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14 Plant Nurseries in Chattanooga, TN

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Top Rated Farms in CHATTANOOGA

Elder's Ace Hardware - Chattanooga
💬 1228 reviews4.5
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Elder's Ace Hardware - Chattanooga

Retail garden center and nursery. Top products: Spring flowers, Potted plants, Seasonal blooms, Garden supplies. Elder's Ace Hardware - Chattanooga operates as a multi-departmental home improvement retailer that maintains a dedicated garden center component. While the business functions primarily as a hardware chain serving the East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, North Georgia, and Western North Carolina regions, its garden centers provide a significant retail outlet for horticultural products. The nursery division focuses on serving local homeowners by offering a variety of seasonal spring flowers, bedding plants, and ornamental blooms. The inventory is managed to ensure consistent hydration and health, catering to residential gardening needs. The business leverages its 1969 origins as a family-owned entity to maintain a community-focused service model, providing expert advice from staff to help customers select appropriate plant varieties for their specific gardening environments. Their core offerings in this sector are supplemented by traditional hardware tools and gardening accessories, establishing a one-stop-shop approach for home and lawn maintenance.

📍4921, Highway 58, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37416, US
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Elder's Ace Hardware - Dayton Blvd
💬 788 reviews4.6
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Elder's Ace Hardware - Dayton Blvd

Retail garden center nursery. Top products: Spring flowers, Seasonal plants, Garden supplies. Elder's Ace Hardware - Dayton Blvd operates as a comprehensive retail garden center integrated within a family-owned hardware store group serving Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia. The business focuses on providing homeowners with a wide selection of horticultural products, including spring flowers, seasonal blooms, and essential gardening supplies. Their garden department is designed to support residential gardening needs, offering healthy, well-maintained plant stock alongside expert advice from staff. As part of a larger hardware retailer, they provide a one-stop-shop environment that combines horticultural offerings with construction, home improvement, and repair services. The company emphasizes a community-focused approach, rooted in a history that dates back to 1969, and maintains a reputation for friendly, helpful customer service. Their nursery offerings are specifically geared toward retail consumers seeking to enhance their home landscapes with vibrant, quality plant varieties.

📍1899, Dayton Boulevard, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37405, US
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The Barn Nursery
💬 641 reviews4.7
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The Barn Nursery

Full-service Retail Garden Center. Top products: Blooming perennials, Hydrangeas, Fig trees, Butterfly bushes, Coneflowers. The Barn Nursery, established in 1967 and located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a comprehensive garden center and horticultural retailer. They specialize in a wide range of plant materials, including blooming perennials, shrubs, and fruit-bearing trees such as figs. The nursery sources high-quality plants from reputable growers like Monrovia and maintains a large, diverse inventory suitable for residential landscaping. Beyond retail plant sales, the business offers professional planting and installation services, focusing on the proper placement and care of their plant materials. The Barn Nursery operates as a community-focused hub, engaging in local charitable partnerships and providing educational support for home gardeners. They serve both individual homeowners and professional landscapers, providing not only plants but also essential garden amendments such as bagged mulch, soil, and decorative rock. Their mission emphasizes long-term plant health, proper horticultural techniques, and encouraging customers to engage actively with their outdoor spaces.

📍1797, East 25th Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37404, US
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Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center
💬 382 reviews4.7
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Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center

Native Plant Specialty Nursery. Top products: Native plants, Perennials, Shrubs. Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center operates as a non-profit organization located on a 300-acre campus in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a dedicated focus on environmental education, wildlife conservation, and native plant propagation. As part of their mission to restore regional ecology, the organization maintains a specialized nursery operation that sells native plants to homeowners, businesses, schools, and parks to help promote biodiversity and restore local habitats. Their horticultural operations include a 'Nursery Cohort' program where apprentices are trained in plant management and native landscape restoration techniques. By sourcing and raising native species, they provide an essential resource for customers looking to improve local ecosystems. Beyond their nursery sales, the facility functions as a nature center, offering guided meadow tours, conservation apprenticeships, and wildlife protection programs for endangered species like the American red wolf. They are an active member of the American Horticultural Society, emphasizing ecological stewardship, reforestation, and the practical application of native flora in home and commercial landscapes.

