Connon Nurseries

What Connon Nurseries does

Connon Nurseries is a family-owned Canadian horticultural supplier headquartered in Waterdown, Ontario, producing and distributing ornamental plants to both trade professionals and consumers across Ontario. Founded in 1906 by Scottish immigrant John Connon and now in its fourth generation under the Vanderkruk family (Rob Vanderkruk, President), the company operates 400+ acres of container-production farmland in Waterdown plus a 20+ acre Newmarket site, growing over 2,500 varieties of trees, shrubs, evergreens, perennials, ornamental grasses, water plants, and complementary annuals, tropicals, and houseplants. Vertical integration covers propagation, processing, potting, and shipping with in-house farm managers across multiple production blocks.

The company's go-to-market is bifurcated: an enterprise field-sales motion to landscape contractors, cities/municipalities, and garden centres through approved Trade Professional accounts (special wholesale pricing, plant list quoting, on-site selection with clients, and dedicated delivery fleet), and a direct-to-consumer motion through three trade sales yards (Waterdown, Newmarket/King, Trenton) and The Branch, a small-format mall-based retail concept launched in 2025 across roughly 7-8 locations in Ancaster, Belleville, Burlington, Caledonia, Hamilton, Oakville, Richmond Hill, and Vaughan. Pricing is segmented: trade-only wholesale and retail List pricing via the Connon App (products.connon.ca), with clearance pricing at The Branch outlets. The catalog and ordering interface sit on the Connon App web platform, supported by content marketing, a Saturday indoor market at Waterdown, and Walk + Talk educational events.

The revenue model is straightforward transactional plant and garden-product sales (one-time purchase, no disclosed subscription, licensing, or recurring revenue streams). The company employs 200+ full-time and seasonal staff, holds a CNLA Garden Centre of Distinction 2026 Award, operates no disclosed API or integration platform, and reports no funding rounds, acquisitions, or institutional ownership — Connon Nurseries Inc. remains a privately held Canadian corporation serving Ontario's GTA and Eastern Ontario.

Name

Connon Nurseries

Legal name

Connon Nurseries Inc.

Website

https://connon.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Connon Nurseries is a fourth-generation Canadian horticultural grower and retailer in Waterdown, Ontario, producing 2,500+ plant varieties across 400+ acres and serving Ontario's landscape trade professionals, municipalities, garden centres, and home gardeners through sales yards, The Branch retail locations, and the Connon App.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale & Retail Nursery Plants

NAICS

Nursery and Tree Production (111421), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (44424)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Plant & Nursery Stock Wholesalers (Grower-Wholesalers) (AFAGAHAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nursery Production (Woody Ornamentals: Trees, Shrubs, Roses) (AFAGAHAF), Irrigation, Hoses & Watering Systems Retail (CRAIAIAD)

Keywords

• Wholesale nursery stock
• Landscape plant supply
• Container grown plants
• Retail garden centre
• Tree and shrub production

Headquarters

HQ city

Waterdown

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Plant Sales: Supplying trees, shrubs, perennials, and other nursery stock to landscape contractors, cities, municipalities, and garden centres at wholesale/trade pricing through approved trade accounts.
2. Retail Plant Sales: Direct sales to home gardeners through sales yards, The Branch retail locations, and the Connon App at retail pricing.
3. Garden Products: Sales of hard goods, garden products, annuals, tropicals, houseplants, and seasonal plants to complement plant offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Connon Nurseries grows, produces, and sells over 2,500 varieties of nursery plants including container-grown flowering shrubs, trees, evergreens, perennials, ornamental grasses, and water plants on more than 400 acres in Waterdown, Ontario. The company serves landscape contractors, cities, municipalities, and garden centres through a wholesale Trade Professional Program with approved accounts and competitive pricing, and serves home gardeners through retail sales yards and The Branch plant centres across Ontario.

