Better-Gro
Better-Gro is the wholesale brand of Sun Bulb Company, a third-generation family-owned orchid and tropical plant grower founded in 1956 in Arcadia, Florida. It distributes live plants, plant foods, potting media, and partner-branded pottery to US retail chains, garden centers, and mass merchandise stores.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1956
- HeadquartersArcadia, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Better-Gro does
Better-Gro is the wholesale consumer-facing brand of Sun Bulb Company, Inc., a third-generation family-owned grower and distributor of orchids, tropical plants, plant foods, potting media, and related horticultural supplies. Founded in 1956 in Arcadia, Florida by A.P. and Mildred Hollingsworth and currently co-owned by Tom, Rodney, and Rod Hollingsworth, the company sells exclusively on a wholesale basis to large retail chains, independent garden centers, home improvement stores, and mass merchandise retailers across the United States; end consumers find products through a store locator on the company website rather than direct purchase.
The company's core technology is its orchid and tropical plant cultivation expertise accumulated over three generations, anchored by proprietary plant food chemistries and species-specific potting media formulations developed by Head Grower Robert Palmer. The flagship Better-Gro portfolio spans live plants (packaged orchids, orchid arrangements, bromeliads, tillandsia, rare plants), specialty plant foods (Orchid Plus, Better Bloom), and tailored potting mixes (Special Orchid Mix, Phalaenopsis Mix, Dendrobium Mix, Orchid Bark, Orchid Moss). The Dynamite division, acquired in 2017, extends the catalog into environmentally-friendly general-purpose fertilizers including the organic Mater Magic line. The company also distributes Plant Style Group's SK Pottery and the eco-friendly Kokodama Collection in North America as an exclusive partner.
Better-Gro's revenue model is wholesale product sales of live goods and branded hard goods; it does not sell directly to consumers, and pricing is quote-based rather than publicly disclosed. The company carries the exclusive American Orchid Society seal of approval in the orchid supply category, held continuously since 2007, and has been a Space Foundation Space Certification Partner since 2022. Its go-to-market relies on long-tenured wholesale relationships and a content-driven brand presence (educational blogs, YouTube orchid care videos, and the 300,000+ copy-selling 'Growing Orchids is Fun' book) to drive consumer pull-through at retail.
Better-Gro firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Better-Gro
- Legal name
- Sun Bulb Company, Inc.
- Website
- https://better-gro.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1956
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Better-Gro is the wholesale brand of Sun Bulb Company, a third-generation family-owned orchid and tropical plant grower founded in 1956 in Arcadia, Florida. It distributes live plants, plant foods, potting media, and partner-branded pottery to US retail chains, garden centers, and mass merchandise stores.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Better-Gro industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Horticultural Supplies
- NAICS
- Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Floriculture Production (111422), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Chemicals (2870)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Protected Cultivation of Specialty Crops (Orchids, Bonsai, Exotics) (AFAGAHAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Potted Flowering Plants & Bedding Plants Production (Annuals, Perennials, Plugs) (AFAGAHAE), Landscape Plant & Nursery Stock Wholesalers (Grower-Wholesalers) (AFAGAHAM), Specialty Fertilizers for Horticulture & Controlled Environment (Greenhouse, Hydroponic, Nursery) (AFABACAL)
Keywords
Where Better-Gro is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arcadia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Better-Gro business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wholesale plant and product sales: Better-Gro generates revenue by growing and distributing live orchids, tropical plants, plant foods, potting mixes, garden containers, and related gardening supplies on a wholesale basis to large retail stores and independent garden centers across the United States.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Better-Gro product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Better-Gro grows and distributes live orchids, tropical plants (bromeliads, tillandsia, rare plants), proprietary plant foods, and professional-grade potting media — including orchid mixes, orchid bark, and sphagnum moss — on a wholesale basis to retail stores and garden centers across the United States. The company also distributes the Dynamite Plant Food line, organic Mater Magic fertilizer, Florida Formula regional fertilizers, SK Pottery ceramic and plastic pots, and the eco-friendly Kokodama Collection as the North American distributor for Plant Style Group.
Product overview
Better-Gro is a family-run wholesale plant grower and supplier founded in 1956, operating as a third-generation family business with headquarters in Arcadia, Florida. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of plant-related products centered around orchid cultivation. The core Better-Gro® brand encompasses live orchids and tropical plants (including Packaged Orchids, Orchid Arrangements, Bromeliads, Tillandsia, Rare Plants, and Ferns), specialty orchid plant foods (Orchid Plus® and Better-Bloom®), and professional-grade potting media (Special Orchid Mix, Phalaenopsis Mix, Dendrobium Mix, Orchid Bark, and Orchid Moss). The Dynamite® division, acquired in 2017, provides environmentally-friendly fertilizers including specialty formulations for various plant types. As North American distributor for Plant Style Group, the company also offers SK Pottery (ceramic and plastic pots) and the eco-friendly Kokodama Collection. All Better-Gro® products carry the American Orchid Society's exclusive seal of approval—the only orchid supply company in the nation with this endorsement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Better-Gro Orchid Plus®: Plant food formula developed by Head Grower Robert Palmer for orchids.