📍400, Garden Road, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37419, US
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Bryden's Market
💬 311 reviews4.8
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Bryden's Market

📍8424 Hixson Pike, Hixson, TN 37343, USA
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Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co., Inc.
💬 247 reviews4.5
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Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co., Inc.

Full-service retail garden center. Top products: trees, shrubs, ornamental plants, gardening materials. Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co., Inc. is a prominent, long-standing horticultural center located in Ooltewah, Tennessee, serving the greater Chattanooga region since 1989. Positioned as one of the area's largest garden centers, the business specializes in providing a vast inventory of plants, trees, and shrubs, with a specific focus on sourcing unusual and hard-to-find botanical varieties. Their operations are supported by a team of experienced horticultural experts who emphasize climate-appropriate plant selection and customer education. The company functions as a comprehensive resource for both residential gardeners and landscaping professionals, prioritizing the sale of high-quality, healthy plant stock designed to thrive in the local climate. By offering a blend of extensive horticultural inventory and expert advice, they support a wide array of gardening projects, maintaining a community-focused mission centered on horticultural success and long-term plant health.

📍5829 Main St, Collegedale, TN 37363, USA
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America's Gardens
💬 232 reviews4.8
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America's Gardens

Full-Service Retail Garden Center. Top products: annuals and perennials, trees and shrubs, houseplants, organic soils and compost, herbs and vegetable plants. America's Gardens operates as a comprehensive retail garden center and plant nursery, providing a vast selection of horticultural products for residential and landscape use. Their inventory includes a diverse range of annuals, perennials, fruit trees, shrubs, vines, herbs, and vegetable starters. Beyond live plants, the business supplies essential garden maintenance items such as bagged soils, compost, mulch, and natural fertilizers, emphasizing an environmentally conscious approach by minimizing GMOs and synthetic chemical use. The company serves a wide customer base, including local gardeners and online shoppers across the United States. In addition to plant retail, they offer value-added services such as 'How-To' educational classes on gardening and pruning. The business maintains a strong focus on both regional native species and decorative varieties, supported by a digital platform that facilitates online ordering, local pickup, and specialized shipping for select inventory items.

📍Dayton Boulevard, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37415, US
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Signal Mountain Nursery
💬 219 reviews4.9
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Signal Mountain Nursery

Local ornamental plant nursery. Top products: locally-grown annuals, perennials, ornamental shrubs, garden flowers. Signal Mountain Nursery is a long-standing horticultural operation based in the Chattanooga area, boasting over 76 years of experience in the plant industry. The nursery differentiates itself by producing over 90% of its plant inventory on-site at its Signal Mountain location, ensuring high-quality, regionally adapted specimens that do not require long-distance transportation. Their core offerings center on a diverse selection of ornamental plants, flowers, and shrubs specifically suited to the local climate. Beyond retail plant sales, the business functions as a comprehensive gardening hub, providing professional landscape design services to assist homeowners in project planning. Additionally, the nursery maintains a dedicated service division focused on ongoing landscape maintenance, catering to both residential clients and those seeking professional horticultural support to ensure the vitality of their garden installations. Their business model prioritizes local cultivation and long-term customer relationships.

📍1100 Hubbard Rd, Signal Mountain, TN 37377, USA
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Hughes Farmers Market And Garden Center
💬 182 reviews4.8
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Hughes Farmers Market And Garden Center

Produce and Ornamental Nursery. Top products: tomatoes, ornamental plants, trees, local produce. Hughes Farmers Market and Garden Center is a family-owned and operated agricultural business based in Hixson, Tennessee, supported by their primary production farm in Dayton, Tennessee. The operation functions as both a large-scale horticultural supplier and a retail farmers market. Their agricultural footprint is significant, highlighted by the annual planting of approximately 1.5 million tomato plants, alongside a diverse array of crops suitable for the Chattanooga climate. As a garden center and nursery, they offer a variety of trees and ornamental plants to local homeowners and landscapers. Their mission centers on a 'farm-to-table' and 'farm-to-garden' model, providing direct-from-farm produce and nursery stock to the local community. In addition to their horticultural and produce operations, they maintain an on-site deli service, blending their role as a primary grower with a consumer-facing retail market experience.