Product overview

Connon Nurseries operates the Connon App (products.connon.ca), a web-based plant catalog and sales platform, alongside three physical sales yards (Waterdown, Newmarket/King, and Trenton) and seven The Branch retail plant centres across Ontario. The company produces over 2,500 varieties of nursery plants across 400+ acres in Waterdown, Ontario, and sells both retail and wholesale through trade accounts. The Connon App enables customers to browse plants, check availability, create lists, and request quotes, with ordering fulfilled via direct sales team contact. The product portfolio spans nursery plants (trees, shrubs, evergreens, perennials, broadleafs, fruits, grasses, groundcovers, vines, roses), seasonal annuals and tropicals, houseplants, garden products, and digital gift cards, supported by planting services, weekend markets, and trade professional account programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Branch by Connon Nurseries: Smaller plant centre retail locations in mall settings offering plants and garden products at discounted clearance pricing, with seven locations across Ontario including Ancaster (Meadowlands Centre), Belleville (Quinte Mall), Burlington (Woodview Centre), Caledonia (Hwy 6), Hamilton (Lime Ridge Mall), Oakville (Trafalgar Ridge), and Richmond Hill (Hillcrest Mall).

Products and services

• Nursery Plants Trees, shrubs, evergreens, perennials, ornamental grasses, and other nursery stock sold at retail and wholesale pricing, available for pickup or delivery from Connon Nurseries' three sales yards across Ontario. Includes over 2,500 varieties grown on 400+ acres.
• Trade Professional / Wholesale Program Approved in-house Trade Accounts providing landscape contractors, cities, municipalities, and garden centres with competitive wholesale pricing on all nursery stock and discounted pricing on annuals, tropicals, houseplants, and seasonal plants. Includes access to dedicated sales yards, expert sales team quoting, and delivery fleet.
• The Branch by Connon Nurseries Retail plant centres located in mall and shopping centre settings across Ontario (Ancaster, Belleville, Burlington, Caledonia, Hamilton, Oakville, Richmond Hill), offering plants and garden products at discounted clearance pricing. Trade Professional pricing is also valid at all Branch locations.
• Connon App (products.connon.ca)

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bylands Nurseries: Western Canadian wholesale nursery producing trees, shrubs, and perennials for landscape professionals and garden centres. Comparable grower-wholesaler model focused on B2B trade customers across a wide Canadian geography.
• Canadale Nurseries: Ontario-based wholesale and retail nursery producing landscape plants, perennials, and trees. Closely comparable grower-retailer model with trade and consumer customer bases in Southern Ontario.
• Sheridan Nurseries: Established Ontario nursery and garden centre chain serving both landscape trade professionals and home gardeners with multiple retail locations across the GTA. Directly comparable in customer segmentation, geography, and product mix (trees, shrubs, perennials).
• Jeffries Nurseries: Manitoba-based wholesale nursery producing container and field-grown trees, shrubs, and perennials for landscape professionals. Comparable grower-wholesaler serving Canadian trade customers.
• Mori Gardens: Ontario-based nursery offering trees, shrubs, perennials, and garden products to both trade professionals and consumers. Comparable diversified retail/wholesale model in Southern Ontario.
• TERRA Greenhouses: Ontario-based garden centre chain operating multiple retail locations across the GTA and surrounding regions. Comparable retail garden centre model serving home gardeners with plants and garden products.
• Hollandia Nurseries: Ontario-based wholesale nursery specializing in nursery stock for landscape professionals. Comparable trade-focused grower in the Ontario horticulture market.
• J.C. Bakker & Sons: Ontario-based wholesale nursery specializing in trees, shrubs, and perennials for landscape contractors and garden centres. Comparable wholesale grower serving the Canadian trade market.
• Vandermeer Nurseries: Ontario-based wholesale nursery supplying landscape contractors with perennials, shrubs, and trees. Comparable trade-focused wholesale grower model in the same regional market as Connon.

Emerging players

• Centre Garden: Canadian garden centre and nursery operator with retail locations in Western Canada. Comparable retail garden centre concept serving consumers with plants and garden products, though geographically distinct.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Connon-Nurseries-CBV-Holdings/600998709928161
• Instagraminstagram.com/connonnurseries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Connon Nurseries