Midwest Groundcovers
Midwest Groundcovers is a family-owned wholesale nursery producing over 20 million container plants annually across 700+ acres, serving landscape contractors, re-wholesalers, and garden centers across a 12-plus-state Midwest territory on a wholesale-only basis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersSaint Charles, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Midwest Groundcovers does
Midwest Groundcovers LLC is a privately held, family-owned wholesale nursery founded in 1969 by Peter and Irma Orum in St. Charles, Illinois. The company propagates, grows, and distributes container nursery stock—groundcovers, native plants, perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs, evergreens, roses, conifers, vines, and small trees—producing over 20 million units annually across more than 700 acres at five production sites in St. Charles and Virgil, Illinois, and Glenn/Fennville, Michigan. It operates strictly on a wholesale-only basis (not open to the public), serving landscape contractors, re-wholesalers, garden centers, and landscape architects across a 12-plus-state Midwest territory (IL, WI, MN, IA, NE, SD, ND, MO, KS, IN, MI, OH, KY, CO).
The business is a horticultural manufacturer rather than a technology platform, with operational differentiation built on sustainable growing infrastructure: roughly 20 retention ponds storing over 83 million gallons of captured stormwater and irrigation runoff, variable-frequency-drive pump stations with fertilizer injectors, nearly 300 solar panels (150 installed in 2012, 132 added in 2019), wood-burning stove and log-boiler heating systems for growing shelters, a six-principle Integrated Pest Management program, and poly-sheeting recycling. Product is organized under proprietary brands including Hocus Pocus Groundcovers (85+ varieties), Natural Garden Natives (local-ecotype natives sourced within 90 miles of St. Charles), American Beauties Native Plants, and the Midwest Solutions program of salt-tolerant/drought-tolerant collections and planting-calculator tools. Orders are placed through a Sana Commerce-powered webstore.
Revenue is generated through transactional wholesale plant sales, with pricing disclosed only to logged-in wholesale customers. The company operates an Earned Volume Discount (EVD) program offering tiered discounts from 4% (annual purchases of $13,000–$24,999) up to 20% ($375,000+), with terms of net cash or 2%/10 net 30 for established credit accounts. Go-to-market is sales-led through outside, inside, and independent sales representatives with dedicated account and territory managers, supplemented by a direct U-PICK Yard self-service model, company fleet and same-day Zone 1 delivery, Michigan order pickup, and a network of 50+ partner garden centers reselling branded lines. An affiliated entity, Midwest Trading Inc., supplies non-plant growing and landscape products within the broader Midwest Family of Companies.
Midwest Groundcovers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Midwest Groundcovers
- Legal name
- Midwest Groundcovers LLC
- Website
- https://midwestgroundcovers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Midwest Groundcovers is a family-owned wholesale nursery producing over 20 million container plants annually across 700+ acres, serving landscape contractors, re-wholesalers, and garden centers across a 12-plus-state Midwest territory on a wholesale-only basis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Midwest Groundcovers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Nursery Stock
- NAICS
- Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Nursery and Tree Production (111421)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Landscape Plant & Nursery Stock Wholesalers (Grower-Wholesalers) (AFAGAHAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sod, Turfgrass & Groundcover Production (AFAGAHAL)
Keywords
Where Midwest Groundcovers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Charles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Midwest Groundcovers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wholesale Plant Sales: Midwest Groundcovers generates revenue through wholesale nursery stock sales of container plants including groundcovers, native plants, perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs, vines, and trees. Operates on wholesale-only basis with no retail sales. Revenue based on plant quantities and sizes sold to landscape contractors, re-wholesalers, and garden centers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Annual | Earned Volume Discount (EVD) tiered by annual purchase volume |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Midwest Groundcovers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Midwest Groundcovers is a wholesale nursery that grows and distributes container-grown plants across more than 700 acres of production facilities in Illinois and Michigan. It propagates, cultivates, and sells groundcovers, perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs, evergreens, vines, and native prairie, wetland, and woodland species to landscape professionals, re-wholesalers, and garden centers. Operations include five nursery production facilities, branded plant lines (Hocus Pocus Groundcovers, Natural Garden Natives, American Beauties Native Plants, Midwest Solutions), and supporting services such as U-PICK yard, same-day delivery, and customer pickup.
Product overview
Midwest Groundcovers is a wholesale nursery company operating over 700 acres of production facilities across five locations in Illinois and Michigan. While not a technology platform, the company offers a portfolio of branded plant products and services. Their core offerings include wholesale container nursery stock across multiple categories (groundcovers, perennials, shrubs, natives), supported by branded sub-brands Hocus Pocus Groundcovers® (85+ groundcover varieties) and Natural Garden Natives® (240+ native species). Additional services include U-PICK Yard self-service pickup, same-day delivery for Zone 1 customers, and Midwest Solutions® planting guidance tools. The company sells exclusively to landscape professionals, garden centers, and re-wholesalers through their Sana Commerce-powered webstore.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hocus Pocus Groundcovers: A branded collection of over 85 unique ground cover plants that offer solutions to challenging landscape locations and conditions. All plants come in a pint-sized pot with a color stick label.
- Natural Garden Natives
Quantifiable outcome
- Native plant sales increased 36.2% from 825,864 units in 2011 to 1,124,824 units in 2021
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Midwest Groundcovers
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Midwest Groundcovers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Midwest Groundcovers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Heinz Brothers Greenhouse Garden CentercorePartner garden center in St. Charles, IL providing retail access to Midwest Groundcovers plants including Hocus Pocus Groundcovers and Natural Garden Natives brands. 2010 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL 60174.
- Platt Hill Nursery Inc.corePartner garden center with two locations (Carpentersville and Bloomingdale, IL) carrying Midwest Groundcovers plant brands. Represents Midwest plants to retail consumers.