📍6402, Hixson Pike, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37343, US
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Sun & Shade Garden Center
💬 138 reviews4.7
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Sun & Shade Garden Center

Retail garden and supply center. Top products: flowers, seed, feed. Sun & Shade Garden Center, located in the Chattanooga area, has served the local community for 34 years. While the business maintains a dual identity as a Western store specializing in saddles and equestrian tack, it operates a long-standing garden center focused on the needs of local homeowners and gardeners. The horticultural branch of the business centers on the retail sale of flowers, gardening seeds, and agricultural feed. By providing essential planting materials and animal nutrition products, the center serves as a foundational resource for local residential gardening and small-scale animal husbandry. Their business model emphasizes high-volume inventory and accessible pricing, catering to a customer base that requires both equestrian equipment and traditional gardening supplies in a single location. The facility has integrated its gardening operations with a deep history in the saddlery industry, leveraging its location to provide consistent availability of seasonal flora and garden inputs.

📍2939, Cummings Highway, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37419, US
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Joli Jardin Flower Shop
💬 134 reviews4.7
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Joli Jardin Flower Shop

Sustainable Cut Flower Farm. Top products: Fresh cut flowers, Live plants, Succulents, Gardening supplies, Terrariums. Joli Jardin is a multifaceted floral enterprise rooted in a sustainable flower farm located on Walden’s Ridge on Signal Mountain, Tennessee. Established in 2016 by owners Becca Coleman and Erin Leonard, the business centers on the organic and ethical cultivation of diverse floral crops. Their operations have evolved from a wholesale supplier for local florists into a robust retail model that includes a downtown Chattanooga storefront, a seasonal farm stand, and a mobile retail presence utilizing two vintage flower trucks. While primarily recognized as a cut flower producer, the business serves as a local horticultural hub, offering a curated selection of live plants, succulents, and terrariums alongside their floral subscriptions, bouquet design services, and gardening-related gifts. Their mission prioritizes biodiversity and sustainable land stewardship, providing fresh, locally-grown botanical products to Chattanooga residents, event organizers, and the local design community. The shop functions as a retail destination for plant enthusiasts and flower lovers, bridging the gap between field-to-vase production and traditional floral retail.

📍1263, Market Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37402, US
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Reflection Riding Native Plant Nursery
💬 14 reviews4.7
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Reflection Riding Native Plant Nursery

Native Plant Specialty Nursery. Top products: Native perennials, Native shrubs, Native trees, Local flora. Reflection Riding Native Plant Nursery operates as a core component of a 300-acre conservation and educational campus in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The nursery specializes in the propagation and sale of native plant species, focusing on restoring local biodiversity by providing ecologically appropriate vegetation for residential, corporate, and public landscaping projects. Their inventory is curated to support regional pollinators and wildlife, emphasizing the environmental benefits of utilizing native flora. Beyond commercial sales, the nursery serves as a hub for horticultural education, offering a structured 'Nursery Cohort' apprenticeship program that trains participants in native landscape management and plant production. The organization integrates its retail operations with broader mission-driven activities, including endangered species breeding programs, wildlife conservation, and extensive public land stewardship. By positioning native plants as a critical tool for ecological restoration, the nursery caters to homeowners, landscape professionals, and community groups seeking to enhance the natural habitat of their respective environments.

📍Susan's Curves Loop Trail, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37350, US
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Rowan Lawn Care
💬 10 reviews4.5
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Rowan Lawn Care

📍10221 Card Rd, Soddy-Daisy, TN 37379, USA
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Green Thumbs Galore LLC
💬 5 reviews3.4
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Green Thumbs Galore LLC

Perennial and Ornamental Plant Nursery. Top products: Iris, Daylilies, Brugmansia, Helleborus. Green Thumbs Galore LLC is a family-operated backyard nursery based in Tennessee, managed by husband and wife team Jeff and Belle. The business specializes in the cultivation of perennial and ornamental plants, including a notable focus on Iris, Daylilies, Brugmansia, and Helleborus varieties. Licensed by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, the nursery maintains the capability to ship plants nationwide. Their cultivation methodology, described as 'benign neglect,' emphasizes hardy, low-maintenance plant varieties that are suitable for home gardeners seeking resilient and unusual specimens. The nursery operates primarily as an online retailer, offering bare-root plants that are grown directly in their own gardens. Beyond their core nursery offerings, the business provides a curated selection of home and garden decor, including seasonal mailbox covers and outdoor ornaments. Their target customer base consists of home gardeners looking for distinctive, reliable plant cultivars.

