Feral Flora

What Feral Flora does

Feral Flora is a privately held nursery and ecological landscape design company headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded by Matt Demmon (working outdoors since 2004) and joined by Ashley Schilling in 2013, the 8-person business serves Washtenaw County and adjacent areas of southeast Michigan. The company specializes in Michigan-genotype native perennials, grasses, sedges, and woody plants grown principally from wild-collected seed, offering more than 200 species across plug flats, 3-inch pots, quarts, 1-gallon, and 5-gallon containers. Production is pesticide- and herbicide-free, and the company runs a pot-return program using RootMaker fabric pots to reduce plastic waste.

The company's core offering is its native plant nursery, which supplies both retail customers (with a $100 minimum direct-order purchase) and wholesale landscape professionals via a separate industry catalog. Beyond plant sales, Feral Flora provides an integrated suite of field services including landscape installation (from small urban gardens to 25-acre native seed installations), design and consultation, stewardship of natural areas, stonework, and rain garden and stormwater management. Supporting technology is minimal and operational: Airtable powers a live, publicly viewable plant inventory, and Square handles invoicing, deposits, and gift card sales.

Feral Flora generates revenue through one-time plant sales (retail and wholesale) and professional services fees for design, installation, and stewardship. The company distributes through direct nursery pickup at its Nixon Road location, seasonal public plant sales at Green Things Farm Collective and area farmer's markets, a wholesale catalog, and gift card sales. Marketing is community- and content-driven, centered on educational resources, an email newsletter, and Native Plant Guild membership. The business is bootstrapped with no disclosed outside funding.

Name

Feral Flora

Legal name

Feral Flora

Website

https://feral-flora.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Feral Flora is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based native plant nursery and ecological landscape design company serving Washtenaw County. The bootstrapped 8-employee firm grows 200+ Michigan-genotype native species from wild-collected seed and offers landscape installation, design, and stewardship services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Native Plant Nursery & Landscape Design Services

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nursery Production (Woody Ornamentals: Trees, Shrubs, Roses) (AFAGAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Landscape Plant & Nursery Stock Wholesalers (Grower-Wholesalers) (AFAGAHAM), Invasive Species & Weed Management (BPABADAJ), Invasive Species & Vegetation Management (Woody Plants) (HSAIADAI)

Keywords

• Native plant nursery
• Landscape design services
• Ecological landscaping
• Rain garden installation
• Michigan native plants

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Plant Sales (Retail): Direct retail sales of native plants in various container sizes (38-cell plugs, 50-cell plugs, 3-inch pots, quarts, 1-gallon, 5-gallon) to individual customers via email orders with $100 minimum purchase.
2. Plant Sales (Wholesale): Wholesale sales of native plants to landscape professionals and other businesses. Requires separate industry catalog request via email.
3. Landscape Installation: Design and installation of living landscapes including native plantings, rain gardens, woodland meadows, and stormwater management systems. Scale ranges from small urban gardens to 25-acre native seed installations.
4. Design & Consultation: Consultation services for native plant design, natural areas enhancement, woody invasive control, stewardship, and rain garden planning. Includes property assessment and landscape goal discussions.
5. Native Plant Garden Kits: Pre-designed garden kits (Rain Garden Kit, Pollinator Garden Kit) containing 32 plants in 3-inch pots, 6-8 species. Priced at $132 per kit (25% discount from individual plant pricing).
6. Gift Cards: Gift cards available in any amount over $50, redeemable for plants and merchandise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Feral Flora sells 200+ species of principally Michigan-genotype native perennials, grasses, sedges, and woody plants grown from wild-collected seed through retail and wholesale channels, with a $100 minimum on direct orders. The company also provides landscape design, installation, stonework, rain garden construction, and ongoing stewardship services for residential and small commercial clients in Washtenaw County and adjacent Southeast Michigan areas.

