Nashville has quietly built one of the best independent plant shop scenes in the South. Whether you are chasing a rare anthurium, a native oak, or just a healthy pothos for the kitchen, the city’s nurseries cover the full range, often with knowledgeable owners who actually know their stock.
I have not visited every Nashville nursery in person, so this guide is a researched roundup based on consistent customer reviews, owner reputations, and what each shop is genuinely known for. I have included honest negatives where they come up repeatedly, because no nursery is perfect.
Quick answer
The 10 best Nashville plant nurseries cover everything from rare houseplants (Lawrence and Clarke, Flora, Hoop House) to large traditional garden centers (Bates, Hewitt, Gardens of Babylon) to specialty spots like Holtkamp for African violets and Moore and Moore for natives. Each has a clear strength, pick based on what you are buying.
For care help on what you bring home, our houseplant care guides and variety roundups cover the popular species in detail.
1. Bates Nursery and Garden Center
Bates is one of the largest and most established nurseries in Nashville, family run since 1932, with a wide stock that runs from annuals and perennials to shrubs, trees, and indoor plants. Reviewers consistently praise the size of the selection and the knowledgeable perennial staff.
The native plant collection comes up often in reviews as a real strength, with fresh rotating inventory and cultivar variety you do not find at chain stores. Several gardeners mention traveling across town specifically for the quality and depth here.
Honest note: some reviewers have flagged disappointing experiences with their delivery service and warranty policy. If you go in person and pick your own plants, the feedback is overwhelmingly positive, but be cautious with large delivery orders.
Address: 3810 Whites Creek Pike, Nashville, TN 37207
Phone: (615) 876-1014
Website: batesnursery.com
Hours: Mon to Sat 9 AM to 4 PM, Sun 12 to 4 PM
Rating: 4.8 stars (428+ reviews)
2. Gardens of Babylon
Gardens of Babylon sits on Rosa L Parks Boulevard near the Nashville Farmers’ Market and is one of the most popular plant destinations in the city. The selection leans toward indoor houseplants, curated pottery, and home goods. Reviewers say the staff genuinely match plants to your space rather than push a sale.
Customers regularly highlight pieces like pink princess philodendron and other collectible aroids appearing in stock, alongside more common houseplants. The downtown location makes it an easy stop, and the farmers’ market booth is a separate point of presence worth knowing about.
The team also handles landscape design, which is a different business arm, so if you visit just for plants you will mostly interact with the retail side.
Address: 900 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN 37208
Phone: (615) 244-8949
Website: gardensofbabylon.com
Hours: Daily, generally 8 or 9 AM to 6 PM
Rating: 4.8 stars (691+ reviews)
3. JVI Secret Gardens
JVI Secret Gardens is exactly what the name suggests, a sprawling property on Donelson Pike that feels like it goes back for miles. Koi ponds, fountains, Japanese maples, and a deep stock of trees and shrubs all sit on the lot. The 4.9 star rating across nearly 500 reviews backs up the hidden-gem reputation.
Long-time customers say the staff are helpful and efficient, and the on-site landscape team is well regarded for installations. The atmosphere skews more toward outdoor gardening and landscape work than packaged houseplants.
For Japanese maples and ornamental trees specifically, this is one of the strongest selections in the metro area, according to repeat customers.
Address: 227 Donelson Pike, Nashville, TN 37214
Phone: (615) 871-7338
Website: jvisecretgardens.com
Hours: Mon to Sat 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Sun 10 AM to 4 PM
Rating: 4.9 stars (471+ reviews)
4. Lawrence and Clarke Cacti Co
Despite the name, Lawrence and Clarke is not just cacti, it is one of Nashville’s best curated houseplant shops, with a small footprint packed with healthy plants, pots, and gifts. The owners get repeated praise in reviews for being personally invested in customers and educating them on care.
A standout detail for pet owners: they organize plants by category, including a dedicated pet-safe corner, which is genuinely rare and useful. Care instructions are printed right on the receipt, which is the kind of thoughtful touch that small shops do well and big stores never do.
They also repot plants for customers, build longer-term relationships with regulars, and rotate stock to keep variety fresh. If you want a beginner-friendly experience with real knowledge behind it, this is a top pick.