📍4, North Crest Road, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37404, US
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Local Nursery Scene in Chattanooga

Chattanooga supports a diverse horticultural landscape with 14 distinct nurseries and retail outlets serving home gardeners and professional landscapers. The market ranges from large-scale hardware-integrated garden centers to specialized native plant propagation hubs. Because Chattanooga spans USDA hardiness zones 7b and 8a, local plant selection requires an understanding of hot, humid summers and potential late-spring frosts. Buyers benefit significantly from shopping at local facilities that prioritize acclimated inventory over mass-produced plants shipped from different climate zones.

Comparison of Top Nurseries

Nursery NameRatingSpecializationType
Elder's Ace Hardware - Chattanooga4.5Seasonal plantsGarden center
Elder's Ace Hardware - Dayton Blvd4.6Seasonal bloomsGarden center
The Barn Nursery4.7Perennials & shrubsGarden center
Reflection Riding Arboretum4.7Native plantsSpecialty nursery
Bryden's Market4.8General nurseryGeneral nursery
Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co.4.5Trees & shrubsGarden center
America's Gardens4.8Annuals & organic soilGarden center
Signal Mountain Nursery4.9Locally-grown plantsOrnamental nursery
Hughes Farmers Market4.8Tomatoes & treesProduce/nursery
Sun & Shade Garden Center4.7Flowers & feedRetail garden center

Deep Dive into Nurseries

Elder's Ace Hardware - Chattanooga serves as a convenient retail hub for homeowners needing spring flowers and essential gardening supplies. Their model balances hardware accessibility with a dedicated nursery section that emphasizes consistent hydration and plant health.

Elder's Ace Hardware - Dayton Blvd focuses on providing a wide selection of seasonal blooms within their hardware store footprint. Their staff provides practical advice suited for residential landscaping in the North Georgia and Tennessee border region.

The Barn Nursery, operating since 1967, provides a comprehensive selection of perennials, hydrangeas, and fruit trees. They distinguish themselves by offering professional planting and installation services alongside their retail garden center inventory.

Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center focuses on ecological stewardship by specializing in native plant propagation. Their 300-acre campus serves as both a nursery and a classroom for local gardeners looking to restore regional biodiversity.

Bryden's Market maintains a reputation as a general plant nursery, providing accessible options for local gardening enthusiasts. Their straightforward approach caters to customers seeking reliable plant stock for varied landscaping needs.

Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co. has operated since 1989, specializing in hard-to-find botanical varieties and large trees. They provide a high-level resource for both residential and professional landscape projects in the Chattanooga area.

America's Gardens manages a broad inventory including fruit trees, herbs, and organic amendments like compost and mulch. Their commitment to minimizing synthetic chemical use makes them a top choice for eco-conscious gardeners.

Signal Mountain Nursery grows over 90% of its inventory on-site, ensuring that plants are fully acclimated to local conditions. Beyond plant sales, they offer professional design and ongoing maintenance services for residential clients.

Hughes Farmers Market and Garden Center bridges the gap between commercial agriculture and residential gardening. Their Dayton-based farm production ensures that locally adapted tomatoes, trees, and ornamental plants are available to the Chattanooga community.

Sun & Shade Garden Center uniquely combines an equestrian tack and saddle business with a full garden center. This high-volume operation provides a foundational resource for homeowners needing seeds, feed, and seasonal flowers.

