Plant Nurseries & Garden Centers in Tennessee
Explore 290 local plant nurseries across 39 cities.
Top Rated Farms in TN
Dabney Nursery
Full-Service Ornamental Nursery Grower. Top products: Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Annuals, Roses, Hydrangeas, Hostas. Founded in 1982 by Dabney Turley, a horticulture graduate, Dabney Nursery is a premier Mid-South nursery specializing in the cultivation and sale of a vast array of ornamental plants. Operating as both a wholesale and retail provider, the business is distinguished by its 'grower-first' model, with over 75% of their inventory produced on-site. Their operations focus on field-grown trees cultivated in native clay soil, ensuring high adaptability to local environmental conditions. Originally established as a wholesale tree and shrub nursery, the business expanded in 1995 to include a retail garden center offering perennials, roses, annuals, and hydrangeas. Catering to both individual homeowners and professional landscapers, the nursery leverages decades of expertise to provide plants specifically selected for the regional climate. Their production methods prioritize plant health and local soil compatibility, maintaining a comprehensive selection for year-round landscape development.
Spring Hill Garden Center
Full-service retail garden center. Top products: Trees, Perennials, Annuals, Fertilizers, Garden tools. Spring Hill Garden Center, established in 2021 and located in Spring Hill, Tennessee, operates as a comprehensive retail garden center and plant nursery. The business serves both residential homeowners and professional clientele by offering a diverse selection of horticultural products, including trees, perennials, and annuals. Beyond retail plant sales, the nursery functions as a service provider, offering specialized tree installation and professional landscaping services designed to assist customers with outdoor space design and maintenance. The center emphasizes quality through partnerships with reputable horticultural brands such as Proven Winners, Espoma, and A.M. Leonard. Their inventory is supported by practical gardening supplies, including soil and fertilizers, making them a centralized hub for both novice gardeners and professional landscapers looking for plant materials and technical assistance for garden installation projects.
Silver Lake Garden Center
Retail Garden Center Nursery. Top products: shrubs, perennials, roses, gardening tools, home decor. Silver Lake Garden Center functions as a retail horticultural supply center focused on providing plant materials and gardening essentials to the local community. Their core inventory includes a variety of shrubs, perennials, and rose bushes, catering to both residential homeowners and those engaged in home gardening projects. Beyond plant stock, the business maintains a selection of gardening tools and home decor items, positioning itself as a comprehensive resource for garden maintenance and landscape improvement. The establishment operates as a traditional garden center, prioritizing the seasonal availability of nursery products and offering regular updates to customers regarding new plant arrivals. While their operations center on retail trade, they maintain a focus on high-quality botanical goods, supporting the horticultural needs of their local customer base through an accessible, customer-focused storefront.
Roger's Garden & Landscaping
Art's Home And Garden
Millstone Market & Nursery
Retail Garden Center Nursery. Top products: Container flowers, Landscaping plants, Garden statues, Outdoor furniture, Heirloom quality garden decor. Millstone Market & Nursery is a premier retail garden center and plant nursery located in Germantown, Tennessee, serving the Mid-South region. The business specializes in a wide selection of container and landscaping plants, catering to homeowners looking to enhance their outdoor spaces. Beyond its live plant inventory, Millstone operates a curated retail market that offers heirloom-quality garden accents, concrete statuary, and decor for fairy gardens. The nursery also distinguishes itself as a licensed dealer of Summer Classics premium outdoor furniture, positioning itself as a comprehensive destination for 'garden-inspired living.' Their staff provides horticultural expertise and guidance to customers, complemented by a digital 'Garden Report' that offers seasonal planting calendars. The business focuses on the integration of botanical health and aesthetic landscape design, aiming to provide both the living elements and the structural accessories required for complete garden environments.
Mt. Juliet Garden Center
Full-service retail garden center. Top products: premium plants, gardening essentials, landscape materials. Mt. Juliet Garden Center, formerly known as Michaels Garden Center, is a retail horticultural business located in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Reopened under new ownership in April 2024, the center serves as a primary hub for both residential homeowners and professional landscape contractors. The business focuses on providing a curated selection of high-quality plant material and essential gardening supplies necessary for outdoor cultivation and site development. Their mission emphasizes a transition from traditional nursery operations to a modernized service model, prioritizing expert horticultural advice and community-focused support. By offering a diverse inventory of botanical products alongside professional expertise, the center facilitates both small-scale personal gardening projects and larger landscape installations. They maintain standard business hours throughout the week to provide consistent access to their inventory of plants and gardening materials, positioning themselves as a comprehensive destination for regional gardening needs.
