little more vibrant, one plant at a time. To thank you for joining us on this journey, we're doubling down on our commitment to offset our carbon footprint. For every plant purchased on Earth Day 2019, we’ll plan two trees with the National Forest Foundation. That means your purchase will go twice as far toward producing more clean air (and happy plants) than ever.

Read more about your impact and our partnership with the National Forest Foundation here.

Here's to a plant-filled year and beyond. Together we can build a more sustainable future for people, the planet... and plants!

Nicolas and Ron, Léon and George co-founders

When we started the idea of doing a plant business we came up with a lot of different names. For three months every week we were coming up with something new - Plant Boys, Nice Jungle, Jungle Bits, Folium 365, FoliJoy, Bay Area Plants. One name that stuck around for a bit was Forestical, but then we realized it rhymed with testicle. We were starting to feel a little hopeless since we were almost ready to open the site and wanted to begin building a brand. 

Like most startups we got started in our homes, coding on the couch, and figuring out how to take product pictures in our small spaces. Ron has a cat, her name is Léon. She was named after the character in the movie Léon: The Professional. As we set up the plants and tried to take pictures, she'd walk coyly into the shots, brush her body and tail against the pots and circle around to be the center of attention. She’d come over to snuggle every now and then and ask to have her photo taken. 

I have a parrot, a Green Cheek Conure to be exact, and his name is George. He was named after the French singer-songwriter and poet Georges Brassens. The full spelling of my bird's name is officially Georges, with an s. Unlike Léon, George didn't ask to be in the pictures, but we included him. He's just so colorful and photogenic. One time we had a Kentia Palm that we were taking pictures of and all of a sudden George started flying around the tree in circles. The wind he was making with his wings moved the palms in a way that felt like being in a jungle. It truly felt like bringing nature indoors. 

As we continued those early days in our homes, we realized our pets were an integral part of keeping us inspired and helping us build the company. So we named the company after them. Léon the cat and George the bird, officially the cutest co-founders around. 

-Nicolas

Léon and George facetime

Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming - photo by the National Forest Foundation

It’s #GivingTuesday.

Since Day 1 of Léon & George, we've contributed a portion of our sales to fight deforestation and protect natural habitats. Giving Tuesday is a national day of generosity and today we're ramping up our support for the causes we care about.

As part of our commitment to building a socially conscious business, we do our best to limit our impact on the environment—which includes everything from sourcing locally grown plants to using upcycled packaging materials to limit waste. However, we know that as we grow the business, we have to do even more to offset our carbon footprint and support a healthy climate for all.

More than one million acres of National Forests are in need of reforestation. And thanks to our plant-loving customers, Léon & George has helped plant over 5,000 trees as a small business partner to the National Forest Foundation.

Why now?

Our commitment to reforestation has never been more vital than it is today. The California wildfires have had devastating effects on our communities and our climate.

But the simple act of planting a tree really can make a difference. Restoring new growth has regenerating effects that impact all our lives for the better. It's estimated that one tree can absorb 1 ton of CO2 in its lifetime (about 50 pounds annually). On top of that, trees help sustain natural ecosystems and scenery, and in our cities, they bring life to our sidewalks, parks, and playgrounds.

Join us

This Giving Tuesday, we’re tripling our contributions as a way to support the thousands of plant species that call forests home.

Today, for every plant sold we'll plant not one but THREE trees in National Forests. We hope you will join us, or any cause today that speaks to you.

"Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
― Warren Buffett