What Altman Plants does

Altman Plants (legal entity Altman Specialty Plants, LLC) is a family-owned commercial horticultural grower founded in 1975 in Vista, California. It self-describes as the largest commercial grower in the United States and the largest producer of succulents and cacti in the world, operating with 251–500 employees across multiple growing facilities. The company breeds, produces, and distributes ornamental plants across categories including succulents and cacti, annuals, perennials and shrubs, tropicals, houseplants, and proprietary roses.

Its commercial model is anchored by exclusive, branded retail partnerships with the three largest US home improvement chains: Oasis at Lowe's, Smart Planet at Home Depot, and Element at Walmart. Altman also sells direct to consumers via shopaltmanplants.com and to wholesale buyers via shopaltmanonline.com, and offers in-store merchandising and branded packaging services to retail partners. The company monetizes plant sales (hardware-style revenue), proprietary genetics and licensing (e.g., True Bloom Roses, Star Aloe, Forever Flowers, Oasis, Smart Planet, Element, Purple Princess, LoLite, Sunscape, Lone Star), and value-added merchandising/branding services.

On the technology and R&D side, Altman runs a proprietary plant-breeding program — including the True Bloom Roses line led by breeder Ping Lim since 2012 — generating over 30,000 crosses and 300,000 seeds annually and producing 50+ patented plant varieties (aloes, roses, bougainvillea, firebush, hibiscus). The company has recently begun modernizing its operational stack through an MCP-based connection to its ERP system in collaboration with Microsoft (announced 2026-03-20) and has integrated the Greg (Gregarious) AI-powered plant-care app into its online orders to provide post-purchase care guidance. A September 2023 network data breach, with notifications issued in September 2024, is a noted historical compliance and security event.

Name

Altman Plants

Legal name

Altman Specialty Plants, LLC

Website

https://altmanplants.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vista

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Plant Production and Sales: Wholesale and retail sale of ornamental plants including succulents, cacti, annuals, perennials, tropicals, houseplants, roses, and specialty varieties. Sold through major retail partners and direct e-commerce channels.
2. Proprietary Genetics and Licensing: Breeding and development of proprietary plant genetics including patented varieties like Star Aloe, True Bloom Roses, and other branded plant collections. Revenue from licensed varieties.
3. E-commerce and Merchandising Services: Direct-to-consumer plant sales through shopaltmanplants.com and wholesale portal shopaltmanonline.com. Also provides in-store merchandising programs and branded product development including packaging and point-of-purchase materials.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Altman Plants is the largest commercial horticultural grower in the United States and the world's largest producer of succulents and cacti. The company grows, breeds, and distributes ornamental plants — including succulents, cacti, annuals, perennials, tropicals, houseplants, and roses — through a portfolio of branded product lines sold via exclusive partnerships with Lowe's, Home Depot, and Walmart, and through direct-to-consumer and wholesale e-commerce portals.

Product overview

Altman Plants is the largest commercial horticultural grower in the United States, operating as a family-owned-and-operated business. The company offers an extensive portfolio of plant products organized across multiple retail brands (Forever Flowers®, Star Aloe®, Lone Star Growers, True Bloom Roses®, Purple Princess®, LoLite™, Oasis®, Smart Planet™, Element™, Sunscape®) sold through major retailers including Lowe's, Home Depot, and Walmart, along with broad product categories covering Succulents & Cacti, Annuals, Perennials & Shrubs, Tropicals, and Houseplants. The company also provides e-commerce, gifting & home décor, branded products, logistics, in-store merchandising programs, and breeding of proprietary genetics. A partnership with Greg app enables AI-powered personalized plant care guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Forever Flowers®: Exotic Australian flowers including Lecospermum, Leucadendron and Protea varieties
• Star Aloe®
• Lone Star Growers
• True Bloom Roses®
• Purple Princess®
• LoLite™
• Oasis®
• Smart Planet™
• Element™
• Sunscape®