Stringer's Poplar Pointe Garden Center
Retail Garden Center Nursery. Top products: vegetable plants, herbs, annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, tropicals. Stringer's Poplar Pointe Garden Center is a retail horticultural destination specializing in a diverse range of ornamental and edible plants. Their inventory includes a wide selection of annuals, perennials, tropical plants, roses, shrubs, and trees. Beyond plant sales, the center functions as a comprehensive garden resource for local homeowners, offering diagnostic services for ailing plants through an in-house team of horticultural experts. They provide professional advice on landscape maintenance and plant health to help customers address specific yard concerns. The center also maintains a selection of garden hardscapes, including decorative pottery, fountains, and statuary, alongside custom container and hanging basket design services. The business focuses on seasonal promotions and maintains regular store hours to serve the community, positioning itself as both a product supplier and an advisory hub for local gardeners seeking quality plant materials and botanical guidance.
The Micro Garden Pigeon Forge
Retail Tropical Plant Nursery. Top products: Tropical plants, Lucky bamboo, Air plants, Hanging baskets, Marimo displays. The Micro Garden Pigeon Forge is a retail horticultural business specializing in a diverse selection of indoor and ornamental plants. Their inventory prominently features tropical varieties, air plants, lucky bamboo, and curated botanical displays including marimo moss balls and hanging baskets. Operating out of physical locations, including a Pigeon Forge shop and flea market presence, the business serves local plant enthusiasts and homeowners by providing both individual plants and pre-arranged displays. They maintain a customer-focused approach, offering personalized assistance for specific plant sourcing and hosting seasonal promotional events to make their collection accessible. While they utilize digital platforms for inventory management and sales, their core mission centers on providing a knowledgeable in-person shopping experience. They operate with seasonal hours, focusing on maintaining a wide range of sizes and plant types to cater to various indoor gardening needs.
Burns Garden Center
Retail Garden Center Nursery. Top products: shrubs, flowers, trees, flagstone, bulk soil, mulch. Burns Garden Center is a retail horticultural business operating in Dickson and Burns, Tennessee. The company functions as a comprehensive garden center and landscape supplier, catering to both residential homeowners and professional clients. Their core nursery operations focus on the retail of high-quality trees, shrubs, and ornamental flowers. In addition to plant stock, the business maintains a significant inventory of hardscape and soil materials, including flagstone, rocks, screened topsoil, and garden super soil. The company distinguishes itself through a dual-service model that combines retail plant sales with professional landscape and lawn care services. Their landscape division provides specialized project support, including landscape design, the installation of retaining walls, driveways, pads, and drainage systems. Maintenance services offered include lawn mowing, mulching, tree trimming, brush removal, and seasonal fertilization and seeding programs. They operate with a focus on local accessibility, offering delivery services throughout Dickson and surrounding counties.
Fast's Greenery
Full-Service Retail Garden Center. Top products: Annual and perennial flowers, Houseplants, Christmas trees, Seasonal produce, Pumpkins and gourds. Fast's Greenery is a long-standing retail garden center and nursery based in Arrington, Tennessee, celebrating 50 years of operation. The business functions as a comprehensive destination for gardening enthusiasts, offering a diverse inventory that spans all seasons. Their core offerings include an extensive selection of ornamental flowers, plants, and year-round indoor houseplants. During the autumn months, the nursery stocks pumpkins and gourds, while the winter season features fresh-cut evergreens and Christmas trees. The operation serves both local homeowners and gardening hobbyists, providing professional consultation on garden design and planting strategies. Beyond plant sales, Fast's Greenery emphasizes a community-focused customer experience, incorporating seasonal landscaping displays and a welcoming environment. They maintain a consistent retail presence with seasonal operating hours, positioning themselves as a trusted source for regional horticultural needs in the Nolensville Road area.
Dan West Garden Center Inc
Full-service Retail Garden Center. Top products: Annuals and Perennials, Trees and Shrubs, Herbs and Vegetables, Garden Care Products, Christmas Trees and Decor. Dan West Garden Center Inc. is a premier horticultural retailer serving the Memphis, Tennessee area since 1952. Operating two locations in East Memphis and Eads, the center specializes in providing plants, trees, and shrubs specifically curated for the Mid-South climate, soil types, and seasonal weather patterns. Their extensive inventory includes a wide range of annuals, perennials, tropicals, ground covers, and edibles, supported by a professional staff that includes long-tenured horticulture experts. Beyond retail sales, the business functions as a regional knowledge hub, offering detailed advice on soil management, pest control, irrigation, and seasonal plant maintenance through a comprehensive handbook and educational content. They cater primarily to local homeowners and gardening enthusiasts, offering everything from plant stock to specialized fertilizers, mulches, and tools. Additionally, the company maintains a strong seasonal presence with its 'Old Tyme Christmas Shoppe,' cementing its role as a multi-generational gardening institution.
