Russell's Tree & Shrub Farm

What Russell's Tree & Shrub Farm does

Russell's Tree & Shrub Farm is a family-owned retail garden center and wholesale nursery operating from a multi-acre facility at 9800 Transit Rd in East Amherst, New York, serving the Western New York and Buffalo region. Founded in 1980 by Russell C. Gullo as a backyard operation selling at the Clinton Bailey market and continued from 1989 by his son Russell J. Gullo, the company has expanded through staged buildouts (1994 Dodge Road expansion, 1996 office completion, 1997 Tree section) into a single-site operation carrying trees, shrubs, native plants, mulch, soil, stone, hardscape pavers from Unilock and Triple H Concrete Products, outdoor living goods, and gift cards. Revenue is generated through one-time retail purchases at the garden center and online shop, wholesale accounts for landscapers and contractors with separate trade pricing and Net-30 credit, fee-based delivery services using specialized equipment (forklift, hydraulic tracked machine, dump trucks), and a seasonally paused garden design service.

The go-to-market is hybrid: physical retail is the primary channel, supported by an e-commerce shop, email newsletter, downloadable plant-care guides, project calculators, and an AI chatbot ("Virtual Russell") that handles gardening and delivery questions at the top of the funnel. Customer segments are organized by use case — retail homeowners (primary), professional landscapers and contractors (wholesale), and native-plant seekers — with no disclosed named enterprise customers. Operational technology is light: a website with ordering and tracking, embedded calculators, the chatbot, and a wholesale login portal. There are no API, SDK, or integration disclosures, and the company is a privately held LLC with no funding rounds, M&A activity, subsidiaries, or public financial disclosures on record.

Name

Russell's Tree & Shrub Farm

Legal name

Russell's Tree & Shrub Farm LLC

Website

https://russellsny.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Russell's Tree & Shrub Farm is a family-owned retail garden center and wholesale nursery in East Amherst, NY, selling plants, hardscape, and outdoor living products to homeowners, landscapers, and contractors across Western New York, with delivery, design, and AI-assisted customer support services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Garden Center & Nursery

NAICS

Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (44424), Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Retailers (4442), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (113210)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers) (CRAIAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seasonal Color, Planting & Horticultural Services (BPABADAL), Seasonal Color & Flower Rotation (Spring/Fall Plantings) (HSAIAFAE), Tree Care & Arborist Services (BPABADAD)

Keywords

• Garden center retail
• Landscape supplies
• Plant nursery
• Hardscape materials
• Wholesale nursery

Headquarters

HQ city

East Amherst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: One-time purchases of trees, shrubs, plants, mulch, soil, stone, outdoor furniture, décor, pottery, pavers, and garden supplies. Sold through physical garden center and online shop.
2. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in preset amounts ($25-$250) and custom amounts via phone. Delivered via email. Available in themed variants (Birthday, Christmas, New Home, Thank You, Sympathy, Springtime).
3. Wholesale Accounts: Wholesale pricing program for landscapers, contractors, and approved organizations. Requires approved wholesale account. Net 30 terms available after credit approval. 3% credit card fee applies to wholesale purchases.
4. Design Service: We Plan, You Plant design program to help customers establish their garden of their dreams. Service currently paused seasonally.
5. Delivery Services: Delivery of all products sold including palletized stone, trees, bulk product, and bagged product. Additional charge for delivery service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Russell's Tree & Shrub Farm is a multi-acre retail garden center and wholesale nursery in East Amherst, NY that sells trees, shrubs, plants, mulch, soil, stone, pavers, hardscapes, outdoor furniture, and related landscaping supplies. It complements its product catalog with professional delivery service, a seasonal We Plan, You Plant garden design program, a Plant Doctor warranty service, and a Wholesale Corner program serving landscapers and contractors. Digital tools include the Virtual Russell AI chatbot, online calculators for mulch/soil/stone and retaining walls, and an e-commerce shop for gift cards and bulk materials.

