Anna Grace Fitzgerald is the founder and owner of Copperline Plant Co, located at 23 W. Hargett St. in Raleigh. What started as a pop-up has bloomed into a full-time business and community space.
"I feel lucky to be in the community that raised me," Fitzgerald said. "Despite growing up here, this is the first time I've felt truly connected."
Fitzgerald attended Wake County public schools before earning degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State, including a Master's of Landscape Architecture. She returned to Raleigh during the COVID-19 pandemic after working in Philadelphia and pitched the idea for Copperline to her parents.
ALSO SEE NC drivers get 2 more years to renew their driver's license after expiration date
"When the pandemic hit, I kind of did a Shark Tank to my parents, and I said, 'I want to start a business. Can I live with you for a little while until I get my feet underneath me?' And then the shop was born," she explained.
The shop specializes in tropical houseplants, with staff offering personalized advice to help customers find plants that match their space and lighting.
"We have a couple hundred species in here," she said. "Not every plant is going to be happy everywhere."
Copperline also serves as a community hub, hosting book clubs, DIY workshops, and events with local makers, including candle-making, pottery, and macramé classes.
"Plants have always been a way for me to reconnect and make a space feel like home," Fitzgerald said. "To do that in my hometown feels like a privilege."
Copperline Plant Co. is open Wednesday-Monday.