Mountain Gardens

What Mountain Gardens does

Mountain Gardens is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit operating a botanical garden and plant nursery on approximately 2.8–3 acres at 3,500 feet elevation in Burnsville, North Carolina, at the foot of the Black Mountains adjacent to Pisgah National Forest. Founded in 1972 by Joe Hollis, who passed away in November 2023, the organization has cultivated what it describes as the largest collection of native Appalachian and Chinese medicinal herbs in the Eastern US, comprising more than 1,000 species of useful plants developed over 50+ years. The organization runs a self-serve Herbal Self-Help Center (open 24/7/365 to the public) stocking over 100 single-herb tinctures, several hundred dried Chinese herbs, and approximately 50 classic Chinese formula tinctures, supported by an on-site research library.

The business model is a hybrid of earned revenue and philanthropic support across five streams: mail-order and on-site sales of seeds ($4–$5/packet) and bare-root plants (from $3), herb shop sales of tinctures, dried herbs, and tonic preparations, sliding-scale educational workshops and plant walks ($25–$65), direct-to-restaurant sales of fresh wildfoods (sansai, ramps, wasabi leaves) to three local chefs in the Asheville/Western NC area, and tax-deductible donations via GoFundMe and direct mail. A seasonal apprenticeship program hosts 6–8 interns on-site from March through October, with the broader community of apprentices, alumni, partner herbalists, and chef customers functioning as an informal go-to-market network. The organization is currently in a rebuilding phase following a fire that destroyed the original library and herb shop and the founder's death; a documentary film, PARADISE, launched on Amazon Prime and Apple TV on January 14, 2025, providing new global visibility.

Mountain Gardens has no software or technology stack in the conventional sense — its core assets are the cultivated plant collection, the physical herb library, and the knowledge base developed over five decades. Distribution runs through its own website, on-site retail, mail order (via Gmail/PayPal workflow), the annual Asheville Herb Festival, Eventbrite/Zeffy ticketing, YouTube plant profile videos, a podcast series, and partner referrals from organizations such as Terra Sylva School of Botanical Medicine, Botany Everyday, and The WANDER School. International seed shipping is not currently available, and the organization does not disclose financial results.

Name

Mountain Gardens

Legal name

Mountain Gardens, Inc.

Website

https://mountaingardensherbs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mountain Gardens is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit botanical garden in Burnsville, North Carolina, cultivating the largest collection of native Appalachian and Chinese medicinal herbs in the Eastern US. It sells seeds, plants, and herbal preparations, runs workshops, and operates a self-serve apothecary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Garden & Herbal Apothecary

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Medicinal & Aromatic Plants (Herbs, Botanicals) Wildcrafting/Cultivation (AFAMAFAF)

Keywords

• Medicinal herbs
• Botanical garden
• Plant nursery
• Herbal education
• Ethnobotanicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Burnsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Seeds and Plant Sales: Seeds ($4–$5 per packet, typically 25–50+ seeds), bare-root plants (starting at $3), and potted nursery plants are sold by mail order and on-site. The organization also sells at the Asheville Herb Festival in spring. Larger quantities available for growers or retailers.
2. Herb and Preparation Sales: Fresh and dried herb material, tinctures, syrups, salves, lotions, liniments, and long-life tonic formulas (handmade in small batches) are sold through the on-site herb shop / apothecary. Specialty products like wasabi seed and dried mountain-grown Gynostemma tea are also sold.
3. Educational Workshops and Classes: All-day workshops, half-day classes, and plant walks are offered at Mountain Gardens for fees (e.g., $25 per person for plant walks, with discounts for students, local residents, and groups of 3+). Workshops cover topics including Chinese medicinal herbs, Appalachian medicinal herbs, wildfoods, perennial vegetables, plant identification, and wasabi cultivation.
4. Restaurant and Food Service Sales: Fresh spring wildfoods (sansai) including ramps, wasabi leaves, and other mountain vegetables are sold to local restaurants and chefs in the Asheville/Western NC area.
5. Donations and Grants: As a registered 501(c)3 educational nonprofit, Mountain Gardens raises funds through GoFundMe campaigns, direct mail donation appeals, and tax-deductible contributions to support the rebuilding after a devastating fire and ongoing organizational development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mountain Gardens is a 501(c)3 educational nonprofit operating a 3-acre botanical garden that grows, sells, and teaches about medicinal herbs, wild foods, perennial vegetables, and ethnobotanicals. It sells seeds, bare-root plants, fresh and dried herbs, tinctures, and handmade tonic formulas directly to consumers via mail order, on-site at the nursery and apothecary, and through the Asheville Herb Festival. It also offers fee-based workshops, plant walks, a seasonal apprentice program, and a unique self-serve Herbal Self-Help Center stocked with over 100 tinctures and hundreds of dried Chinese herbs.