Address: 2624 Old Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN 37214
Phone: (615) 357-0827
Website: lccactico.com
Hours: Tues to Sat 11 AM to 5 PM, Sun 12 to 4 PM (closed Monday)
Rating: 4.9 stars (154+ reviews)
5. Flora
Flora on East Trinity Lane is a beloved East Nashville plant shop, run by owner Kerbi. It strikes a balance between beginner friendly options and rarer varieties, which reviewers genuinely appreciate, and the aesthetic and atmosphere come up often as a draw on its own.
The shop runs deals like multi-plant bundles that make collecting more affordable, and the owner is known for being kind, knowledgeable, and personally engaged with regulars. It is the kind of place where customers go just to walk around for self-care, not always to buy.
For East Nashville residents, Flora is a strong default for healthy houseplants without the markup of more touristy locations.
Address: 305 E Trinity Ln #103, Nashville, TN 37207
Phone: (615) 739-5607
Website: floraplantshop.com
Hours: Mon to Fri 11 AM to 6 PM, Sat to Sun 11 AM to 5 PM
Rating: 4.6 stars (101+ reviews)
6. Hoop House
Hoop House on Wedgewood Avenue is another well loved Nashville houseplant shop, run by owner Tana. The shop is small but well stocked, the owner is known for hands-on plant care help including what reviewers call “plant ER” for struggling plants, and there are often foster kittens running around courtesy of Tana’s rescue work.
Customers mention finding plants here they had not seen elsewhere, even with 50 plus plants at home already, which speaks to the variety in a small space. The staff repot plants for you, whether you buy a pot there or bring your own, and they deliver larger plants.
The shop also stocks handcrafted goods from local artists and plant care accessories, so it doubles as a gift destination. The atmosphere gets near-universal praise as warm and personal.
Address: 1218 Wedgewood Ave, Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: (615) 818-0731
Website: thehoophouse.com
Hours: Tues to Sun, generally 11 AM to 5 or 6 PM (closed Monday)
Rating: 4.6 stars (43+ reviews)
7. Selective Plant Shoppe
Selective Plant Shoppe on Lischey Avenue (sharing the property with Holtkamp Greenhouses) is one of those quietly excellent finds: a self-checkout shop with rare plants, reasonable prices, and a 5.0 star rating across 130+ reviews. The owner has done a careful job curating the space.
Customers consistently come back because of the unusual selection and the value, the kind of place where you can return two days in a row and still find new plants. The self-service model keeps things efficient.
The 5.0 rating across that many reviews is genuinely unusual and worth taking seriously, almost every customer leaves happy.
Address: 1501 Lischey Ave, Nashville, TN 37207
Phone: (not publicly listed)
Hours: Daily 7 AM to 7 PM
Rating: 5.0 stars (134+ reviews)
8. Holtkamp Greenhouses (Optimara)
Holtkamp shares the Lischey Avenue location with Selective and is known specifically for African violets and related gesneriads, they are actually the parent of the Optimara violet brand. For African violet enthusiasts, this is a notable destination, with high-quality plants, specialty soil, and safe fertilizer.
The shop is small and self-service, but customers travel from out of state for the Optimara soil and the violet selection, which is impressive on its own. The greenhouse complex also offers rare aroids and tropical plants in rotating stock, which is a happy surprise for visitors who came for violets.
If you grow African violets at home and have been struggling to find quality plants or correct soil, this is genuinely the place.
Address: 1501 Lischey Ave, Nashville, TN 37207
Phone: (615) 228-2683
Website: optimara.com
Hours: Mon to Fri 8 AM to 4:30 PM (closed weekends)
Rating: 4.8 stars (37+ reviews)
9. Moore and Moore Garden Center
Moore and Moore is on TN-100 in West Nashville and has a strong reputation for healthy plants, friendly staff, and a focus on varieties that actually do well in Middle Tennessee. Customer reviews repeatedly note that plants from Moore and Moore survive the local climate better than big-box alternatives.
The shop carries native plants, an indoor selection, gift items, and seasonal stock. The team is known for going out of their way to help, including last-minute fixes when customers are in a bind, the kind of small-business service that builds loyal regulars.
