V&P Nurseries

What V&P Nurseries does

V&P Nurseries is a family-owned wholesale nursery founded in 1978 and headquartered in Queen Creek, Arizona, specializing in subtropical and drought-tolerant plant varieties engineered for the Sonoran Desert and broader Southwest. The company operates two production facilities totaling 280 acres (240 acres in Queen Creek and 40 acres in Chino Valley) and employs over 200 people across both locations, with a workforce that spans multiple nationalities and Sovereign Nations. V&P serves landscape contractors, architects, designers, and institutional customers in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Texas, and supplies retail garden centers through independent retailers, grocery chains, and major box stores.

The company's core intellectual property sits in patented and trademarked plant cultivars developed in co-development with Arizona State University's George Hull, including Tecoma 'Lydia', 'Bells of Fire', 'Sparky', and 'Sparklette', plus the trademarked Rio Salado Mesquite and Rio Salado Desert Willow. Production is supported by an on-site tissue culture laboratory headed by Lisa De Leon, which enables systematic propagation and acclimation of proprietary cultivars from controlled environments to desert field conditions. An Integrated Pest Management program led by Demetri Vlachos uses beneficial insects (including assassin bugs) supplied by Arbico Organics in place of conventional pesticide regimes. The catalog extends to perennials, yuccas, cacti and succulents (including exclusive agave hybrids from Rancho Tissue Culture), shrubs, vines, and trees marketed under the AZT Legacy Series and broader plant index.

V&P operates a hybrid go-to-market: a direct sales-led motion targeting landscape professionals through dedicated account managers, contract growing services for job-specific plant specifications, and a will-call wholesale pickup service with 30-minute to 1.5-hour order processing; combined with channel-partner distribution into Home Depot, Lowe's, Costco, Albertsons, Safeway, Bashas', and independent retailers across six Southwest states. Pricing is wholesale transaction-based and not publicly disclosed. The company is privately held by owner Niko Vlachos, with no disclosed external funding, and revenue is not publicly reported.

Name

V&P Nurseries

Legal name

V&P Nurseries, Inc.

Website

https://vpnurseries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Family-owned wholesale nursery founded in 1978, specializing in subtropical and drought-tolerant plant varieties for the Southwest. Operates 280 acres across Queen Creek and Chino Valley, Arizona, supplying landscape professionals and major retailers across six states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Nursery / Ornamental Plant Production

NAICS

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAGAHAM

Landscape Plant & Nursery Stock Wholesalers (Grower-Wholesalers)

Agriculture & Food Production/Crop Farming/Greenhouse, Nursery & Floriculture Production (Protected Crops, Ornamentals, Seedlings)

SECONDARYAFAGAIAO

Nursery Stock & Propagule Production (Cuttings, Rootstocks, Grafts)

Agriculture & Food Production/Crop Farming/Seed Production & Plant Breeding (Seed Multiplication, Hybrid Seed, Certified Seed)

Keywords

• Wholesale nursery
• Desert plant varieties
• Tissue culture propagation
• Drought-tolerant plants
• Landscape ornamentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Queen Creek

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Plant Sales: Direct B2B sales to landscape contractors, architects, and designers through will-call and delivery services. Orders processed with pull crew team for immediate pickup or delivery to job sites in Maricopa County, Tucson, Southern California, and Texas.
2. Retail Distribution: Products sold through channel partners including independent retailers, grocery chains, and box stores across the Southwest (Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Texas).
3. Contract Growing: Custom growing services ensuring highest quality plant product delivered to meet job-specific needs including size specifications, budgetary constraints and deadlines. Security and assurance that plant material meets specific job requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

V&P Nurseries is a wholesale nursery that propagates, grows, and distributes subtropical and drought-tolerant ornamental plant varieties adapted to desert environments. Its offerings include proprietary patented Tecoma cultivars, trademarked Rio Salado Mesquite and Desert Willow varieties, the AZT Legacy arid zone tree series, contract-grown custom plant material, and a broad catalog of perennials, yuccas, cacti, agaves, shrubs, vines, and trees sold B2B to landscape professionals and through retail distribution partners across six Southwestern states.

Product overview

V&P Nurseries is a wholesale nursery operating since 1978 with a 240-acre facility in Queen Creek and a 40-acre property in Chino Valley, Arizona. The company specializes in subtropical and drought-tolerant plant varieties for the Southwest, offering a diverse portfolio centered around patented and trademarked Tecoma cultivars (Lydia, Sparky, Sparklette, Bells of Fire) developed in partnership with Arizona State University, exclusive Rio Salado trademarked varieties (mesquite and desert willow), tissue culture laboratory services, contract growing programs, and wholesale will-call distribution. Their product lineup spans perennials, yuccas, cacti, agaves, shrubs, vines, and trees adapted for desert environments. The company also operates a cold-hardy varieties program at their Chino Valley facility and provides retail distribution through garden centers across six states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patented & Trademarked Tecoma Varieties Exclusive line of genetically designed Tecoma cultivars developed in partnership with George Hull of Arizona State University, optimized for Sonoran Desert climates. Includes dwarf and taller varieties with unique flower colors suited for residential and commercial Southwest landscapes.
• Rio Salado Mesquite (Prosopis 'Rio Salado') Trademarked thornless mesquite variety exclusive to V&P Nurseries, available as multi-trunk or standard tree, with green foliage, darker bark, and seed pods containing naturally inert seeds.
• AZT Legacy Series (Arid Zone Trees) Proprietary series of arid zone tree cultivars including thornless and seedless mesquite hybrids and palo verde varieties developed for desert landscaping applications.
• Rio Salado Desert Willow (Chilopsis 'Rio Salado') Exclusive trademarked desert willow variety (Chilopsis 'Rio Salado') adapted for harsh climates, featuring violet panicle flowers and serving as accent or shade tree for Southwest landscapes.
• Wholesale Plant Catalog (Perennials, Yuccas, Cacti & Succulents, Shrubs & Vines, Trees) Comprehensive wholesale catalog of subtropical and desert-adapted plant material spanning perennials, yuccas, cacti and succulents, shrubs and vines, and trees, sold to landscape professionals and channel partners across the Southwest.
• Contract Grow Services Custom growing services for landscape designers, architects, and contractors that ensure highest quality plant product delivered to meet job-specific size specifications, budgetary constraints, and deadlines, with viable substitutions available for non-inventory cultivars.
• Wholesale Will Call Service Wholesale pickup service at the Queen Creek facility with order processing in 30-45 minutes for small-medium orders and 1-1.5 hours for larger orders, featuring a professional pull crew team, loading zone assistance, and delivery available to Maricopa County, Tucson, Southern California, and Texas.
• Retail Garden Center Distribution Wholesale supply to independent garden centers, grocery chains, and box stores across six Southwestern states, enabling consumers to purchase V&P premium desert specimens at retail locations.
• Chino Valley Cold-Hardy Varieties 40-acre production facility in Chino Valley, Arizona dedicated to nurturing subtropical, reseeding perennial and rose varieties, leveraging the site's crystal clear water and ideal sun-plant ratio to develop varieties suited for areas like Cottonwood, Sedona, Flagstaff, and Albuquerque north of the Sonoran Desert.

Quantifiable outcome

• 43 years of industry relationships and trust with local and national partners
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, regional and partner.

• Home DepotcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor retail partner distributing V&P plant products through Home Depot stores across the Southwest region.
• Lowe'scoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution partner offering V&P plant varieties through Lowe's locations in the Southwest.
• CostcomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale club retailer partner distributing premium desert plant specimens through Costco locations.
• AlbertsonsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrocery chain partner for retail plant distribution across their Southwest store locations.
• SafewaymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrocery chain partner for retail plant distribution in the Southwest region.
• Bashas'regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional Arizona grocery chain partner for plant distribution.
• Arizona State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with late George Hull of ASU for development of new Tecoma cultivars including 'Sparky' trademark protected with university.
• Arbico OrganicscoreTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of beneficial insects for IPM program. Located one hour from Queen Creek facility. Provides 24/7 pest control through natural predators for sustainable pest management.
• Rancho Tissue CulturemajorTechnology or IntegrationTissue culture partner providing exclusive hybrid agave varieties including 'Blue Ember' and 'Blue Waves'.
• Moon Valley NurseriespartnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner nursery in distribution network for Southwest region.
• Desert Botanical GardenpartnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational and conservation partnership supporting desert horticulture awareness.
• Arizona Nursery Association (AZNA)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association membership supporting certification (ANCP) and networking within Arizona nursery industry.
• Arizona Landscape Contractors Association (AZLCA)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association partnership (ACLP certified) for landscape contractor community engagement.
• City of PhoenixregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipal partnership for landscape projects in Phoenix region.
• City of MesaregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipal partnership for landscape projects in Mesa area.
• Town of Queen CreekregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipal partnership for landscape projects in Queen Creek, home of V&P headquarters.
• Rosie on the HousemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerQuarterly radio partnership on Saturday morning show discussing plants, the industry, and more. Supports community education and brand awareness.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Monrovia Nursery Company: National wholesale nursery with one of the broadest branded plant portfolios in North America. Comparable as a wholesale nursery supplying independent garden centers and big-box retailers, but at a much larger national scale with broader geographic reach and stronger retail brand pull.
• Bailey Nurseries: Large national wholesale nursery producing landscape plants, shrubs, and trees for retailers and growers across North America. Comparable as a wholesale nursery serving garden centers and landscape professionals, but with national rather than regional focus.
• Star Roses and Plants: National wholesale nursery and plant brand owner developing branded rose, perennial, and shrub genetics. Comparable in branded/patented plant development and wholesale distribution model, but with a national portfolio rather than a regional desert focus.
• Hines Growers: Large multi-region wholesale nursery producing ornamental landscape plants for retailers and landscape professionals across the U.S. Comparable in B2B wholesale plant supply model and retail distribution relationships, though with broader non-desert product mix.

Direct peers

• Whitfill Nursery: Phoenix-area wholesale and retail nursery with a long history of supplying landscape contractors in the Sonoran Desert region. Comparable in B2B wholesale service model and desert plant specialization.
• Treeland Nurseries: Arizona-based wholesale nursery specializing in large specimen trees for desert landscaping. Comparable in B2B landscape professional customer base and Southwest desert-adapted tree focus.
• Moon Valley Nurseries: Large Arizona-headquartered grower and retailer of desert-adapted and landscape trees and plants. Directly comparable in geography (Arizona), customer base (landscape contractors and homeowners), and product mix (desert-adapted shade trees, citrus, palms), making it the closest head-to-head competitor in the regional wholesale nursery market.
• SummerWinds Nursery: Multi-location Arizona nursery chain carrying desert-adapted plants, trees, and landscape material. Comparable as a Southwest-focused retail/wholesale nursery serving overlapping landscape professional and DIY consumer customers.
• Civano Nursery: Tucson-based wholesale and retail nursery focused on desert-adapted and native Southwest plants. Comparable in regional desert plant specialization and landscape contractor customer base.

Regional players

• Arbor Valley Nursery: Colorado-based wholesale nursery serving landscape professionals across the Rocky Mountain and High Plains regions. Comparable in regional B2B wholesale nursery model serving arid-climate landscape contractors, though operating in a different (colder) geography than V&P.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/vpnurseries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/v-p-nurseries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 V&P Nurseries