Product overview

Mountain Gardens is a botanical garden and 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates as an educational center and plant nursery rather than a traditional software product company. The organization offers a portfolio of botanical and educational products and services centered around its Paradise Gardening philosophy. Core offerings include seeds and bare-root plants for sale (including rare medicinal herbs, wild foods, and perennial vegetables), a self-serve Herbal Self-Help Center with over 100 tinctures and a Chinese herb pharmacy, handmade Long Life Tonics, and educational workshops and plant walks. The organization also produces the PARADISE documentary film and hosts a podcast series. Products are available for purchase on-site, by mail order, and at the Asheville Herb Festival. The garden features the largest collection of native Appalachian and Chinese medicinal herbs in the Eastern US.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seeds Seed packets for medicinal herbs, wild foods, perennial vegetables, and ethnobotanicals, sold to home gardeners and herbalists. Packets contain 25-50+ seeds priced at $4-$5 each, with moist-stratified seed for select species and bulk quantities available for growers or retailers.
• Bare-Root Plants Bare-root plants shipped dormant for replanting, offering a low-cost alternative to potted nursery plants. Starting at $3 per plant, shipped via Priority Mail, with shipping typically under $2 per plant. Available by mail order and on-site.
• Specialty Plants and Crops Rare and hard-to-find medicinal and edible plants such as Gynostemma (jiao gu lan), Wasabi, Violet mustard, False unicorn root, Udo, Szechuan pepper, Codonopsis, bamboo shoots, Ramps, Fiddlehead fern, and Solomon's Seal. Mountain-grown Gynostemma dried herb is sold at $25/oz and Wasabi seed at $6 per 25 seeds or $35 per gram.
• Herbal Self-Help Center (Apothecary) On-site self-serve herbal medicine center offering over 100 single herb tinctures (mostly fresh garden or native herbs), several hundred dried Chinese herbs in bulk, approximately 50 classic Chinese formula tinctures, a reference library of western and Chinese herbalism texts, and compounding apparatus for personal formulas. Open to the public 24/7/365.
• Long Life Tonics and Herbal Preparations Handmade small-batch tonic formulas and herbal preparations in tincture, syrup, salve, lotion, and liniment form covering immunity, longevity, recovery, energy, stress, sleep, mood, cognition, and reproductive health. Sold on-site at the apothecary and through the herbal self-help center.
• Fresh and Dried Herb Material Fresh and dried medicinal herb material from organically grown or locally gathered Appalachian native and Chinese herbs, sold on-site at the apothecary and through the herbal self-help center.
• Workshops and Plant Walks Fee-based educational workshops (all-day and half-day) and recurring plant walks covering medicinal herb identification, cultivation, harvest, and preparation; Chinese herbal medicine; Appalachian medicinal herbs; wildfoods; perennial vegetables; adaptogens; and wasabi cultivation. Plant walks priced at $25/person with student, resident, and group discounts; workshops on sliding scale $45-$65 or $25+ with BIPOC scholarships.
• Apprenticeship Program Seasonal on-site apprenticeship program hosting 6-8 interns living at Mountain Gardens from March through October each year (plus 1-2 short-term visitors or WWOOFers), providing hands-on immersion in Paradise Gardening, medicinal herb cultivation, and self-sufficient living.
• Restaurant Wildfood Supply Direct supply of fresh spring wildfoods (sansai) including ramps, wasabi leaves, and other mountain vegetables to local restaurants and chefs in the Asheville/Western North Carolina area. Active relationship of approximately 30 years across three restaurants.
• New Food Crops Rare and novel food plant offerings spanning oriental vegetables and herbs (Violet mustard, Wasabi, Szechuan pepper, Codonopsis, bamboo shoots, Udo) and native Appalachian vegetables (Ramps, Fiddlehead fern, Solomon's Seal).

