Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc.

What Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. does

Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned wholesale propagation nursery founded in 1981 and headquartered in Grand Haven, Michigan. The company produces and sells wholesale shrub liners (young plant starts) in 2 1/4" plug, 4", Quick Turn, and Bare Root formats to commercial nursery growers, landscape professionals, and independent garden centers. Spring Meadow manages a catalog of more than 400 plant varieties spanning flowering shrubs, evergreens, ornamental trees, roses, and edible ornamentals, with varieties tested across USDA Zones 2-11 before commercial release.

The company's core technology is proprietary plant genetics and a multi-year breeding and trialing program (Spring Meadow Genetics and Plant Trials & Testing) combined with an external breeder network that includes international rose, barberry, boxwood, camellia, weigela, crabapple, and blackberry breeders, as well as university researchers. Notable product lines include OSO EASY and REMINISCENT roses, FLAVORETTE edible roses, SUNJOY barberries, SONIC BLOOM weigelas, LOW SCAPE MOUND aronia, JUST CHILL camellias, and SPRINTER and NEATBALL boxwoods. Spring Meadow holds a master trademark and patent portfolio covering Proven Winners ColorChoice and related brands, and IP for specific varieties.

Spring Meadow's go-to-market is wholesale B2B through direct account managers and a licensed grower network, with retail demand generated through branded programs (Proven Winners ColorChoice, Proven Winners Trees, NewGen Boxwood, Hollywood Hibiscus, Decked Out, In Check, Flavor Fest) marketed to independent garden centers and landscape professionals. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company operates from a Grand Haven, Michigan headquarters plus a nearby shipping and receiving facility, has 51-100 employees, and serves North America. No public ticker, parent company, M&A activity, or funding rounds are disclosed.

Name

Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc.

Legal name

Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc.

Website

https://springmeadownursery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Spring Meadow Nursery is a family-owned wholesale propagation nursery founded in 1981 in Grand Haven, Michigan, producing 400+ proprietary shrub, rose, and ornamental tree liner varieties for commercial nursery growers, independent garden centers, and landscape professionals under the Proven Winners ColorChoice brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Nursery Liners

NAICS

Nursery and Tree Production (111421), Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150)

akta.pro primary industry

Nursery Production (Woody Ornamentals: Trees, Shrubs, Roses) (AFAGAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nursery Stock & Propagule Production (Cuttings, Rootstocks, Grafts) (AFAGAIAO), Landscape Plant & Nursery Stock Wholesalers (Grower-Wholesalers) (AFAGAHAM), Plant Breeding & Variety Development (Conventional) (AFAGAIAF), Tree Nursery Stock Production (Seedlings, Saplings, Clonal Material) (AFAMACAA)

Keywords

• Wholesale shrub liners
• Flowering shrub genetics
• Nursery propagation wholesale
• Ornamental plant breeding
• Liner plant production

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Haven

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Shrub Liners: Spring Meadow Nursery generates revenue by producing and selling wholesale nursery liners (young plant starts) to commercial growers. They offer plug liners and liners in various sizes (2 1/4", 4", Quick Turn). Their products are sold under branded programs including Proven Winners ColorChoice, Proven Winners Trees, and other specialty programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Spring Meadow Nursery is a wholesale propagation nursery that produces and sells flowering shrub and evergreen liners (young plant starts) to commercial nursery growers across North America. Its product range spans more than 400 proprietary and branded varieties, sold in multiple liner sizes (2 1/4", 4", Quick Turn, and Bare Root) under flagship programs including Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs, Proven Winners Trees, and NewGen Boxwood. The company develops its own plant genetics through internal breeding and exclusive breeder partnerships, and supplies commercial growers who finish and resell the liners through garden centers and landscape channels.

Product overview

Spring Meadow Nursery is a family-owned wholesale shrub liner nursery founded in 1981, providing commercial growers with over 400 varieties of flowering shrub and evergreen liners. The company operates under multiple branded programs including Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs and Proven Winners Trees, offering patented and trademarked plant varieties through wholesale distribution. Core offerings include liner sizes ranging from 2 1/4" plugs to Quick Turn and Bare Root options. Key product lines span roses (OSO EASY, REMINISCENT, FLAVORETTE), weigelas (SONIC BLOOM, WINE & ROSES), barberries (SUNJOY series), boxwoods (SPRINTER, NEATBALL), and specialty shrubs like LOW SCAPE MOUND Aronia and JUST CHILL Camellias. The company also manages branded retail programs including NewGen Boxwood, Hollywood Hibiscus, and Deer Proof plant collections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Proven Winners ColorChoice: A branded program featuring flowering shrubs sold through independent garden centers and landscape professionals.
• Proven Winners Trees
• NewGen Boxwood

