About Driftless Botanicals

Owner, Elyse, working in the shop

About Us

Elyse Running, Founder of Driftless Botanicals, worked her ever-loving butt off as nurse for the 18 years she spent prior to becoming a professional houseplant enthusiast. Seeking a much needed change of pace in her life, she turned her attention to indoor horticulture - the study and propagation of houseplants. Quickly becoming an expert in the care and cultivation of a wide variety of plants, she opened the storefront location of Driftless Botanicals on Water St Decorah, Iowa in July of 2023.

Inspired by dreams of a life less stressed, Elyse has made Driftless Botanicals into a whimsical haven for all things plant. Offering plants ranging from sprouts to full grown, carnivorous to aquatic, common to collectable, Decorah's botanical headquarters has something for every plant lover, and a unique assortment of fun gift items to boot.

Our Location

Elyse Running and Driftless Botanicals are proud to call Decorah, Iowa home. Situated in the soul of the Driftless Region in the heart of an ancient meteor crater, Decorah is home to Iowa's tallest waterfall and it's only Ice Cave. A one-of-a-kind stretch of land, the Driftless Region represents a rare part of the country that did not get totally flattened by glaciers during the last ice age, leading to an amazing array of features that are unique only to that part of the world.