Big Trees Nursery

What Big Trees Nursery does

Big Trees Nursery is a wholesale plant nursery founded in 1977 and headquartered in Escondido, California, that cultivates, sources, transplants, and installs mature specimen trees for landscape companies, commercial enterprises, and individual homeowners, primarily across California. The company operates a 43-acre farm with satellite yards holding 3,000+ mature trees (oak, pine, sycamore, and select rare varieties) grown on-site at box sizes from 62" up to 132" — among the largest in the industry.

The company's core technical assets are proprietary ArborLift technology and a fleet of patented hydraulic tree spades ranging from 65" to 168", described as the world's largest and purpose-built to lift, transport, and replant mature trees without compromising root health. Service offerings span three integrated lines: Mature Tree Sales (one-time transactions from cultivated inventory), Tree Installation Services (professional site assessment, transport, precision planting, and a one-year warranty), and Large Tree Moving/Relocation Services (specialized preservation of existing trees during construction or landscape reconfigurations, including a Tree Boxing service for temporary relocation). Pricing is quote-based and project-specific; the company positions its products as delivering 50–75% cost savings versus growing younger trees to maturity.

Commercially, Big Trees Nursery runs a direct, enterprise-oriented field-sales motion via phone, web contact forms, and in-person nursery visits, targeting architects, developers, commercial entities, resorts, theme parks, universities, golf courses, government/public spaces, and high-end residential clients. Marquee projects include work at Apple Campus, Disneyland's Cars Land, Facebook/Meta campuses, the San Diego Zoo, San Diego State University, and Pebble Beach Golf Links. The company is privately held and founder-/team-led, with no external funding, parent entity, or M&A activity disclosed in the source material.

Name

Big Trees Nursery

Legal name

Big Trees Nursery

Website

https://bigtreesnursery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Trees Nursery is a wholesale plant nursery operating a 43-acre farm in Escondido, California, that cultivates, transplants, and installs mature specimen trees using patented hydraulic equipment for commercial enterprises, institutions, and residential clients across California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Escondido

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Mature Tree Sales: Sale of cultivated mature trees in box sizes from 62" to 132". Trees are grown on-site at the 43-acre nursery and sold directly to customers. Species include oak, pine, sycamore, and rare varieties. Revenue is generated through one-time transaction per tree.
2. Tree Installation Services: Professional installation including site assessment, transportation, precision planting, and post-move care guidance. Covers complete handling from selection to final placement.
3. Large Tree Moving/Relocation Services: Specialized relocation services for existing mature trees, including site evaluation, tree boxing for temporary relocation during construction, and post-transplant care. Used for preservation during construction projects or landscape reconfigurations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Big Trees Nursery is a wholesale plant nursery that cultivates, sells, and installs mature specimen trees (oak, pine, sycamore, and rare varieties) for landscape companies and individual homeowners. The company also provides professional tree installation, large-tree relocation/moving services, and tree boxing for temporary relocation during construction projects, primarily serving clients throughout California.

Product overview

Big Trees Nursery offers a single integrated service platform focused on mature tree solutions for landscaping projects. The core offerings include a Tree Nursery (43-acre farm with 3,000+ mature trees including oak, pine, and sycamore varieties in box sizes from 62" to 132"), Tree Installation Service (professional planting with site assessment and 1-year warranty), and Large Tree Moving Service (using proprietary ArborLift technology and hydraulic tree spades ranging from 65" to 168"). Tree Boxing Service provides temporary relocation during construction projects. The company does not operate a modular software platform but rather provides end-to-end tree services from cultivation to installation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mature Tree Nursery Inventory (Oak, Pine, Sycamore, and rare varieties) Wholesale nursery offering 3,000+ mature trees including oak trees (known for strength, longevity, and shaded landscapes), pine trees (year-round greenery for privacy and classic aesthetic), and sycamore trees (rapid growth with broad leaves for immediate shade and impact), available in box sizes from 62" to 132". Sold to landscape companies, commercial clients, and individual homeowners throughout California.
• Tree Installation Service Professional tree installation service including site assessment, precision planting using patented hydraulic tree spades, transportation logistics, and a 1-year warranty on all installed trees. Designed for landscape companies, commercial developers, and homeowners seeking mature trees with guaranteed establishment.
• Large Tree Moving/Relocation Service Specialized relocation service using the world's largest hydraulic tree spades (65" to 168") and proprietary ArborLift technology to safely transplant large, mature trees with minimal disruption to root health. Used for tree preservation during construction projects, landscape reconfigurations, and large-scale commercial and institutional relocations.
• Tree Boxing Service Tree boxing service for temporary relocation during construction projects, enabling trees to remain healthy while awaiting final placement at the project site.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50-75% cost savings compared to starting with younger trees
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Boething Treeland Farms: Wholesale California nursery with deep large-tree and specimen inventory sold to landscape professionals and developers. Overlaps with Big Trees on species range, mature sizing, and B2B landscape contractor channel.
• Moon Valley Nurseries: Large Southwest US grower and retailer of mature specimen trees, offering box-grown trees and professional planting services. Closely comparable in mature-tree cultivation, sizing strategy, and turnkey installation.
• Monterey Bay Nursery: California-based wholesale nursery specializing in large specimen trees for landscape professionals and developers. Directly comparable in product (mature trees) and customer base (commercial landscapers, architects, high-end residential).
• Cherry Lake Tree Farm: Large-scale Florida wholesale tree farm producing container and field-grown specimen trees for landscape professionals nationally. Comparable in large-tree wholesale model and turnkey supply to landscape contractors and developers.

Broad incumbents

• Bartlett Tree Experts: Large national arborist company providing tree care, preservation, and large-tree management services to commercial and residential clients. Comparable in arborist expertise and large-tree handling, though operating as a service-led incumbent rather than a nursery-grower.
• BrightView Landscapes: National commercial landscape services and nursery supplier serving corporate, hospitality, and institutional clients with mature plant material and installation. Comparable buyer overlap (corporate campuses, resorts) though its scale and breadth span full maintenance contracts beyond tree sourcing.
• Davey Tree Expert Company: National tree care and arborist services firm offering tree relocation, preservation, and consulting to utilities, municipalities, and commercial clients. Overlaps with Big Trees on large-tree moving expertise, though operates at vastly greater scale across many service lines.

Regional players

• San Marcos Growers: Santa Barbara-area wholesale nursery supplying landscape professionals with ornamental and specimen material across the Western US. Comparable in wholesale nursery model and California regional focus, though more focused on ornamentals than ultra-large box trees.

Emerging players

• Marathon Nursery: California-based nursery growing large specimen trees for wholesale and landscape contractor channels. Overlaps with Big Trees in mature-tree cultivation and regional B2B landscape supply.
• Heritage Tree Movers: Niche US provider of large tree transplanting and relocation services using specialized tree spade equipment. Comparable on the ArborLift-style large-tree moving service line, though lacks an integrated growing operation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bigtreesnursery
• Facebookfacebook.com/Big-Trees-Nursery-Inc-176852159028578
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-trees-nursery-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Big Trees Nursery