- Wasco NurserycorePartner garden center in St. Charles, IL providing retail consumer access to Midwest Groundcovers plants and branded collections.
- Christy Webber Farm & GardencoreChicagoland garden center representing Midwest Groundcovers plants to retail consumers and landscape professionals.
- ChaletcoreNorthern suburbs garden center in Wilmette, IL carrying Midwest Groundcovers branded plant collections.
- Izel Native PlantsminorOnline sales partner offering Midwest Groundcovers native plants through Izel's e-commerce platform.
- Chicago Botanic GardencoreConservation partner for invasive species assessment and determination of appropriate course of action. Collaborates on environmental and native plant initiatives.
- The Morton ArboretumcoreRespected authority partner for assessing invasive species and conservation initiatives. Provides research-based guidance for responsible plant selection.
- Chicago WildernesscoreRegional conservation organization partner for invasive species management and native plant conservation efforts.
- Midwest Invasive Plant Network (MIPN)minorPartner organization for invasive species education and management in the Midwest region.
- Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership (NIIPP)minorRegional partner for invasive plant species control and management initiatives.
- The Conservation FoundationminorConservation partner supporting community initiatives and native plant education efforts.
- 30+ Industry and Community OrganizationscoreActive membership and leadership participation in 30+ industry and community organizations. 20% of full-time staff serve as directors or committee members of industry organizations.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Midwest Groundcovers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bailey Nurseries: One of the largest wholesale nurseries in North America, headquartered in Minnesota. Operates multi-state production of shrubs, perennials, and branded plant lines (Endless Summer hydrangeas), directly comparable to Midwest Groundcovers' wholesale grower model and Midwest regional focus.
- Monrovia Nursery Company: Major U.S. wholesale nursery (acquired by fungo, Blackstone Capital) producing branded container plants across multiple regions. Competes with Midwest in branded plant programs, sustainability positioning, and landscape-contractor channel sales.
- Spring Meadow Nursery: Michigan-based wholesale shrub and liner producer, founder of the Proven Winners ColorChoice brand. Directly comparable as a Midwest-located wholesale nursery selling branded flowering shrubs and ornamentals into the landscape trade.
- Star Roses and Plants (Conard-Pyle): Pennsylvania-based wholesale nursery producing branded roses, perennials, and woody plants for the green industry. Comparable to Midwest Groundcovers in container production, branded genetics, and wholesale-only GTM.
- Proven Winners: Marketing cooperative of wholesale plant breeders/growers selling branded annuals, perennials, and shrubs through garden centers. Directly competes with Hocus Pocus, Natural Garden Natives, and American Beauties branded plant programs in the same retail-garden-center channel.
- Greenleaf Nursery Company: Oklahoma-based wholesale nursery operating multiple production facilities serving landscape and re-wholesale channels. Comparable to Midwest in scale, multi-site container production, and wholesale grower model.
- Prides Corner Farms: Connecticut-based wholesale nursery growing container perennials, shrubs, and nursery stock for landscape professionals across the Northeast. Direct comparability in container production, landscape-contractor focus, and proprietary branded genetics.
Emerging players
- Emerald Coast Growers: Florida-based wholesale perennial and ornamental grass plug/liner producer. Strong overlap in perennial and grass categories with Midwest Groundcovers' Midwest Solutions and Natural Garden Natives product lines.
- Hoffman Nursery: North Carolina-based wholesale nursery specializing in ornamental and native grasses with an emphasis on sustainable production. Comparable in ornamental grasses, native plant production, and wholesale-only distribution.
Regional players
- McKay Nursery Company: Wisconsin-based wholesale nursery producing container and field-grown nursery stock, historically comparable in scale and product categories. Competes with Midwest in the upper-Midwest landscape and garden center channel.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Midwest Groundcovers social profiles
Digital presenceMidwest Groundcovers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Midwest Groundcovers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Midwest Groundcovers subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Midwest Groundcovers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Midwest Groundcovers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Midwest Groundcovers
What does Midwest Groundcovers do?
Midwest Groundcovers is a wholesale nursery that grows and distributes container-grown plants across more than 700 acres of production facilities in Illinois and Michigan. It propagates, cultivates, and sells groundcovers, perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs, evergreens, vines, and native prairie, wetland, and woodland species to landscape professionals, re-wholesalers, and garden centers. Operations include five nursery production facilities, branded plant lines (Hocus Pocus Groundcovers, Natural Garden Natives, American Beauties Native Plants, Midwest Solutions), and supporting services such as U-PICK yard, same-day delivery, and customer pickup.
Is Midwest Groundcovers a public or private company?
Midwest Groundcovers is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Midwest Groundcovers founded?
Midwest Groundcovers was founded in 1969. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Midwest Groundcovers based?
Midwest Groundcovers is headquartered in Saint Charles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Midwest Groundcovers make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale Plant Sales.
Who are Midwest Groundcovers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bailey Nurseries, Monrovia Nursery Company, Spring Meadow Nursery, Star Roses and Plants (Conard-Pyle), Proven Winners, Greenleaf Nursery Company and Prides Corner Farms. Emerging players are Emerald Coast Growers and Hoffman Nursery. McKay Nursery Company is listed as a regional player.
Does Midwest Groundcovers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Midwest Groundcovers.
What industry is Midwest Groundcovers in?
Midwest Groundcovers's product category is Wholesale Nursery Stock. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGAHAM, Landscape Plant & Nursery Stock Wholesalers (Grower-Wholesalers), with a secondary code of AFAGAHAL, Sod, Turfgrass & Groundcover Production. Its NAICS code is 11142 and its SIC code is 100.