Austin gardeners play on hard mode: blazing summers, clay soils, and long droughts. The upside is that the city has a deep bench of excellent local nurseries that know exactly how to grow here, from organic native-plant specialists to lush houseplant shops and succulent wonderlands.
Whether you are planting a water-wise Hill Country garden, hunting for a rare houseplant, or building a cactus collection, there is an Austin nursery for you. Here are ten of the best, with addresses, phone numbers, and hours to help you plan a visit.
Before you go
Nursery hours, locations, and details change with the seasons and over time. Austin’s plant scene is especially fast-moving, with several shops relocating recently, so please confirm current hours, address, and stock on each nursery’s own website or Google listing before making a trip.
How we chose these nurseries
This is a researched roundup of well-regarded Austin nurseries, chosen because they appear consistently across local recommendations and reviews and have strong reputations among Central Texas gardeners.
We have favored independent, locally owned garden centers known for quality plants, climate-appropriate selections, and knowledgeable staff over big-box stores. Where a shop has recently moved, we have noted it, since Austin’s plant scene has seen a lot of relocations.
The 10 best plant nurseries in Austin
1. Barton Springs Nursery
A Westlake Hills favorite that many Austin gardeners name as their number one, with a 4.8 rating. Barton Springs focuses on Texas natives and adapted plants that genuinely thrive in the local climate, alongside a large indoor-plant area.
Reviewers describe getting happily lost wandering among the plants, and love the resident giant tortoise, turtles, and parrots that give the place character. The staff come up again and again as knowledgeable and genuinely helpful, with on-site specialists who answer plant questions.
People note you will not find big discounts here, but feel the quality of the established, well-cared-for plants is worth it.
- Address: 3601 Bee Caves Rd, Austin, TX 78746
- Phone: (512) 328-6655
- Website: bartonspringsnursery.com
- Hours: Mon to Sat 9am to 6pm, Sun 10am to 6pm
- Rating: 4.8 stars (360+ Google reviews)
2. The Great Outdoors
A South Congress institution and one of the most beloved garden centers in the city, with a 4.6 rating across more than 900 reviews. The Great Outdoors offers a huge, healthy selection of plants, cacti, trees, pots, and supplies.
Reviewers describe it as like visiting a botanical garden for free, then going home with treasures. Collectors mention rare finds like variegated Hoya kerrii and whale-fin sansevieria.
The staff earn warm praise too, one reviewer recalls an employee named Madison going out of her way to find them the perfect Christmas tree during a hard family stretch.
It is also dog-friendly, which regulars love.
- Address: 2730 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
- Phone: (512) 448-2992
- Website: gonursery.com
- Hours: Daily 9am to 6pm
- Rating: 4.6 stars (920+ Google reviews)
3. The Natural Gardener
The organic and native-plant favorite, on Old Bee Caves Road, with a 4.7 rating. The Natural Gardener is as much a destination as a shop, with beautiful demonstration gardens, a rose garden, a butterfly garden, and resident chickens and a goat named Biscuit.
Reviewers describe it as one of their favorite places in all of Austin, not just to buy plants but to wander and sit among the landscaping. They praise the enormous, well-organized selection and staff who bring a cart to you and help track down hard-to-find plants.
It is the place to go for organic gardening and Central Texas natives that will actually survive the summer.
- Address: 8648 Old Bee Caves Rd, Austin, TX 78735
- Phone: (512) 288-6113
- Website: tngaustin.com
- Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm
- Rating: 4.7 stars (580+ Google reviews)
4. East Austin Succulents
The city’s go-to for cacti and succulents, now relocated to a roomier south Austin spot, with a 4.8 rating. As the name suggests, it specializes in succulents and cacti, with a huge and often funky, unique selection, plus tropicals and supplies.
Longtime fans say it is where they first fell in love with succulents, and praise the affordable prices and the welcoming, knowledgeable staff, one reviewer credits a staff member named Micah with a beautiful custom planter. They will pot up an arrangement as a gift, or you can grab a ready-made one.
Note it moved locations recently, so use the current south Austin address below and confirm before visiting.
- Address: 7310 Sherwood Rd, Austin, TX 78745
- Phone: (512) 701-3448
- Website: eastaustinsucculents.com
- Hours: Daily 10am to 5pm
- Rating: 4.8 stars (400+ Google reviews)
5. Garden Seventeen
A beloved north-central Austin shop, with a 4.7 rating, that houseplant lovers in particular adore. Garden Seventeen carries a big variety of indoor and outdoor plants, planters, seeds, and a standout rare-houseplant section.
Reviewers rave about thoughtful touches: a take-a-prop, leave-a-prop cutting-swap wall, a pot-your-own-plant station, and staff who help diagnose ailing plants “with sensitivity and grace,” one fondly names an employee, Patrick, for patiently teaching a beginner how to repot. Several describe it as feeling like a botanical garden you can shop.
Prices run a touch higher, but reviewers feel the selection and service justify it.
- Address: 604 Williams St, Austin, TX 78752
- Phone: (512) 646-4717
- Website: search “Garden Seventeen Austin” for current site and socials
- Hours: Seasonal, confirm current hours before visiting
- Rating: 4.7 stars (350+ Google reviews)
6. Shoal Creek Nursery
A long-standing, well-loved neighborhood nursery on Hancock Drive, with a 4.4 rating, that several reviewers call the best in Austin. It carries a broad mix of garden plants, flowers, shrubs, trees, vegetables, seeds, and pots.
What comes up most is value and atmosphere: reviewers note prices on par with or below the big-box stores, a fresh, pleasant vibe, a resident cat, and a friendly, hands-on owner who clearly loves the work. One mentions an employee going above and beyond to track down a specific plant.