Buying Guide for TN Gardeners

  • Check for Acclimation: Prioritize plants grown in Tennessee or the Southeast. These specimens have already adapted to the local heat and humidity, reducing transplant shock compared to those shipped from greenhouses in cooler states.
  • Examine Root Health: Before purchasing, inspect the pot. Healthy plants should show white roots rather than dense, circling, or mushy brown roots, which indicate poor drainage or over-fertilization.
  • Soil Amendments: Chattanooga’s clay-heavy soil often requires organic matter. Incorporate compost or leaf mold from your local garden center to improve drainage and nutrient availability before planting shrubs or trees.
  • Native Advantage: Integrate native species from nurseries like Reflection Riding. Native plants are genetically tuned to local rainfall patterns and pest cycles, often requiring less supplemental watering and zero chemical pesticides once established.
  • Seasonal Timing: Fall is often the best time to plant trees and shrubs in Tennessee. The cooling soil temperatures allow roots to establish before the heat of summer, which drastically improves long-term survival rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the best time to plant in Chattanooga?

A: For perennials, trees, and shrubs, the ideal planting window in Tennessee is early autumn. Cooler soil temperatures and higher rainfall allow roots to establish before the summer heat. Spring is also suitable, but requires vigilant watering as the weather warms.

Q: Why should I choose native plants from a nursery?

A: Native plants are evolutionarily adapted to the Tennessee climate and soil conditions. They provide essential food and habitat for local pollinators, require fewer fertilizers, and generally survive with much less supplemental irrigation once their roots have matured.

Q: How can I improve Chattanooga's heavy clay soil?

A: Chattanooga gardeners should amend their soil with organic matter such as high-quality compost or aged leaf mulch. This helps break up the dense clay particles, improving drainage and aeration, which prevents root rot and allows for better nutrient uptake by your plants.

Q: What is the difference between a nursery and a garden center?

A: A nursery typically focuses on the cultivation and propagation of plant material, often growing inventory on-site. A garden center acts more as a retail hub, gathering various plants, tools, chemicals, and landscape materials from multiple wholesale growers to provide a one-stop-shop experience.

Q: Are plants from local nurseries healthier than those from big-box stores?

A: Local nurseries often prioritize plant quality over mass-market speed. Because local staff specialize in horticulture rather than general retail, they provide better hydration and care, and the plants have not endured the stress of long-distance shipping or improper warehouse storage.

⭐ 4.6 average rating across 14 verified nurseries in Chattanooga

The most popular reviews:

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Karen RavensEdited a day ago

Love this nursery. Staff is extremely knowledgeable. I went in planning on looking for just ideas and BAM...the sale was too good to pass up on a few plants for my yard.

The Barn Nursery
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Jan Fullera day ago

Had everything I was looking for!! Plus some, and the quality was stunning!

America's Gardens
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Susan Powell4 days ago

The gift shop and the green house/plants departments are my “Go To” locations everything I visit Highway 58 Ace…exceptional customer service! The other areas of the store provide excellent customer service, too. Often walking with you to assist product location. The cashiers are very personable, too

Elder's Ace Hardware - Chattanooga
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Heidi6 days ago

I went today to ask for help creating a bouquet for my friend, and the person working did an amazing job creating a beautiful, small bouquet that was reasonably priced. I was so impressed. Also, the shop itself is gorgeous and made me feel happy being in there. Can’t wait to go back.

Joli Jardin Flower Shop
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Larry BondEdited a week ago

What a great new place to shop for produce, vegetables, plants and flowers, and much more. If you haven't yet visited go and enjoy all they have to offer. A place above the rest.

Hughes Farmers Market And Garden Center
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vincenza testo2 weeks ago

We had the absolute pleasure of touring the native animal enclosures with Taylor who was a wealth of knowledge. When Taylor tells you about these animals, it is clear how much he cares for a respects them. The work they are doing at Reflection Riding is admirable. We learned so much and wished we had more time to explore the grounds!

Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center
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Jack Geske2 weeks ago

Super place for the guys and especially women, because they have a great section with all kinds of stuff not tool related. Prices are higher than I remember but with that comes the best help with all your needs,and answers you may ask.

Elder's Ace Hardware - Dayton Blvd
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Luanne Shirlinga month ago

Beautiful flowers, great inspiration, pottery is unique not run of the mill will be returning for my fall plants

Signal Mountain Nursery