He is turning the concrete jungle into green.
Almost every night, Miguel “Mike Plant” Andrade turns the subway into a moving florist. There, they attack flashy trees on Strafunger, who need succulents, orchids, and even plants.
The 44-year-old Bronx resident is in his 15th year as a first train “plant man.”
“It's good for the body, soul, and mind. It's just connecting with people about plants and plants. It's an experience that connects with the universe.”
The post followed Mike Plant as he swapped greens for greens on Friday evening, but he was happy to hand out a few potted friends for free.
“I work for God, he sends them in my direction, and the energy is just saying they are really happy to get the plants,” Andredo said.
His transition to one area of ”plant man” happened organically. In 2012, Andrade worked in several shops in the Flower District in Midtown.
Without the car, Andrade would rely on the subway to transport flower cargo. And soon they were surrounded by an interested Strafunger about to buy the plant.
He began slowly packing the extra items for the trip until it turned into a full-fledged gig.
Today he still helps these low Manhattan stores deliver, peel off plants and make close-up shops, but now he's doing it in exchange for another kind of greenery – Andredo asks to be paid with hundreds of dollars worth of plants, then he's dolesing on the subway.
“They give me orchids every day. That's my main thing. I have a lot of orchids – 30, 40 orchids, all colors. They give me small plants, medium plants, big plants, indoors and outdoors,” Andrade said.
The key is to offer plants at a reduced price. Andrade's handmade bouquets are just $5, and up to $200 for a 10-foot tall price, and can be purchased from Plant Man for just $50.
And when Andrade reminds commuters who take the train to return home, “Don't forget to pick up flowers for your wife!” – it's difficult to resist.
Andrade rides one train for up to 3 hours each night. The rest he sells online is a tenacious gig that earns up to $400 on busy nights.
Cash is good, but Andredo said he is in it for the happiness that spreads into the community.
“On train day, you see people who are like there are a lot of people on the train. That's a lot of emotion. I could see people.
“Perhaps 30 or 40 people have come back to me. There's a lot of flowers I offer to people, and they just start crying.”
As Andrade got on the 1 train on Friday evening, many Strafangers quickly pulled out their wallets and phone cameras, and smiles spread like contagious.
“Of course, this absolutely had an impact on my day. In a positive light,” Josephine Dela Rose of Upper West Side told the Post after purchasing a bouquet for just $5.
Camila in the Bronx said that when Andrade happened to board the train, ironically she was heading to the 24/7 flower shop.
“This is God's timing. It's a very unique offering to sell flowers on trains like this. It made my day. I love seeing people find unique ways to survive capitalism,” she said as she clenched an orange and white rose.
“It's great to be able to brighten up people's day and provide services. It made me so happy.”
Naturally, there are many quirks in rare jobs.
Andrade has apparently had several times hugging the train as he is in a hurry to stock up his car in the vegetation. Last year, the video of “The Plant Man” rushing to throw dozens of trees into the train went viral last year, but fortunately, commuters were more interesting than frustrated.
And he says it makes him younger – people are shocked to learn that he is usually 44 years old and is often mistaken for the brother of a son in his mid-twenties.
“It's therapy, it's training,” Andredo said in his daily fate.
