Lines of customers stretched from the sidewalk in front of Jungle House all the way to Massachusetts Street as Lawrence community members said goodbye to the long-standing plant shop.

Tuesday morning, Jungle House owners Jhami and Rachel Guffey announced on social media that it would be the store’s final day in operation. Everything at Jungle House, 6 E. Seventh St., would be 50% off through 6 p.m., when the shop closes for good.

Squishington’s Candy, also owned by the Guffeys, announced it is closing as well. The candy store, at 646 Massachusetts St., will have discounts and some of the decor will be for sale through 6 p.m. Tuesday.

“We still have many dreams for what Squishington was going to grow into, but it was a magical place from the very day it opened because of the people who filled it,” the Facebook post reads. “So many memories, wishes, and the type of pure joy that only comes from a child-at-heart have poured into the space to make it magical.”

The Guffeys opened Jungle House in 2018 at 924 Delaware St. before moving to the downtown storefront in spring 2023. They had previously run a holiday popup shop, Jingle House, in the same space during the 2021 holiday season. 

They opened Squishington’s on Mass Street just ahead of the 2023 winter holiday season.

Owners and staff were not immediately available for comment, but the plant store was brimming with customers old and new who wanted to say goodbye.

Monica Jones visited the store Tuesday to pick up a jade plant, some tomatoes, a monstera and some potting soil “to hold me over for a little while.” She started shopping with Jungle House at their East Lawrence location.

“It was my space,” Jones said. “And I just remember bringing my daughter and them just being so kind and always letting her get her hands dirty in the dirt, It’s just sort of a sweet, fun community.”

She said she’s not naturally great with cactuses or succulents, but the string of bananas she purchased at Jungle House is thriving and has become one of her favorites.

“I’ve been popping in for a really long time, and they’ve helped me develop more of a green thumb, and just always there to answer questions that you have, and there’s always care and they’re patient,” Jones said. “And I just wanted to come and say bye and grab a couple goodies before they go.”

Melanie Moses is a student who squeezed in a final visit before class. She only started shopping at Jungle House during her past winter break, but enjoyed the store’s wide selection of ceramics since.

“It kind of meant that there’s a chance to have greenery in my house,” she said. “I’m disabled, so it’s hard to keep a garden on my own.”

Moses said she had been looking forward to shopping more at Jungle House, and she was bummed about the store closing.

Of the approximately 30 house plants that Alexis Derritt has, most of them came from Jungle House. She has patronized the store since its early days, around 2018 or 2019.

“Honestly, it’s how I got into indoor plants, and now I have a ton,” she said. “… Plants have just become really grounding for me, and it’s a cool way to connect with nature and have a little bit of that in my apartment, especially in the winter.”

She said that having plants in her apartment in the colder months has improved her mental health, allowing her to feel calm and connected.

Derritt was downtown when she saw the announcement and beelined to the store to get some of the remaining plants on her list.

Tyler Logan had a similar idea as he swung by the store, which he called “a little plant zoo.” He said that for years, he and his wife have loved wandering around Jungle House, picking up new treats or simply browsing.

“They always have something new and cute,” he said. “There’s just so much lovely little stuff in here.”

Two years ago, Logan asked staff for help picking out a house plant that “I might not be able to kill,” he said. Staff worked with him to select a Peperomia, which is still thriving in his home.

“I probably could have just figured it out online, but them sitting there and talking to me and helping me pick out what would be right for me — it really meant something, and it was really nice that I got to just have that experience with another person,” he said.

Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com.

Read their complete bio here. Read their work for the Times here.

Latest Lawrence news:

MORE …