Barbara St-Hilaire, the visionary behind Aya Tropical Plants, made a bold decision to follow her heart and leave her 17-year career in telecommunications. With courage and determination, she stepped into a new chapter driven by a deep passion for plants and a desire to build something meaningful and joyful.
Her reconnection with nature began years ago during her training as a yoga instructor in Bali, where she experienced a powerful shift away from the corporate world and toward a more grounded, fulfilling way of living. Plants quickly became a source of peace, purpose, and creativity, and sharing that passion with others felt natural from the very beginning.
The name “Aya” holds a very special place in Barbara’s heart, as it belongs to her first granddaughter. Since then, Barbara’s family has continued to grow, now blessed with seven beautiful grandchildren, each bringing even more inspiration, joy, and motivation to her life and her work. Aya Tropical Plants is a tribute to family, resilience, and the nurturing spirit of nature.
Over the past four years, Barbara has dedicated herself to sourcing, growing, and sharing rare tropical plants with collectors across Canada. This journey has been transformative, and has led her to an exciting new chapter. Today, Aya Tropical Plants proudly focuses on tissue-culture plants, embracing innovation and making rare plant genetics more accessible than ever before.
This new direction reflects both experience and evolution: a commitment to quality, to education, and to shaping the future of rare plant collecting in Canada.
Aya Tropical Plants continues to grow, just like the family that inspired its name, with passion, purpose, and a love for everything that blooms.