Ellenburg Landscaping & Nursery
Retail Garden Center Nursery. Top products: Ornamental plants, Landscape shrubbery, Custom container arrangements, Gardening supplies. Ellenburg Landscaping & Nursery operates as an independent retail garden center and comprehensive landscape contracting firm. The business serves both residential homeowners and commercial clients, offering a consistent inventory of high-quality plants suitable for local regional climates. Their facility functions as a year-round resource for horticultural needs, providing a diverse selection of nursery stock, including trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants. Beyond standard retail offerings, they specialize in the creation of custom container plantings tailored to specific aesthetic preferences. As a combined operation, they integrate the sale of plant materials with professional landscape design and installation services. Their mission focuses on providing expert horticultural knowledge alongside high-grade plant products, supporting clients from the initial selection process through to final landscape implementation and garden maintenance.
Southeast Landscape Supply
Valley Growers-Lebanon
Terrarium Plant Store
Nature's Best Nursery, Lawn and Landscape
Full-Service Nursery and Landscape. Top products: Annuals and Perennials, Trees and Shrubs, Native Plants, Vegetables and Herbs, Succulents and Cacti. Nature's Best Nursery, Lawn and Landscape, located in Nolensville, Tennessee, has been a fixture in Middle Tennessee horticulture since the late 1990s. Operating as both a retail garden center and a wholesale grower, the company offers an extensive inventory of plants suited for the local climate, including annuals, perennials, native species, ornamental grasses, trees, shrubs, and edible vegetable and herb varieties. They maintain a professional horticultural operation that caters to both residential gardeners and commercial landscaping clients. Beyond retail plant sales, the business provides comprehensive design-build services, focusing on outdoor living spaces, hardscapes, and landscape planning. Their model emphasizes expertise in plant selection and integrated pest management, ensuring customers receive healthy, region-specific plant material. The nursery also provides custom contract growing services for wholesale clients, allowing for specialized procurement of plant stock with lead times for specific project requirements.
Evans Plant Farm
Retail and Wholesale Plant Nursery. Top products: Annuals, Perennials, Houseplants, Vegetable Starters, Shrubs. Evans Plant Farm is a long-standing, family-owned horticultural operation based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, that has been serving the region since 1980. Operating as both a retail garden center and a wholesale supplier, the farm specializes in a diverse range of botanical products including houseplants, annuals, perennials, and vegetable starters. The business focuses on high-quality, greenhouse-grown plants, catering to a wide customer base that includes residential homeowners, apartment dwellers, and commercial entities like landscapers and retail vendors. In addition to their primary plant production, they offer a suite of essential gardening supplies such as mulch, fertilizers, and potting soil. A core component of their community-oriented business model is their plant sale fundraiser program, designed to support local schools, churches, and sports teams. The farm emphasizes education and customer support, providing ongoing plant care advice to ensure the success of their customers' gardens.
Larry's Nursery & Landscaping
The Garden Place
S & W Greenhouse
Retail Annuals and Perennials Nursery. Top products: Annuals, Perennials, Hanging baskets, Fall mums, Roses. S & W Greenhouse is a retail horticultural nursery located in White House, Tennessee, serving both professional landscapers and residential gardeners. The facility operates seasonally from March 15th through October 31st, focusing on a diverse selection of plant materials essential for regional landscaping and home gardening projects. Their core product offerings include a comprehensive range of high-performing annuals, perennial flowers, and roses. Additionally, the business specializes in ornamental container gardening, producing high-quality hanging baskets and pre-planted patio planters. A key component of their seasonal inventory includes fall-blooming chrysanthemums. By emphasizing customer service, competitive pricing, and years of accumulated growing expertise, S & W Greenhouse functions as a community-focused garden center dedicated to providing quality plant stock for local ornamental and decorative landscapes.
Wayne Torbett Greenhouses
Browse by City
The Nursery & Garden Center Market in Tennessee
Tennessee currently supports a network of 251 verified nurseries, reflecting a robust horticultural sector fueled by both local demand and favorable growing conditions. The market displays a clear geographic distribution, with a heavy concentration in middle Tennessee. Garden centers across the state range from massive retail operations to specialized boutique plant shops, catering to a diverse clientele of residential gardeners and commercial landscape architects. The density of these businesses correlates strongly with population growth and urban sprawl in the state's primary economic corridors. As land values shift in metropolitan areas like Nashville and Murfreesboro, the business model for these garden centers has transitioned from purely production-based farming to high-end retail and design services.