Products and services

• Shrub Liners Wholesale nursery plugs and liners for commercial growers, available in multiple sizes including 2 1/4" pots, 4" pots, Quick Turn, and Bare Root options, providing consistent young-plant starting stock across Spring Meadow's full genetics range.
• Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs Flagship branded retail program featuring flowering shrubs including hydrangeas, roses, weigelas, and other ornamental plants sold through independent garden centers, marketed under the Proven Winners ColorChoice consumer brand.
• Proven Winners Trees Ornamental tree program featuring crabapples, hawthorns, cherries, and other landscape trees distributed through licensed tree growers under the Proven Winners brand.
• NewGen Boxwood Strategic partnership program offering advanced boxwood varieties bred for improved disease resistance (including boxwood blight) and reliable landscape performance, distributed through garden centers for spring planting.
• OSO EASY Roses Disease-resistant landscape rose series with continuous blooming varieties including Oso Easy Italian Ice, Oso Easy Ice Bay, and Oso Easy Mango Salsa, developed in partnership with Pheno Geno Roses.
• REMINISCENT Roses Garden rose series including Reminiscent Pink, Reminiscent Yellow, and Reminiscent Coral, bred for full-petaled flowers resembling old-fashioned roses.
• FLAVORETTE Edible Roses Culinary rose series selected for edible use in sweets, salads, and infusions, including Honey-Apricot and Pear'd varieties selected for fruity flavors suitable for cooking and beverages.
• SONIC BLOOM Weigela Reblooming weigela series with extended flowering periods across varieties including Sonic Bloom Pink, Sonic Bloom Red, Sonic Bloom Punch, and Sonic Bloom Wine.
• SUNJOY Barberry Barberry series with colorful foliage spanning Sunjoy Citrus, Sunjoy Neo, Sunjoy Mini Maroon, Sunjoy Mini Saffron, Sunjoy Gold Pillar, Sunjoy Tangelo, Sunjoy Fast Neo, Sunjoy Really Red, and Sunjoy Todo varieties developed with NCSU breeder Dr. Tom Ranney.
• LOW SCAPE MOUND Aronia Dwarf black chokeberry selection with dark glossy foliage, white spring flowers, black summer fruit, and intense red autumn foliage, named 2019 Landscape Shrub of the Year and recipient of the Boskoop Royal Horticultural Society Silver Medal.
• JUST CHILL Camellia Fall-blooming camellia series including Double Mauve, Double Pink, Double White, and Red Tip varieties with evergreen foliage and winter flowering periods developed with breeder Mike Farrow.
• JAZZ HANDS Loropetalum Chinese fringe flower series including Variegated (Irodori), Pink, Bold, and Mini varieties with colorful foliage and pink fringe-like flowers developed with Japanese breeder Yuji Suzuki.
• SPRINTER Boxwood Fast-growing Japanese boxwood with glossy evergreen foliage that holds up well to winter weather, an improved form of Winter Gem with disease resistance including resistance to boxwood blight.
• NEATBALL Boxwood Dense, globe-like boxwood that maintains deep green foliage throughout winter without bronzing, an improved version of Green Velvet boxwood.
• CRUSADER Hawthorn Thornless native hawthorn with white spring flowers, attractive silver bark, colorful fall foliage, and showy fruit, tolerating wet, dry, clay, and salt site conditions.
• LOLLIPOP Crabapple Truly dwarf crabapple with fragrant white spring flowers, tiny red fruits, and a neat rounded canopy on a sturdy trunk, developed with breeder Jim Zampini.
• Plant Finder Catalog Online searchable catalog of more than 400 plant varieties including shrubs, trees, evergreens, and roses, with detailed information on USDA hardiness zones, exposure, features, retail programs, and care requirements.
• Digital Catalog Online digital publication providing searchable access to current plant offerings, new releases, and trade catalog information for commercial growers and licensee accounts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ varieties available including shrubs, evergreens, trees, roses, and ornamental plants
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Proven Winners ColorChoicecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFlagship branded retail program partnership. Spring Meadow Nursery serves as a key supplier of liners for the Proven Winners ColorChoice brand of flowering shrubs. The program provides marketing support, consumer demand generation, and brand recognition for member growers selling to garden centers and landscapes.
• NewGen BoxwoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for development and distribution of NewGen Boxwood varieties - an improved boxwood program addressing disease concerns in the horticulture industry.
• Pheno Geno RosesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSerbian rose breeding company responsible for developing Oso Easy rose varieties and other rose cultivars distributed through Spring Meadow's Proven Winners programs.
• Chris Warner (Rose Breeder)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent rose breeder from Shropshire, England who developed Suñorita Rose (2022 Rose of the Year) and other varieties for the Proven Winners program.
