Plant Select

What Plant Select does

Plant Select is a Colorado-based nonprofit organization founded in 1997 that tests, selects, brands, and licenses drought-tolerant plants specifically adapted to the high plains and intermountain regions of the western United States. It operates as a trilateral collaboration between Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University, and a network of professional horticulturists, conducting multi-year plant trials that have produced a portfolio of 85+ North American native plants (46 originating from Colorado) and multiple patented varieties including Avalanche White Sun Daisy, Sunset Hyssop, Kannah Creek Buckwheat, Red Birds in a Tree, Coral Canyon Twinspur, Granita Raspberry Ice Plant, and Granita Pussytoes.

The organization does not sell plants directly to consumers; instead it monetizes through three primary streams: a membership program, licensing and royalty fees paid by wholesale propagators, finishing growers, and re-wholesalers, and annual conference and sponsorship revenue (premier sponsors include Denver Botanic Gardens, HCG, and Northern Water). Distribution is carried out through a multi-tier partner network of 70+ licensed network propagators (including Bailey Nurseries, Ball Horticultural, and Monrovia), 14 re-wholesalers, 4 wholesale finishing growers, 21 grow-to-retail garden centers, 5 online retailers, and an international licensed propagator (Walter Blom Plants BV, The Netherlands), supplemented by demonstration gardens such as the Idaho Firewise Demonstration Garden.

Plant Select serves end users across multiple segments: homeowners seeking water-wise residential landscaping, HOAs and municipalities managing water-restricted common areas, commercial and public property managers, landscape architects and contractors, and properties in wildfire-risk zones requiring firewise plantings. Educational and marketing activities are conducted through a content-rich website, active social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube), a monthly e-newsletter, downloadable landscape designs, and the annual conference. The organization employs approximately 7 staff and operates from Denver (co-located with Denver Botanic Gardens) and Fort Collins (Colorado State University campus).

Name

Plant Select

Legal name

Plant Select

Website

https://plantselect.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Plant Select is a 1997-founded nonprofit collaboration between Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University, and professional horticulturists that brands and licenses drought-tolerant plants for western US landscapes, distributing through 100+ growers, retailers, and re-wholesalers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drought-Tolerant Plant Breeding and Licensing

NAICS

Nursery and Tree Production (111421), Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant Breeding & Variety Development (Conventional) (AFAGAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Native & Pollinator Garden Design/Install (HSAIABAG), Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL), Turf & Ornamental Seeds (Lawn, Golf, Landscaping) (AFABAFAG)

Keywords

• Drought-tolerant plants
• Waterwise landscaping
• Plant brand licensing
• Native plant selection
• Ornamental horticulture

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Program: Plant Select operates a membership program where organizations and individuals can become members to support the organization and gain access to exclusive resources and networking opportunities.
2. Licensing and Royalty Fees: Revenue generated through licensing agreements with wholesale propagators, growers, and international licensed propagators who pay royalties for the right to propagate and sell Plant Select branded plants.
3. Conference and Sponsorship Revenue: Annual conference generates sponsorship revenue from premier sponsors including Denver Botanic Gardens, HCG, and Northern Water.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Plant Select is a nonprofit collaboration between Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University, and professional horticulturists that tests, selects, and brands drought-tolerant plants for the high plains and intermountain regions of the western United States. The organization does not sell plants directly; instead, it licenses propagation rights to a network of wholesale propagators, growers, seed sellers, finishing growers, and retailers who bring the branded plants to market. Revenue is generated through licensing royalties, a membership program, and conference sponsorships.

Product overview

Plant Select is a nonprofit collaboration between Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University, and professional horticulturists that offers a comprehensive portfolio of waterwise plants. The product lineup includes perennials (Avalanche White Sun Daisy, Lavender Mist Sun Daisy, Sunset Hyssop, Kannah Creek Buckwheat, Red Birds in a Tree, Coral Canyon Twinspur), groundcovers (Granita Raspberry Ice Plant, Granita Pussytoes), ornamental grasses (Dog Tuff Grass), and commercial landscape collections. All plants are specifically tested and selected for drought tolerance and resilience in challenging western climates including Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Avalanche White Sun Daisy A waterwise perennial featuring dazzling white flowers with metallic backing produced from April through summer over glistening mats of evergreen foliage, designed for drought-tolerant western landscapes.
• Lavender Mist Sun Daisy A perennial with neat mats of oblong, nearly succulent evergreen leaves and three-inch flower heads produced from April to autumn, opening white and turning soft lavender-purple as they age.
• Sunset Hyssop A North American native perennial with bold brushes of sunset-orange flowers from August to frost that attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies while deterring deer and rabbits.
• Kannah Creek Buckwheat A vigorous and adaptable western native perennial with masses of yellow flowers that turn orange as they age, with foliage that changes to vivid purple-red in winter for year-round interest.
• Coral Canyon Twinspur A heat-tolerant introduction from the East Cape Drakensberg Range of South Africa offering a cloud of soft coral-pink flowers from early summer to autumn frost.
• Granita Raspberry Ice Plant A beautiful ice plant featuring large, striking iridescent raspberry flowers densely packed, creating a shiny dark pink carpet at the front of borders or woven throughout beds.
• Red Birds in a Tree A rare penstemon cousin with showy crimson tubular flowers produced in generous sprays above rich green serrated foliage, flowering continuously from spring through fall as a hummingbird magnet.
• Dog Tuff Grass A low-water lawn grass for high traffic areas named for its exceptional durability in yards with dogs. It is a sterile hybrid African form that spreads via runners, is highly weed-resistant once established, and deep rooted.
• Granita Pussytoes A selection of Antennaria dimorpha native to almost every state in the West, with small silver-green leaves, tight mat of foliage, and short flower stems providing year-round interest. Ideal for flagstone paths, living mulch, or crevice gardens.
• Plants for Commercial Landscapes A curated collection of drought-tolerant plants suited for commercial landscapes in western states, including shrubs, trees, ornamental grasses, and perennials assembled for durable, low-maintenance plantings.
• Plant Select Membership A membership program where organizations and individuals join to support Plant Select and gain access to exclusive resources and networking opportunities within the waterwise plant community.
• Annual Plant Select Conference An annual conference featuring premier sponsors, partner awards, educational sessions, and networking opportunities for horticulturists and landscape professionals in the western gardens community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Plants flourish with significantly less water - up to 50% or more water reduction compared to traditional lawns
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Colorado Nursery and Greenhouse AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20262026 Organizational Partner Award recipient. Industry association representing nursery and greenhouse businesses in Colorado, advancing Plant Select's mission through industry collaboration.
• High Country GardenscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 20262026 Organizational Partner Award recipient. Major online retailer and wholesale grower of Plant Select plants, including exclusive availability of Avalanche White Sun Daisy and many patented varieties.
• HCG (High Country Gardens)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20262026 Premier Conference Sponsor and former partner award recipient.
• Denver Botanic GardensflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding non-profit partner and headquarters location. Denver Botanic Gardens provides plant trial facilities, research expertise, and outreach programs. Panayoti Kelaidis serves as Director of Outreach and Senior Curator. The collaboration has been testing and selecting waterwise plants for 29 years.
• Colorado State UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding non-profit partner providing scientific research capabilities, extension services, and academic credibility to plant selection processes. CSU Extension offers educational resources on water auditing and landscape management.
• Professional HorticulturistsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding collaborative partner network providing practical horticulture expertise and industry connections. The organization includes a logo for 'Professional Horticulturists' as part of its founding trilateral collaboration.
• Utah State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on water-wise plant research and educational content for Utah and the broader intermountain west region.
• LocalscapescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Localscapes Partner. Localscapes is a five-step landscape method developed in Utah that helps homeowners create water-efficient yards. Plant Select plants are recommended within the Localscapes program.
• Northern WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater conservancy district partner providing support as a premier conference sponsor and collaborative partner in water conservation efforts across northern Colorado.
• Idaho FirewisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestern non-profit dedicated to wildland fire education. The Idaho Firewise Demonstration Garden in Boise is an official Plant Select Demonstration Garden featuring 350+ plant species. Andrea Dorman serves as horticulturist and SW Idaho program coordinator.
• Idaho Botanical GardenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner location housing the Idaho Firewise Demonstration Garden adjacent to the College of Western Idaho Horticulture program grounds.
• Applewood Seed CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale seed seller member providing propagation materials. Located at 5380 Vivian Street, Arvada, CO.
• Jelitto Perennial SeedsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational wholesale seed seller member (US office in Louisville, KY) providing propagation materials for Plant Select varieties.
• Bailey NurseriesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicensed network propagator producing Plant Select plants at scale for distribution through retail channels nationwide.
• Ball Horticultural CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicensed network propagator and major horticultural company producing Plant Select varieties.
• Monrovia Nursery CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicensed network propagator producing Plant Select branded plants for retail distribution.
• Walter Blom Plants BVminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational licensed propagator based in Hillegom, The Netherlands, providing international propagation and distribution of Plant Select varieties.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Native Plant Trust: Nonprofit conservation and native plant organization (Go Botany, native plant sales) — comparable as a nonprofit advancing native plant use, though focused on New England rather than the intermountain west.
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Nonprofit native plant research and conservation organization that curates and promotes regionally appropriate native plants — comparable as a mission-driven native plant advocate and resource for landscape professionals.

Direct peers

• Proven Winners: Direct peer as a national plant brand that licenses new ornamental genetics to a network of growers and retailers. Comparable in its brand-led, royalty- and propagator-network model for marketed plant varieties.
• American Meadows: Direct peer as a native and meadow plant retailer/brand serving homeowners with regional and pollinator-focused plant selections, with overlapping western U.S. customer segments and native plant focus.
• High Country Gardens: Direct peer and Plant Select retail/award partner; specializes in drought-tolerant perennials, native plants, and xeric gardening for western U.S. — overlapping customer base and product set.

Broad incumbents

• Ball Horticultural Company: Broad incumbent horticulture company that develops and licenses ornamental and seed genetics globally, including serving as a Plant Select propagator — a peer at the level of genetics development and global grower licensing.
• Bailey Nurseries: Broad incumbent wholesale nursery and licensed Plant Select propagator; comparable in plant production, branded genetics (Endless Summer hydrangeas), and distribution to independent garden centers.
• Walters Gardens: Major perennial plant producer supplying branded genetics through Proven Winners and other programs — comparable as a wholesale perennial producer with branded genetics licensing in the U.S. market.
• Monrovia Nursery Company: Broad incumbent and one of Plant Select's licensed propagators; a large-scale wholesale nursery producing branded ornamentals for retail distribution across North America — competes via proprietary genetics at greater scale.
• Star Roses and Plants: Branded genetics developer (Knock Out roses, Bushel and Berry) producing woody ornamentals for the wholesale channel — comparable as a license-driven plant brand competing for retail shelf space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/PlantSelect
• Facebookfacebook.com/plant.smarter
• Instagraminstagram.com/plantselect
• Pinterestpinterest.com/plantselect
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plant-select

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Plant Select