Product overview

Russell's Tree & Shrub Farm is a retail garden center and wholesale nursery offering a comprehensive range of landscaping and gardening products and services. The core product portfolio includes plants (trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, natives), bulk landscape materials (mulch, soil, stone), hardscaping products (pavers, wall stone, walkway materials), and outdoor living items (furniture, décor, pottery, grills). Add-on services include delivery, a garden design program, a Plant Doctor warranty/health assessment service, and a wholesale corner for trade professionals. Digital tools such as mulch and wall calculators support customer project planning. The business operates as a single-location garden center in East Amherst, NY, with both retail and wholesale customer segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plants (Trees, Shrubs, and Plants) Retail and wholesale selection of trees, shrubs, and plants including popular in-stock varieties and native species for residential and landscaping use.
• Mulch, Soil, and Stone Bulk and bagged mulch, soil, and stone landscaping materials available for delivery or pickup, including palletized stone delivered with forklift equipment.
• Garden and Lawn Care Products Treatment products for ongoing maintenance and care of residential gardens and lawns.
• Outdoor Living Outdoor furniture, décor, pottery, cooking equipment, grills, and fireplaces for residential outdoor living spaces.
• Patio, Wall, and Walkway Hardscapes Pavers and palletized wall and path stone products from brands including Triple H Concrete Products and Unilock for patios, retaining walls, and walkways.
• Native Plants Plant species indigenous to Western New York and the regional ecosystem, suited to ecological landscaping and conservation use.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards sold in preset denominations ($25-$250) and custom amounts, delivered via email with optional themed styling for birthdays, holidays, new home, thank you, sympathy, and springtime occasions.
• Garden Design Service Seasonal professional garden design program (We Plan, You Plant) that helps customers plan a dream garden layout; currently paused and resuming each March.
• Delivery Service Paid delivery service covering all products including palletized stone via forklift, trees via hydraulic tracked machine placement, bulk products via dump trucks, and bagged product stacking.
• Wholesale Corner Program Trade pricing and dedicated wholesale portal serving landscapers, contractors, and approved organizations, with account registration, 2-business-day approval, Net 30 credit terms, and 3% credit card transaction fee.
• Plant Doctor Warranty Service Warranty and plant health assessment service for diagnosing plant issues and processing warranty claims for plants purchased at Russell's, backed by a one-year plant warranty with store credit.

Quantifiable outcome

• Plant warranty provides store credit for original purchase price if plant does not survive within one year from date of purchase (following planting instructions)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• American Cancer SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Partnership established in 2007 where Russell's joined in the fight toward a cure for cancer.
• UnilockcoreTechnology or IntegrationRussell's carries Unilock pavers and palletized stone products. Provides downloadable Unilock product catalog. Unilock Split n' Stack blocks featured in retaining wall calculator tool on website.
• Triple H Concrete ProductscoreTechnology or IntegrationRussell's carries pavers manufactured by Triple H concrete products in 12"x12" and 20"x20" sizes. Products sold for patio, wall, and walkway projects.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pike Nurseries: Multi-location independent garden center chain in the Southeast offering plants, landscape supplies, and design services. Comparable as a regional garden center operating a similar retail-plus-landscape-supplies model.
• Nature Hills Nursery: Online plant retailer shipping trees, shrubs, and perennials nationwide. Comparable as an e-commerce alternative for the same customer use case (residential landscaping plants) that Russell's serves locally.
• FastGrowingTrees.com: Online-first nursery retailer selling trees, shrubs, and plants direct to homeowners with shipping. Comparable as a competing channel for the same plant categories Russell's sells, especially to do-it-yourself customers.

Broad incumbents

• Bailey Nurseries: Major wholesale grower of trees, shrubs, and perennials serving garden centers and landscapers across North America. Comparable in the wholesale nursery supply chain that feeds retail garden centers like Russell's.
• SiteOne Landscape Supply: National distributor of landscape supplies (mulch, soil, stone, hardscapes) serving professional landscapers. Comparable to Russell's Wholesale Corner in serving contractor demand for bulk landscape materials.
• Proven Winners: Network of wholesale growers producing branded annuals, perennials, and shrubs sold through independent garden centers. Comparable as a plant brand competing for premium placement in retail garden centers.
• Monrovia Nursery Company: Largest wholesale nursery grower in the U.S., supplying branded container plants to garden centers and landscape professionals. Comparable as a supplier competitor in the premium plant and shrub category where Russell's differentiates.
• Star Roses and Plants: Wholesale nursery specializing in roses, woody plants, and perennials sold through independent garden centers. Comparable as a plant brand supplier competing for retail shelf space at independent garden centers.

Regional players

• Armstrong Garden Centers: Independent garden center chain based in California offering plants, garden supplies, and landscape services. Comparable retail garden center model, though geographically distinct from Russell's WNY footprint.

Others

• Unilock: Manufacturer of pavers and wall stones distributed through dealers like Russell's. Comparable as a key supplier partner whose products Russell's retails via the hardscapes category and Unilock-branded calculator tool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nyrussells
• Facebookfacebook.com/RussellsNY

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 Russell's Tree & Shrub Farm