• Dr. John R. ClarkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity researcher and blackberry breeder who developed Taste of Heaven blackberry (Rubus 'Ponca'), described as the sweetest, most flavorful blackberry on the market per HortScience journal verification.
• Dr. Tom Ranney (NCSU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlant breeder at North Carolina State University who developed multiple Sunjoy barberry varieties including Sunjoy Todo (sterile, non-invasive), Sunjoy Neo, Sunjoy Mini Maroon, Sunjoy Really Red, and Sunjoy Fast Neo.
• Dr. Mark Brand (University of Connecticut)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Connecticut researcher who developed Low Scape Mound Aronia, described as a potential 'perfect landscape plant' with versatile habit, three-season interest, and native status.
• Megan MatheyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlant breeder from Grand Haven, Michigan who developed Wine & Spirits Weigela variety - an update on the classic Wine & Roses weigela with more dramatic dark foliage.
• Tom CarruthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRose breeder from Kern County, California who developed Julia Child Rose - an All-American Rose Selection chosen by its namesake for buttery gold color and licorice candy fragrance.
• Jim ZampinimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTree breeder from Madison, Ohio who developed Lollipop Crabapple - a truly dwarf Malus variety with fragrant white flowers and neat rounded form.
• Yuji SuzukiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese plant breeder who developed Jazz Hands Variegated Loropetalum (Irodori) - the first-ever variegated Chinese fringe flower with pink and white new growth maturing to deep purple.
• Lucjan KurowskiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolish plant breeder who developed Sunjoy Gold Pillar Barberry - a unique columnar golden barberry with burn resistance proven in RHS trials.
• Mike FarrowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaryland-based breeder who developed Just Chill Red Tip Camellia with burgundy-red new foliage and soft pink autumn blooms.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bailey Nurseries: Family-owned wholesale nursery based in Minnesota producing branded shrub liners (First Editions, Endless Summer hydrangeas) for commercial growers. Closest comparable in scale, business model, and brand-licensed wholesale nursery positioning to Spring Meadow.
• Star Roses and Plants: Wholesale nursery breeding and licensing branded roses, shrubs, and woody plants (The Knock Out Family of Roses, Drift Roses). Directly comparable as a wholesale shrub and rose genetics supplier serving commercial growers and garden centers.
• Monrovia Nursery Company: Wholesale grower of premium branded container plants sold through independent garden centers and landscape professionals. Comparable as a wholesale nursery with proprietary genetics, branded programs, and a focus on superior landscape performance.
• Greenleaf Nursery Company: Wholesale container nursery producing shrubs, trees, and ornamentals for garden centers and landscape contractors. Comparable as a wholesale nursery liner and finished plant supplier serving the same commercial grower and garden center channel.
• Walters Gardens: Wholesale perennial liner producer based in Michigan, supplying starter plants to commercial growers nationwide. Comparable in wholesale propagation model and Michigan production geography, though focused on perennials rather than woody shrubs.

Broad incumbents

• Four Star Greenhouse: Lead grower partner and operational backbone of the Proven Winners annuals program, alongside Spring Meadow's role in the Proven Winners ColorChoice shrub program. Comparable as a co-member of the Proven Winners cooperative system serving the same garden center channel.
• Dümmen Orange: Global leader in ornamental plant breeding and propagation with broad portfolio across roses, potted plants, and perennials. Comparable as a large-scale ornamental plant genetics company with proprietary breeding serving wholesale growers.

Emerging players

• Anthony Tesselaar Plants: Plant marketing and licensing company developing branded programs (Flower Carpet roses, Bonfire begonias). Comparable business model of building branded plant programs for retail distribution through licensed growers.
• Plant Development Services: Licensing and marketing company behind branded programs such as Encore Azalea, Southern Living Plant Collection, and Sunset Plant Collection. Comparable as a branded plant program developer working with licensed growers for retail distribution.
• David Austin Roses: English rose breeder and wholesale/retail supplier of branded shrub roses. Comparable as a branded shrub rose program with proprietary genetics distributed through wholesale grower and garden center channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spring_meadow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc.