Country Plants Offers a Burst of Greenery to the Canyon
By Laurel Busby
News & Information Editor
Hangbaek Yoon has always had an affinity for plants.
Growing up, “I took care of the school garden and the school greenhouse,” Yoon said. “It was my hobby: growing plants, propagating plants, caring for plants. I love them.”
Luckily for the Canyon, Yoon, who grew up in Seoul, Korea, also hankered to see the world as a young man, which brought him first to Hawaii, where his sister lived and then to Los Angeles where he made a permanent home in 1982.
He initially worked in a variety of jobs, ranging from painter to shoe salesman, before opening his first plant store in Inglewood in 1985. Five years later, an acquaintance, who was the previous owner of the nursery, shared that he was ready to retire, so Yoon took over the shop.
“I love this place—the ocean air, the beautiful ocean view, and the weather,” Yoon said of his Canyon store at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Chautauqua.
He packed the spot with lush bougainvillea and other greenery, and it has flourished since then, aside from the aftermath of the 1994 Northridge earthquake when he was closed for almost three years due to extensive building repairs. Unfortunately, the recent Jan. 7 Palisades Fire has also had a huge impact on the business. Many customers tragically lost their homes, and both access and parking have been challenging until recently.
“It’s been hard,” Yoon said. “Hopefully a lot of people will come back soon, but maybe it will take time.”
Yoon, who recently joined the new Canyon Business Alliance to help support the local business community, relishes helping residents, gardeners, and landscapers find ways to beautify their unique locations, both indoors and outdoors.
For interiors, people often choose orchids, such as the phalaenopsis with blooms in white, pink, yellow, or purple that typically last two to four months. Other favorite indoor plants are the draecaena with their long, pointed leaves, palm trees, money trees, and sansevieria (snake plants). Although, since Southern California weather is so temperate, people might have some of these plants outdoors in pots too.
The weather is actually a big part of Los Angeles’ appeal for Yoon.
“It’s good weather for the plants,” Yoon said. “Korea is very cold in winter time, but here it’s very good.”
The sunny weather allows gardeners and landscapers many choices of plants that can enliven both yards and indoor spaces. For example, some people might put small cacti indoors while they put others, ranging from hanging cacti with long, thin extensions to the tall, slender cereus Peruvianus cacti with its white blooms, outside, Yoon said. Because SoCal also has little rain, succulents, such as agave, sedum, and aloe, are popular in outdoor landscaping.
For residents who love flowers, “the weather is perfect for the bougainvillea, and it blooms year-round,” Yoon said
Country Plants offers more bougainvillea than any other nearby nursery, he said, and he sells many varieties with diverse bloom colors and sizes. If a customer can’t find what they’d like, he will search for the desired plant and order it.
He also is always ready to both figure out what problems a customer may be facing with their plants and provide tips about the best way to care for any new plants they purchase. For example, Yoon said the fiddle-leaf fig needs a sunny location, so if an area is too shady, the plant will fade quickly
“I have a lot of experience growing plants,” Yoon said. “I can help them with how to take care of the plant and tell them what kind of plant is good for their yard. Choosing the right plant is very important for the customer.”
Country Plants (101 Chautauqua) is open every day except Tuesday from 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. in summer and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in winter. Call (310) 913-4801 for more information or special orders.
Hangbaek Yoon, the owner of Country Plants.
Photo: Levi Langen
Flowers cascade through Country Plants.
A winding path through Country Plants.
