TN Nursery - A Legacy Rooted in Tennessee Since 1959

Three Generations of Growing America's Native Plants 

The story of TN Nursery began in 1959 when Roscoe Tate founded Mountain Ornamental Nursery in Altamont, Tennessee, a small town nestled among the beautiful Cumberland Plateau between Chattanooga and Nashville. While Roscoe loved the woods and being outdoors, his love of the outdoors helped him learn all kinds of native plants, and his wife, Rachel, managed the business's bookkeeping and answered the phones until their daughter, Tammy, was old enough to join her.

Roscoe was a true nurseryman with a love for the outdoors. He spent countless days working in his greenhouse, walking the hills and mountains of Tennessee, learning about native plants, digging roots and ginseng, collecting seeds, and gaining an unmatched understanding of the region's natural landscapes while providing for his family by living off the land.

His knowledge wasn't learned from a university or books, but rather earned through decades of firsthand experience and an unwavering dedication to the land. That passion for native plants became the cornerstone of a family legacy that has grown for more than six decades and remains at the heart of TN Nursery today.

The Next Generation Takes Root

Growing up in the family business, Tammy worked from a teenager for her parents in the nursery, where she answered calls, took orders, prepared price lists by hand, and watched how they kept daily operations running smoothly. Together, Tammy and her mother, Rachel, handled many of the office responsibilities that were essential to the nursery's success.

One of Tammy's favorite memories dates back to the early 1980s, when the nursery received its very first fax machine. Excited to try the new technology, her mother sent the nursery's first fax to a customer. Minutes later, the customer called and jokingly asked her to stop sending the same fax over and over. "It was one of those moments we'll never forget," Tammy recalls with a smile. We didn't have a clue about technology.

Working with her parents and growing up in the nursery industry taught Tammy the value of not only retaining a customer, but keeping them satisfied with quality nursery stock, affordable prices,  good business practices, and how to build lasting customer relationships.

 Dennis also had the privilege of learning from Roscoe, witnessing his remarkable knowledge of native plants and his unwavering commitment to supporting his family through hard work and the land. Those lessons became the foundation for the values that continue to guide TN Nursery today.

Leap of Faith

In 1994, Dennis, Tammy's husband, took a leap of faith inspired by Dennis's vision for the future. Leaving behind the security of their jobs, Dennis & Tammy founded TN Nursery on 12.5 acres in Skymont at a small farm they bought and an old, run-down farmhouse with a shared dream of carrying Roscoe's legacy into a new generation.

With Dennis and their oldest son, Philip, planting every tree and shrub by hand, the family's dedication quickly paid off. They sold every plant during their first year in business, paid off their mortgage, and laid the foundation for what would become TN Nursery, a family-owned plant nursery.

Building One of America's Leading Plant Nurseries

Through hard work, determination, and an unwavering commitment to quality and learning from mistakes, that small family nursery has grown into more than 170 acres of family-owned growing land, 10 production greenhouses, and one of the nation's trusted suppliers of bare-root native plants, trees, shrubs, ferns, and perennials.

Over 3000 Acres of Availability Combined With Other Growers' Property

With access to more than 3,000 acres of growing availability from local nurseries and growers, TN Nursery offers one of the largest selections of plants in the industry. We have shipped over 5 million plants to customers across the United States while remaining true to the family values, quality, and personalized service that have guided our family, since 1959.

Three Generations Strong

Today, TN Nursery proudly remains a third-generation family-owned business. Dennis and Tammy's children, Tristan and Bailey, now play an active role as partners, helping lead the company into the future. Together, they are committed to preserving the family legacy while continuing the tradition of integrity, hard work, exceptional customer service, and a deep passion for horticulture that has defined TN Nursery since 1959.

Supplying America's Most Recognized Landscapes

Over the years, TN Nursery has been honored to provide native plants for some of the nation's most recognized landmarks, organizations, and restoration projects. Our plants have been selected for projects involving the Washington Monument, Arlington National Cemetery, NASA, The History Channel, Tyson Foods, and numerous commercial, conservation, and government initiatives across the United States.

TN Nursery's Mission Going Forward

Since 1959, TN Nursery has grown from a small family farm into one of America's trusted online plant nurseries, but our mission remains unchanged: to grow exceptional plants, serve every customer with integrity, and carry forward the values, craftsmanship, and work ethic that have been passed down through three generations of our family.

Buy with Trust from a Family-Owned & Operated Business

Whether you prefer to order your bare-root plants online or pick them up in person, you're always welcome at TN Nursery. While we don't have a traditional retail storefront, we operate a commercial warehouse, and what people in the nursery industry call a packing barn and commercial cooler where we store dormant plants during the shipping season.

From November through April, many of our dormant trees, shrubs, and bare-root plants are available for pickup. During the rest of the year, we recommend placing your order online. If you'd like to pick it up instead of having it shipped, simply give us a call. We'll be happy to arrange a convenient pickup time and look forward to meeting you!