OUR STORY

Peartree was founded in 2011 in New York City as a climate conscious floral design studio that works with the season’s tilt to create memorable florals. We design thoughtfully and sustainably – primarily sourcing flowers from farms nearby, innovating away from toxic floral foam, and composting every stem. We approach our creations as dynamic collaborations between the projects, our teams, and the flowers. This approach has connected us to incredible farms, communities, missions, organizations, and people. We’ve partnered on hundreds of successful events – including weddings and occasions, film and television, and workshops and experiences – and have collaborated on projects of all shapes and sizes domestically and abroad. We’re honored to have been featured in top publications for the work we do. Most of all, we believe in nurturing our communities, working with integrity, and consistently grounding ourselves in respect for people and nature.

My flower story might begin with Jimmy Schaefer, a singular man – and our family’s neighbor – who brought us bunches of lilacs every Spring that filled our city apartment with their intoxicating scent. I remember being struck by the gift of flowers – the fleeting beauty they provide – and the bond that sharing them created between people. 

At 18, I began working as a gardener out east, on invitation from my friend Christie Sosnowski. Originally enticed by the idea of summers spent smelling roses, warming in the sun’s glow and cooling in the ocean’s salty waters, I was quickly hooked in by the profound grounding that nurturing nature provided. I had found a new way to connect to my body by keeping my hands in the dirt and witnessing the changing arc in all of those flowers.

But my flower story is remiss without my mother, Sally, whose maiden name (Birenbaum) means Pear Tree. Sally had an innate gift for bringing people together and our family dinners were regularly a mixed bag of strangers she’d met that day, lifelong friends, and people just passing through. Every gathering felt like a little celebration. Sally fostered genuine connection with everyone she met, and I was shaped by her example: Beauty can be given and shared, and this gesture can hold people together. 

Flowers still perform some kind of sorcery on me. I admire their ability to change the energy of a room and their power to uplift and heal. I am perennially intrigued by their fluidity – how the medium is always changing. Flowers are a kind reminder to pause and take in this very moment, right now, and I’ve found much honor in punctuating moments through this art form.