Quantifiable outcome

• Largest collection of native Appalachian and Chinese medicinal herbs in the Eastern US
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The WANDER SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 September 2024The WANDER School is a nonprofit herb school with a mission of Herbal Reparations, founded by Abby Artemisia. Mountain Gardens and The WANDER School co-host the 'Equinox Legacy Plant Walk', with proceeds benefiting both nonprofits. Abby Artemisia credits Joe Hollis and Mountain Gardens as a major inspiration for her journey to North Carolina.
• Botany Everyday (Marc Williams)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 August 2024Marc Williams is an ethnobiologist who runs the Botany Everyday educational website. He teaches workshops at Mountain Gardens including 'Food as Medicine' and 'Plant Family Patterns', covering plants and fungi as food and medicine, and their historical human interactions.
• Shunyu Huang (Wild Flavors Tea)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2024Shunyu Huang, an expert in traditional Chinese teas (white tea, Phoenix Dancong Oolong), hosts regular Chinese tea workshops at Mountain Gardens. She leads workshops on DānCóng Oolong Tea and other Chinese teas, with complementary garden tours of Mountain Gardens included.
• Terra Sylva School of Botanical MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 July 2024Terra Sylva School of Botanical Medicine is a nonprofit herbal school with a mission of environmentally and socially conscious herbalism. Its founders, Dave Meesters and Janet Kent, are Mountain Gardens board members and regularly co-teach workshops and plant walks at Mountain Gardens. They lead the Herbalist Plant Walk and other events, with all proceeds going to the Mountain Gardens transition fund.
• Local Restaurants (Asheville/Western NC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMountain Gardens has been supplying spring wildfoods and sansai (mountain vegetables) to three nearby restaurants in the Asheville/Western NC area for approximately 30 years. Restaurant chefs want everything the organization can bring them, representing a consistent revenue stream and a unique market position.
• Asheville Herb FestivalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMountain Gardens participates in the annual Asheville Herb Festival in the spring, where they sell plants to the regional public. The festival is a key channel for reaching local gardeners and herb enthusiasts face-to-face.

Scale indicators6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Strictly Medicinal Seeds: A retail nursery and seed company specializing in medicinal and culinary herbs, including many of the same species grown at Mountain Gardens. Operates a direct-to-consumer mail-order business with similar product categories (seeds, bare-root plants, tinctures) and overlapping customer base of herbalists and gardeners.
• Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine: An herbal education provider offering workshops, courses, and apprenticeship programs focused on medicinal herbs and sustainable wildcrafting. Competes for the same student demographic interested in hands-on herbal medicine training and shares a regional Appalachian focus.
• United Plant Savers: A nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and cultivation of native medicinal plants, particularly at-risk Appalachian species. Shares Mountain Gardens' mission of preserving medicinal plant genetic diversity through cultivation, education, and demonstration gardens.
• Horizon Herbs (now Strictly Medicinal Seeds sister brand): Historic Oregon-based medicinal herb seed company founded by Richo Cech, focusing on Chinese and Western medicinal herb cultivation. Highly comparable given Mountain Gardens' pioneering work growing Chinese herbs in America and the shared emphasis on seed sovereignty.
• Richters Herbs: A Canadian-based medicinal herb nursery and seed retailer offering herbs, seeds, books, and preparations. Highly comparable as a commercial-scale retail operation serving herbalists with similar product breadth, including rare medicinal species and value-added preparations.
• Terra Sylva School of Botanical Medicine: A nonprofit herbal school offering clinical herbalism training and community education. Already partners with Mountain Gardens but competes for the same herbalism student audience and shares overlapping mission around socially conscious plant medicine.

Broad incumbents

• New York Botanical Garden: A large public botanical garden operating demonstration gardens, educational programs, plant sales, and research facilities. Comparable as a botanical garden with public programming, though at much greater scale and with broader plant taxonomy scope rather than medicinal specialization.
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden: A major public botanical garden with extensive plant collections, educational programming, and community workshops. Shares Mountain Gardens' botanical garden identity and educational mission, though with broader horticultural focus and institutional funding.
• U.S. Botanic Garden: A federally operated public botanical garden with curated plant collections and educational programming. Comparable as a botanical garden operating demonstration gardens and visitor education, though with very different scale, funding model, and taxonomic breadth.

Emerging players

• The WANDER School: A nonprofit herb school founded by Abby Artemisia with a focus on 'Herbal Reparations' and community herbalism. Already partners with Mountain Gardens but is also a peer in the herbal education space, targeting overlapping student demographics with social-mission framing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/mountaingardens
• Facebookfacebook.com/MountainGardensHerbs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mountain-gardens

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Mountain Gardens