As with any nursery, a stray review notes a hit-or-miss plant, so inspect before you buy, but the overall sentiment is very warm.
- Address: 2710 Hancock Dr, Austin, TX 78731
- Phone: (512) 458-5909
- Website: shoalcreeknursery.com
- Hours: Mon to Sat 8am to 6pm, Sun 8am to 5:30pm
- Rating: 4.4 stars (400+ Google reviews)
7. Tillery Street Plant Co.
A popular east-side plant shop, with a 4.6 rating, known for healthy plants at genuinely good prices. Tillery Street carries a lush selection of houseplants, outdoor plants, pots, and soil, with a greenhouse reviewers describe as feeling like a jungle.
People highlight unbeatable value, one mentions a giant split-leaf for just $25, and a handy touch: they will drill a drainage hole in your planter, free if you bought it there. The staff are described as helpful and knowledgeable.
Note that Tillery Street has been moving to a new location, so confirm the current address below before visiting.
- Address: 914 Shady Ln, Austin, TX 78702
- Phone: (737) 212-0457
- Website: tillerystreetplants.com
- Hours: Daily 9am to 6pm
- Rating: 4.6 stars (250+ Google reviews)
8. Hill Country Water Gardens & Nursery
A short drive north in Cedar Park, this 4.7-rated nursery is a destination in its own right, part garden center, part peaceful outdoor museum, with one of the widest plant varieties in the metro plus a specialty in water gardens and ponds.
Reviewers describe coming for a plant and staying for the vibes, wandering the beautifully organized grounds with a coffee. Staff get glowing, specific praise, one reviewer raves about Natasha, who spoke about the water lilies “like they were her babies.”
Prices can run a bit higher, but the experience and expertise, including a help line for garden questions, make it a favorite.
- Address: 1407 N Bell Blvd #7085, Cedar Park, TX 78613
- Phone: (512) 260-5050
- Website: hillcountrywatergardens.com
- Hours: Mon to Sat 9am to 5pm, Sun 11am to 5pm
- Rating: 4.7 stars (580+ Google reviews)
9. Leaf Landscape Supply
A pro-grade nursery and landscape supplier on Highway 290, with a 4.5 rating, that happily sells to home gardeners too. Leaf has a huge selection of trees, shrubs, and plants, plus all the landscape materials, at competitive prices.
Reviewers praise the no-nonsense, fair pricing with no haggling, top-quality trees and shrubs, and staff who walk you around, help with pricing, and load your car. One shares a touching note about buying a memorial tree with kind, knowledgeable help from an employee named Javier.
A loyalty program offers a new-customer discount. Note it is closed Sundays, unusual for a nursery, so plan around that.
- Address: 5700 US-290, Austin, TX 78735
- Phone: (512) 288-5900
- Website: leaflandscapesupply.com (or search Leaf Landscape Supply Austin)
- Hours: Mon to Sat 7:30am to 4:30pm, closed Sun
- Rating: 4.5 stars (110+ Google reviews)
10. Tip Top / neighborhood plant shops
Beyond the big names, Austin has a growing crop of small, independent plant shops worth seeking out for houseplants and a personal touch, the kind of boutique spots that come and go and move around the city’s east and south sides.
These smaller shops often have the most curated, collector-friendly houseplant selections and the most personal service, though they can change location or hours seasonally. Ask local plant groups for the current favorites.
Because these smaller shops change frequently, always confirm a current address, hours, and that the shop is still operating before making a special trip.
- Note: Austin’s smaller, independent plant shops open, move, and close often. Search for current local favorites and verify details before visiting.
- Tip: local plant-swap and houseplant Facebook groups are the best source for which small shops are thriving right now.
Tips for shopping Austin nurseries
A few things help you get the most from an Austin nursery trip. Lean on the local independents for plants suited to Central Texas heat, clay soil, and drought, they will fare far better than generic stock, and native and adapted plants need far less water through the brutal summers.
Plant in fall when you can. Local experts consistently advise that autumn planting lets roots establish over the mild winter, so plants need less watering through summer. Spring is the busiest shopping season, but many nurseries are open year round.
Ask the staff for advice tailored to Central Texas, since locally knowledgeable employees are one of the biggest advantages of an independent nursery over a big-box store. And always inspect a new plant for pests and healthy roots before buying, wherever you shop.
If you are bringing home new houseplants from any of these nurseries, my houseplant care guides can help you keep them thriving once they are on your shelf.
Which Austin nursery is your favorite, or is there a local gem we should add to this list? Leave a comment below and let me know.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best plant nursery in Austin?
It depends what you want. Barton Springs Nursery and The Great Outdoors are top all-rounders, The Natural Gardener is the organic and native-plant favorite, and East Austin Succulents is the go-to for cacti and succulents. All are highly rated by Austin gardeners.
Where can I buy houseplants in Austin?
For houseplants specifically, Garden Seventeen, Tillery Street Plant Co., and The Great Outdoors are local favorites with strong indoor-plant selections, including rarer finds. Most Austin garden centers also carry a good houseplant section.
Which Austin nursery is best for native and drought-tolerant plants?
The Natural Gardener is the standout for organic, native, and water-wise plants suited to Central Texas. Barton Springs Nursery is also strongly focused on Texas natives and adapted plants that handle the local heat.
What is the best time of year to plant in Austin?
Fall is ideal in Central Texas. Planting in autumn lets roots establish over the mild winter so plants need less water through the brutal summer, as local Master Gardeners and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center often advise.
Why buy from a local Austin nursery instead of a big-box store?
Local nurseries stock plants suited to Central Texas heat, clay soils, and drought, and their staff can advise on what actually survives here. That local, climate-specific knowledge is hard to get at a national chain.