- Better-Gro Better Bloom®
- Better-Gro Special Orchid® Mix
- Better-Gro Phalaenopsis Mix
- Better-Gro Dendrobium Mix
- Dynamite Plant Food
- Mater Magic
- EasyOrchidGrowing.com
Products and services
- Better-Gro Orchid Plus Plant Food Water-soluble plant food specially formulated for orchids, providing nitrogen for healthy foliage growth and overall plant development. Developed by Better-Gro's Head Grower and used in commercial operations. Sold wholesale to retailers.
- Better-Gro Better-Bloom Plant Food Bloom booster plant food with high phosphorus content designed to promote vibrant, larger, and longer-lasting orchid flowers. Recommended for use every fourth watering. Sold wholesale to retailers.
- Better-Gro Special Orchid Mix Multi-purpose potting mixture for Cattleyas, Phalaenopsis, Dendrobiums, Paphiopedilums, Oncidiums, and all epiphytic orchids. Contains western fir bark, hardwood charcoal, and sponge rock for superior drainage and root ventilation. Sold wholesale to retailers.
- Better-Gro Phalaenopsis Mix Potting mix specifically blended for Phalaenopsis orchids, retaining moisture needed for superior plant and root growth. Contains Canadian chunk peat, western fir bark, hardwood charcoal, and coarse perlite. Sold wholesale to retailers.
- Better-Gro Dendrobium Mix Potting mix designed for Dendrobiums containing fir bark, charcoal, coarse perlite, and lava rock to prevent condensation and maintain optimum water and air flow. Sold wholesale to retailers.
- Better-Gro Orchid Bark Premium multi-purpose potting medium for all epiphytic orchids as well as bromeliads, ferns, and ornamentals. Made from specially sized western fir bark nuggets. Sold wholesale to retailers.
- Better-Gro Orchid Moss High-quality natural imported sphagnum moss ideal for young orchids and seedlings; also used for mounting orchids and in wire or cedar baskets. Sold wholesale to retailers.
- Better-Gro Dynamite Houseplant, Bromeliad & Orchid Food Continuous release plant food providing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and essential minor elements for up to 12 months with a single application for houseplants, bromeliads, and orchids. Sold wholesale to retailers.
- Dynamite Plant Food Environmentally-friendly fertilizer product line acquired by Sun Bulb Company in 2017, including specialty formulations for Cactus & Succulent, All Purpose, and Flowers & Vegetables. Sold wholesale to retailers.
- Mater Magic Organic Fertilizer Organic fertilizer offered under the Dynamite division for environmentally conscious gardeners. Sold wholesale to retailers.
- SK Pottery Ceramic and plastic pots distributed by Sun Bulb Company as the North American distributor for Plant Style Group. Sold wholesale to retailers.
- Kokodama Collection Eco-friendly line of planters released in the United States in 2018, distributed by Sun Bulb Company as the North American distributor for Plant Style Group. Features sustainable, moss-covered ceramic planters. Sold wholesale to retailers.
- Live Orchids and Tropical Plants Wholesale live orchids including Packaged Orchids, Orchid Arrangements, Bromeliads, Tillandsia, Rare Plants, and additional tropical plants grown and distributed under the Better-Gro brand. Sold wholesale to retailers and garden centers.
- Florida Formula Products Regional specialty fertilizer formulations including Florida Formula Flowers & Vegetables and Florida Formula All-Purpose 18-6-8, tailored for Florida growing conditions. Sold wholesale to retailers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Better-Gro is the only orchid supply company in the nation with the American Orchid Society seal of approval
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Better-Gro
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Better-Gro technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Better-Gro partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- Marie Selby Botanical GardenscoreMarie Selby Botanical Gardens honored its long-term partnership with Better-Gro by creating the Better-Gro Boutique at its new garden shop in Sarasota, Florida in 2024. The boutique showcases Better-Gro products in a dedicated retail space within the botanical gardens.
- Space FoundationminorSun Bulb Company (parent of Better-Gro) joined the Space Foundation as a Space Certification Partner in 2022, a nonprofit advocate organization founded in 1983 for the global space ecosystem.
- Dynamite Plant FoodcoreSun Bulb Company acquired Dynamite Plant Food in 2017, gaining the Dynamite Plant Food brand (environmentally-friendly fertilizers) and the organic Mater Magic fertilizer line.
- Plant Style Group / SK PotterymajorBetter-Gro serves as the North American distributor for Plant Style Group ceramic and plastic pots under the SK Pottery brand. SK Pottery has been offered in North America since 2018.
- Kokodama Collection (Plant Style Group)majorBetter-Gro serves as the North American distributor for the eco-friendly Kokodama Collection of planters, released in the United States in 2018. The Kokodama Collection features sustainable, moss-covered ceramic planters.