Product overview

Feral Flora is a nursery and urban garden design company offering a unified portfolio of native plant products and landscape services. The core offering is the Plant Nursery (200+ species of Michigan-native plants) which supplies plant material for all installation work. The company provides integrated design, installation, and stewardship services, allowing customers to source plants and have them professionally installed. Additional products include Native Plant Garden Kits (Rain Garden Kit, Pollinator Garden Kit) for DIY customers, and Gift Cards. Services span landscape installation, stonework, design consultation, and ongoing stewardship of ecological landscapes and natural areas. The business serves both retail and wholesale customers throughout Washtenaw County and adjacent areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plant Nursery A nursery offering 200+ species of principally Michigan-genotype native perennials, grasses, sedges, and woody plants to retail and wholesale customers. Plants are grown from wild-collected seed with some nearly-native options, available in multiple container sizes from 38-cell plugs to 5-gallon containers.
• Landscape Installation Professional installation of living landscapes using native and nearly-native plants in naturalistic styles, ranging from small urban gardens to 25-acre native seed installations. Serves homeowners and landscape clients seeking ecologically designed plantings.
• Design and Consultation Landscape design and consultation services covering native plant design, natural areas enhancement, woody invasive control, stewardship planning, and rain garden/water management. Includes property assessment and landscape goal discussions with clients.
• Stewardship Ongoing maintenance and stewardship services for installed landscapes and natural areas. Focuses on long-term land management, wildlife habitat creation, woody invasive control, and ecosystem health for property owners and conservation-minded clients.
• Native Plant Garden Kits Pre-designed native plant garden kits including Rain Garden Kit and Pollinator Garden Kit. Each kit contains 32 plants in 3-inch pots across 6-8 species, covers 50-100 square feet at 18-inch spacing, and is priced at $132 (a 25% discount versus individual plant pricing). Designed for DIY residential customers.
• Feral Flora Gift Cards Gift cards available year-round in any amount over $50, redeemable for plants and merchandise through online orders (with the standard $100 minimum) or at public plant sales.
• Stonework Stonework services for landscape projects including sandstone edging, gravel driveways, bluestone paths, boulder installations, and custom stone features. Often bundled with installation and rain garden projects.
• Rain Gardens and Stormwater Management Design and installation of rain gardens for residential and small commercial water management, including creative use of boulders, pipes, and stonework to direct water flow and drainage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects can range from small urban gardens to 25 acres of native seed installations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Native Plant GuildminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Native Plant Guild is an organization bringing together designers, installers, and growers of Michigan native plants. Feral Flora joined in 2023, indicating membership and collaboration within the regional native plant industry community.
• Green Things Farm CollectivecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeral Flora sells a selection of plants seasonally at the Green Things Farm Collective Farm Stand. Also hosts joint plant sales at the Green Things Farm location multiple times throughout the growing season.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Midwest Groundcovers: St. Charles, Illinois-based wholesale nursery offering a broad selection of native plants, perennials, and landscape-ready material to the Midwest trade. Direct competitor on the wholesale native plant side, with significantly larger scale and broader catalog than Feral Flora.
• Prairie Nursery: Westfield, Wisconsin-based native plant nursery selling prairie plants, seeds, and landscaping resources. Similar specialization in regional-genotype native plants and ecological landscaping with both retail and wholesale channels — closely comparable business model to Feral Flora's Midwest regional focus.
• New Moon Nursery: Bristol, Wisconsin-based wholesale native plant nursery specializing in regionally appropriate native perennials, grasses, and sedges. Direct competitor in the native wholesale nursery space with overlapping customer base of Midwest landscape designers and restoration contractors.
• Taylor Creek Restoration Nurseries: Brodhead, Wisconsin-based native plant nursery focused on Upper Midwest-genotype native plants, seeds, and restoration services. Comparable in regional specialization, native genetics focus, and integrated nursery/restoration model.
• North Creek Nurseries: Landenberg, Pennsylvania-based wholesale native plant nursery offering plug liners of native perennials, grasses, and ferns to landscape professionals. Direct product competitor in the native plant nursery space with deeper wholesale penetration and a regional East Coast focus.
• Wildtype Native Plant Nursery: Mason, Michigan-based native plant nursery specializing in Michigan-genotype plants grown from local wild-collected seed. The most direct geographic and product competitor to Feral Flora, serving overlapping homeowner and landscape professional customers in the Michigan market.

Emerging players

• Shooting Star Native Seeds: Spring Grove, Minnesota-based native seed company focused on regionally appropriate native seeds for restoration and landscaping. Comparable in Midwest regional-genotype focus but operates primarily in seed rather than containerized nursery stock — partial overlap with Feral Flora's 25-acre native seed installation capability.
• Izel Native Plants: Online native plant marketplace aggregating multiple regional native nurseries for direct-to-consumer plant sales nationally. Adjacent competitor — not a direct nursery operator but a channel that could either substitute for or amplify Feral Flora's customer reach.

Broad incumbents

• Resource Environmental Solutions: National ecological restoration services provider with nursery operations, design, and large-scale habitat restoration capabilities. Comparable in offering restoration, design, and native plant supply at much greater scale; represents the consolidated incumbent that regional players like Feral Flora compete against on larger projects.
• Applied Ecological Services: Wisconsin-based ecological consulting, restoration, and native plant services firm with integrated nursery, design, and stewardship offerings. Comparable integrated model (nursery + ecological design + installation) at larger scale; demonstrates the regional-to-national trajectory available in this category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/feral-flora

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 Feral Flora