Top Cities for Nurseries & Garden Centers
Data indicates that nursery hubs are primarily centered around urban growth. Nashville leads the state with 26 identified locations, followed closely by Murfreesboro with 23, and Tullahoma with 20. Cookeville and Knoxville round out the top tier with 18 locations each. This clustering effect is no coincidence. Higher-density cities provide a consistent customer base, better logistics for shipping nursery stock, and access to a professional labor pool skilled in horticulture. In cities like Chattanooga, with 14 documented sites, or Memphis, also with 14, businesses often integrate into the community as destinations for native plant education. The presence of establishments like Stanley’s Greenhouse or The Barn Nursery exemplifies the shift toward high-service, high-quality stock that characterizes these top-tier hubs.
Tennessee Climate & Plant Selection
Success in Tennessee gardening requires navigating a complex intersection of USDA hardiness zones and soil conditions. Most of the state falls within zones 6b to 8a. This temperature variance dictates the inventory available at local garden centers. Nurseries must stock a mix of cold-hardy perennials for the northern regions and heat-tolerant cultivars for the southern areas. The state’s soil composition, often characterized by heavy red clay, remains a major challenge. Consequently, nurseries prioritize the sale of soil amendments, compost, and raised bed supplies alongside traditional stock. Rainfall in Tennessee is relatively abundant but unevenly distributed; spring and fall wet periods often lead to root rot issues, forcing garden centers to prioritize well-draining species and drought-tolerant native plants. The transition to native plant dominance—such as Echinacea, Rudbeckia, and various oak species—is a response to the state’s humid subtropical climate. Nurseries have pivoted away from water-intensive ornamental species to focus on stock that can withstand the extreme temperature swings and high summer humidity that define the Tennessee landscape.
Sourcing Plants Locally in TN
- Evaluate Nursery Inventory: Check if a garden center focuses on field-grown trees or greenhouse-grown annuals. Field-grown stock often acclimates better to local soil conditions.
- Prioritize Native Plant Expertise: Businesses like Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center emphasize native biology. Source stock from providers who prioritize species native to the Cumberland Plateau or the Ridge and Valley provinces.
- Check Rating and History: High-performing operations like JVI Secret Gardens or Bates Nursery and Garden Center have established reputations based on plant viability and customer service longevity.
- Assess Logistics: If you are a commercial landscaper, look for nurseries with established wholesale capacity near the Nashville or Knoxville corridors to minimize plant stress during transit.
- Seasonal Shopping: Visit nurseries during the early spring or late autumn months. This is when stock is fresh and the inventory reflects the current planting window for the state’s specific USDA zones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When is the best time to plant in Tennessee?
A: In Tennessee, the optimal planting windows are typically mid-spring, once the threat of the final frost has passed, and mid-autumn. Fall planting is particularly beneficial for trees and shrubs, as it allows root systems to establish in cooling soil temperatures before the onset of the next summer's heat and humidity. Always monitor local soil moisture levels during these transitions to ensure successful establishment.
Q: Why is planting native species recommended in Tennessee?
A: Native plants, such as purple coneflower or oak species, are genetically adapted to Tennessee's specific soil chemistry and climate cycles. They require fewer fertilizers and significantly less supplemental water than non-native cultivars. By choosing native species, you are actively supporting local pollinators and reducing the maintenance burden often associated with exotic plants that struggle in the state's heavy clay soils.
Q: How do I handle Tennessee's heavy clay soil?
A: Most Tennessee garden centers strongly recommend incorporating organic matter, such as compost or aged pine bark, into your soil before planting. This improves drainage and aeration, which is critical for preventing root rot during the state's wet spring seasons. For specific projects, consider building raised beds to bypass heavy native clay entirely, allowing for a custom-blended, well-draining soil medium for your perennials and vegetables.
Q: What is the primary difference between zone 6b and 8a in Tennessee?
A: The primary difference is the average annual extreme minimum temperature. Zone 6b, found in higher elevations like the Cumberland Plateau, experiences colder winters, often dipping down to -5 degrees Fahrenheit. Zone 8a, found further south or in protected urban pockets, rarely reaches those extremes. Nurseries categorize their inventory accordingly, ensuring that frost-sensitive tropicals are not marketed to growers in the colder mountainous regions of the state.
Q: Should I buy greenhouse-grown or field-grown plants?
A: Field-grown plants are often more resilient and acclimated to local environmental fluctuations, making them ideal for long-term landscapes. Greenhouse-grown plants offer higher aesthetic consistency and are excellent for immediate seasonal impact. For permanent landscape fixtures like trees, field-grown stock generally exhibits better root structure. However, always inspect the root ball for signs of circling or container constriction before purchasing any plant material from a nursery.