- American Orchid SocietycoreThe American Orchid Society endorsed Better-Gro products in 2007 and this endorsement remains in place. Better-Gro is the only orchid supply company in the nation that carries the American Orchid Society seal of approval. Better-Gro products are developed with input aligned to AOS standards.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Better-Gro competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Just Add Ice Orchids: Just Add Ice Orchids is a consumer-facing orchid brand focused on mass-market retail through grocery and home improvement channels. It is an emerging player in the orchid-supply category where Better-Gro's Better-Bloom and Orchid Plus compete for the same end consumer.
- Espoma Organic: Espoma is a specialty organic and natural plant-food manufacturer distributed through independent garden centers and home improvement stores. It is an emerging competitor to Better-Gro's Dynamite and Mater Magic organic fertilizer lines within the same retail channel.
Direct peers
- Green Circle Growers: Green Circle Growers is a large Ohio-based wholesale greenhouse grower producing indoor and outdoor plants, including orchids and tropical varieties, for major retailers. Its grower-wholesaler model and product mix closely mirror Better-Gro's tropical-and-orchid focus.
- Matsui Orchids / Matsui Nursery: Matsui Nursery is a major California-based wholesale grower specializing in orchids and floral products for supermarket and mass-market retailers. Its orchid-focused wholesale model is a close comparator to Better-Gro's orchid distribution channel.
- Kurt Weiss Greenhouses: Kurt Weiss Greenhouses is a multi-generation U.S. greenhouse grower of indoor and outdoor plants, including tropicals, supplying mass-market retailers. Its scale, channel mix, and grower-wholesaler positioning make it a direct operational peer to Better-Gro.
- Costa Farms: Costa Farms is one of the largest U.S. growers of tropical foliage and indoor plants, including orchids, supplying mass-market retailers (Home Depot, Walmart, Trader Joe's) on a wholesale basis. Like Better-Gro, it grows and distributes tropical plants and orchid-related products to national chains.
- Westerlay Orchids: Westerlay Orchids is a California-based wholesale orchid grower distributing Phalaenopsis and other orchid varieties to grocery, mass-market, and home improvement retailers along the West Coast and nationally. It is a direct orchid-grower peer to Better-Gro's orchid production business.
Broad incumbents
- Monrovia Nursery Company: Monrovia is a large, established U.S. wholesale nursery producing ornamental shrubs, perennials, and indoor plants for independent garden centers and home improvement retailers. It is a broad incumbent operating in the same nursery distribution channel as Better-Gro, with overlapping garden-center buyers.
- The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company: Scotts Miracle-Gro is the dominant U.S. consumer plant-care brand through Miracle-Gro, Scotts, and Osmocote, selling specialty plant food through the same mass-market retail and home improvement channels Better-Gro uses. It is a broad incumbent whose plant-food portfolio competes head-to-head with Better-Gro Orchid Plus, Better Bloom, and Dynamite lines.
Others
- elho (Elho B.V.): elho is a European designer and manufacturer of indoor and outdoor planters sold through garden centers and retail chains globally. As a peer plant-pot supplier competing on shelf alongside Better-Gro's SK Pottery and Kokodama lines, it is an adjacent peer in the wholesale planter category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Better-Gro social profiles
Digital presenceBetter-Gro financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Better-Gro leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Better-Gro funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Better-Gro 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 Better-Gro
What does Better-Gro do?
Better-Gro grows and distributes live orchids, tropical plants (bromeliads, tillandsia, rare plants), proprietary plant foods, and professional-grade potting media — including orchid mixes, orchid bark, and sphagnum moss — on a wholesale basis to retail stores and garden centers across the United States. The company also distributes the Dynamite Plant Food line, organic Mater Magic fertilizer, Florida Formula regional fertilizers, SK Pottery ceramic and plastic pots, and the eco-friendly Kokodama Collection as the North American distributor for Plant Style Group.
Is Better-Gro a public or private company?
Better-Gro is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Better-Gro founded?
Better-Gro was founded in 1956. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Better-Gro based?
Better-Gro is headquartered in Arcadia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Better-Gro make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale plant and product sales.
Who are Better-Gro's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Just Add Ice Orchids and Espoma Organic. Direct peers are Green Circle Growers, Matsui Orchids / Matsui Nursery, Kurt Weiss Greenhouses, Costa Farms and Westerlay Orchids. Broad incumbents are Monrovia Nursery Company and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. elho (Elho B.V.) is listed as an others.
Does Better-Gro have an API?
No public API is recorded for Better-Gro.
What industry is Better-Gro in?
Better-Gro's product category is Horticultural Supplies. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGAHAH, Protected Cultivation of Specialty Crops (Orchids, Bonsai, Exotics), with a secondary code of AFAGAHAE, Potted Flowering Plants & Bedding Plants Production (Annuals, Perennials, Plugs). Its NAICS code is 11142 and its SIC code is 100.