Products and services

• Forever Flowers® Brand of exotic Australian flowers including Leucospermum, Leucadendron, and Protea varieties known for their long-lasting beauty, drought tolerance, and use in landscapes and cut flower arrangements, sold to retail partners and consumers.
• Star Aloe® Patented, exclusive aloe varieties developed by Altman Plants featuring exotic flare, toughness, ease of care, and ability to thrive in low light conditions for indoor and outdoor use.
• Lone Star Growers Plant collection specifically curated for Texas gardeners, featuring drought-tolerant varieties grown to thrive in Texas heat and challenging climates.
• True Bloom Roses® Revolutionary rose breeding program combining hybrid tea flowering roses with disease-resistant shrub roses; produces over 30,000 crosses and 300,000 seeds annually with varieties like True Love, True Passion, and True Gratitude.
• Purple Princess® Compact, easy-to-maintain bougainvillea variety that blooms year-round with prolific magenta flowers, ideal for outdoor decorative containers and trellises.
• LoLite™ Drought-tolerant houseplants designed for low-light environments with small, geometric pot shapes, artsy designs, and unique textures including Sansevieria, Gasteria, and Haworthia varieties.
• Oasis® Water-efficient garden brand featuring drought-tolerant succulents, perennials, and cacti bred and grown for minimal maintenance and water usage; exclusively available at Lowe's.
• Smart Planet™ Drought-tolerant succulents and perennials designed for easier care and environmental mindfulness; includes Smart Planet Home extension for indoor decor with design-driven pots; exclusively available at The Home Depot.
• Element™ Succulent brand offering drought-tolerant, easy-to-maintain species and hybrids for experienced gardeners and first-time plant parents; exclusively available at Walmart.
• Sunscape® Vibrant hibiscus hybrids along with hand-selected canna lily and bromeliad varieties bringing tropical paradise styling to backyards with splashy, vibrant hues and glossy green foliage.
• Succulents & Cacti As the largest producer of succulents and cacti in the world, Altman Plants offers a vast collection of unique, drought-tolerant, easy-care varieties with industry-leading innovation and breeding.
• Annuals Colorful, vibrant annuals trialed and tested for garden performance delivering dependable blooms for gardens, patio pots, and hanging baskets.
• Perennials & Shrubs Perennial plants selected for best-in-class traits and excellent garden performance.
• Tropicals Tropical plants grown and bred through first-in-class breeding programs or hand-selected from around the world to transform backyards into tropical paradises.
• Houseplants Trend-forward, low-maintenance houseplants suitable for first-time plant parents or seasoned green thumbs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300,000 seeds generated annually from over 30,000 crosses in rose breeding program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or Integration · 20 March 2026Altman Plants has implemented an MCP (Model Context Protocol) connection to its ERP system to resolve transaction errors, identify common error patterns, and analyze transaction volume per retail store customer. This validates MCP's enterprise applicability for automating ERP workflows.
• Greg (Gregarious)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Greg plant care mobile app to provide personalized at-home plant care guidance. Greg uses AI and plant science to offer tailored watering schedules and care tips based on hyperlocal weather, soil, and sunlight conditions. Greg comes included in every online order box.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Costa Farms: One of the largest horticultural growers in North America producing ornamental plants, houseplants, and annuals for mass-market retailers. Closely comparable to Altman as a large-scale grower serving the same big-box garden center channel with a similar product mix including succulents, tropicals, and houseplants.
• Monrovia Nursery Company: Premium branded nursery plant grower selling proprietary genetics of shrubs, perennials, and trees through garden centers and retailers across the US. Highly comparable to Altman on branded genetics, nursery production scale, and exclusive retail programs.
• Proven Winners: Cooperative plant brand marketing premium annuals, perennials, and shrubs through a network of growers to garden centers and big-box retailers. Comparable to Altman's branded, multi-grower genetics approach with similar retail partnerships.
• Bailey Nurseries: Large US wholesale nursery producing shrubs, perennials, and roses for the landscape and retail trade. Comparable scale of nursery operations and comparable rose breeding/genetics programs to Altman's True Bloom line.
• Star Roses and Plants (Conard-Pyle): Wholesale nursery specializing in branded roses, perennials, and shrubs sold to garden centers and retailers. Directly comparable to Altman on proprietary rose genetics and branded retail programs (e.g., The Knock Out Rose line).
• Kurt Weiss Greenhouses: Large-scale greenhouse grower of annuals, perennials, and indoor flowering plants serving major US retailers. Comparable on mass-market supply relationships, greenhouse production scale, and ornamental plant category mix.
• Metrolina Greenhouses: One of the largest single-site greenhouse operations in the US, producing annuals and perennials for mass-market retailers. Directly comparable in scale, category, and big-box retail customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Dümmen Orange: Global leader in floricultural breeding and propagation of ornamentals (annuals, perennials, potted plants). Comparable on the breeding/genetics and licensing business model, with broader global reach and deeper R&D scale than Altman.
• Ball Horticultural Company: Major global horticultural breeder and distributor supplying growers and retailers worldwide. Comparable on the breeder-distributor model and branded genetics, though substantially larger and more international than Altman.
• Syngenta Flowers: Global breeder and producer of flower and ornamental seeds and cuttings. Comparable on the genetics/breeding IP model and supply into the ornamental plant value chain, though Syngenta operates at far greater scale and scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/altmanplants
• Facebookfacebook.com/AltmanPlants
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/altman-plants
• Instagraminstagram.com/altmanplants
• Pinterestpinterest.com/altmanplants

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Altman Plants