They also run gardening classes and offer landscape help, which adds to the value if you are doing more than a single purchase.
Address: 8216 TN-100, Nashville, TN 37221
Phone: (615) 662-8849
Website: mooreandmoore.com
Hours: Mon to Sat 8 AM to 5 PM, Sun 10 AM to 5 PM
Rating: 4.6 stars (230+ reviews)
10. Hewitt Garden and Design Center (Franklin)
Hewitt is technically in Franklin, about 20 minutes south of central Nashville, so it is a suburb visit rather than an in-city stop. I am including it because reviewers repeatedly call it their go-to and say it is worth the drive. One twenty-year Nashville resident calls it the only place they shop.
The selection covers everything: trees (including natives in all stages of maturity), shrubs, perennials, annuals, houseplants, and a dedicated cactus greenhouse. Customers consistently mention finding rare houseplants and varieties not stocked elsewhere in the region.
Worth confirming the drive before going since hours and seasonal stock matter, and Hewitt is closed on Sundays. But for the variety and quality, it is the Nashville-area nursery most often described as a destination worth the trip.
Address: 2525 Hillsboro Rd, Franklin, TN 37069
Phone: (615) 661-6767
Website: hewittgc.com
Hours: Mon to Sat 8 AM to 5 PM (closed Sunday)
Rating: 4.6 stars (261+ reviews)
How to choose the right Nashville nursery
Each of the ten shops above has a different strength. To pick the right one for what you are after:
For rare and collectible houseplants, head to Lawrence and Clarke, Flora, Hoop House, Selective Plant Shoppe, or Hewitt. These are the shops most likely to surprise you.
For native plants and trees, Bates, Moore and Moore, and Hewitt are the strongest options, with deep native selections suited to Middle Tennessee.
For pet-safe shopping with clear labels, Lawrence and Clarke’s dedicated pet-safe corner makes it the easiest experience, though most knowledgeable shops will help you identify non-toxic options if you ask.
For landscape design plus retail, JVI Secret Gardens and Gardens of Babylon both run strong design arms alongside their plant shops.
For African violet specialty, Holtkamp is the destination.
A note on caveats
Nursery hours, stock, and even open status can change. Before driving, especially to smaller shops or further-out destinations like Hewitt, it is worth a quick call or website check to confirm current hours and that they are open. Ratings reflect a snapshot in time and reviews can shift, treat them as one signal among several.
Final thoughts
Nashville’s plant nursery scene punches well above its weight. You get a mix of established family-run garden centers, small boutique houseplant shops, and specialty destinations. Whether you are looking for a single pothos for the kitchen window or a mature Japanese maple, there is a shop on this list that has it.
If you visit any of these, let me know in the comments what you found, especially the rotating stock of rare houseplants at places like Lawrence and Clarke, Flora, and Hewitt. The smaller shops in particular reward repeat visits, since inventory changes regularly.
For care help on the plants you bring home, our Hoya care guide, Anthurium care guide, and pet-safe houseplant roundup are good places to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best plant nursery in Nashville for rare houseplants?
For rare and collectible houseplants, Lawrence and Clarke Cacti Co, Flora, Hoop House, and Selective Plant Shoppe consistently get praised for unusual varieties and knowledgeable staff. Hewitt in Franklin also has a strong rare plant reputation.
Where can I find pet-safe houseplants in Nashville?
Lawrence and Clarke Cacti Co keeps a dedicated pet-safe corner, which is genuinely useful for cat and dog owners. Most other shops will help you identify non-toxic options if you ask, since pet safety is a common question.
Which Nashville nursery is best for native plants?
Bates Nursery and Moore and Moore Garden Center both carry strong native plant selections suited to Middle Tennessee’s climate. Hewitt in Franklin is also known for native trees and perennials.
Are there good independent plant shops in East Nashville?
Yes. Flora on East Trinity Lane and Selective Plant Shoppe on Lischey Avenue are both well loved East Nashville options, alongside Holtkamp Greenhouses which shares the Lischey location.
When is the best time of year to visit Nashville nurseries?
Spring through early summer is peak season for selection and outdoor plants. For houseplants specifically, year-round shopping works since the best shops keep stock rotating regardless of season.
