Wholesale Growers to the Trade and Retail Sales to the Public
Heartwood Nursery has been a leader in propagating and growing native species for over 35 years in the Mid-Atlantic region. Founded in 1992 as one of the first wholesale nurseries to specialize in natives, Heartwood Nursery is now among the largest retail and wholesale native nurseries in the area. We’re also proactive educators of backyard gardeners, property owners, students, as well as community and professional groups.
It all began with owner Sue Hunter’s woodland wanderings as a young girl. Here’s her story:
The Forest’s Apprentice: Young Sue Hunter
As a child, Sue spent countless hours roving the woods on her family’s farm in Maryland. When she was not in school, she would be out dawn to dusk, roaming miles on foot or horseback, with friends or on her own. The natural world was Sue’s playground. It was uncharted territory for adventure and a refuge for the typical child. From the start, it was a living laboratory for Sue’s botanic and horticultural explorations.
Sue had a keen eye for the native woodland around her. She noticed that the tall Tulip Poplars and the high leafy crowns of mature Oaks provided the dappled sunlight and shade that the understory of evergreen American hollies and white-flowering Serviceberry trees needed. The stream and fallen leaves supplied the environment that Lady Slipper plants needed to cover the bank in green foliage and pink blooms. Each spring, vernal pools came to life, oh so briefly, with amphibian activity. Birds and insects alighted on branch and bloom everywhere.
Born into a family with several generations having careers deeply rooted in the horticultural field, Sue naturally studied the woodland species. Twig or leaf in hand, she pored over her great-great-grandmother’s 1866 edition of Asa Gray’s Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States. At ten years old, Sue was already planting acorns and Holly berries in an old candy tin and trying to propagate Serviceberry and Mountain Laurel plants from seeds and cuttings.
As a high school senior in the 1970s, Sue knew she wanted to study forestry and the deciduous woods. She stated this on a vocational questionnaire, but a guidance counselor told her such jobs were open only to men.
Heartwood Nursery: A Native Species Pioneer Takes Root
Sue steadfastly grew her knowledge and expertise in native species propagation. At Towson University, she studied biology, focusing on geology, soil sciences, and plant taxonomy.
While raising a family and holding various horticulture jobs in the 1980s, she continued to experiment and perfect methods of growing native trees and shrubs from seeds or cuttings without pesticides or fertilizers. She began part-time wholesale in 1987 in northern Maryland. By 1992, she had grown enough healthy native nursery stock to start the business full-time as Heartwood Nursery.
In 1995, another property was acquired, just over the state line, at 8957 Hickory Road in Felton, Pennsylvania. Half of the 70-acre site was a stand of beautiful mature hardwoods; the other half was open cropland without a single tree.
Leaving the hardwoods untouched to continue to mature, Sue began the labor intensive work of transforming the open field into a native plant nursery. She still remembers her sons pulling her on an old Christmas tree planter, her arms extended to each side, planting Serviceberry seedlings in rows to the left and right. In 1995, they planted ten acres. The following year, another ten. By 1997, they had planted all 35 acres. The site was an expanse of seedlings of Serviceberry, American Holly, Oak, Viburnum, and other native trees and shrubs in full sun.
Now, you can walk the entire nursery on some summer days and never leave the shade.
While most of the horticulture industry focused on ornamentals, Sue remained dedicated to native species, deepening her experience in plant propagation's scientific, technical, and artistic craft. At the same time, she began sharing her knowledge with community and professional organizations.
National Leader in American Holly Propagation
While all native species are vitally important, the American Holly (Ilex opaca) holds a special place in Sue’s heart. Heartwood is the largest propagator of American Holly in the United States. Through her propagation, Heartwood is a success story for this native species, designated as threatened in Pennsylvania.
Our beautiful grove of 300 mature hollies is a Holly Society of America Certified Arboretum and Test Center, one of only 14 in the United States and overseas. Learn more about the Heartwood Holly Arboretum and our wholesale and retail Holly availability.
Heartwood Nursery Today:
Wholesale, Retail, and Education for a Healthy Ecosystem
In 2006, we centralized operations entirely at our Felton, Pennsylvania location. With our native perennials, trees, and shrubs thriving, we added a retail sales area in 2010. Heartwood is now one of the largest retail and wholesale native nurseries in the region, offering more than 300 species of trees, shrubs, perennials, ferns, and grasses native to the eastern Piedmont and transitional regions.
Acting on her lifelong dedication to protecting the native ecosystem, Sue in 2011 placed the entire 70-acre property in preservation in perpetuity through the Farm and Natural Lands Trust of York County. This protects the land from future development.
We welcome everyone interested in native species to visit us. Bring your questions about choosing and planting natives. We love to help anyone who would like to improve the health of the ecosystem that all people and wildlife depend on.
Attend our many educational events, too! Our popular annual Serviceberry Festival is now in its 16th year. We schedule public tours of our nursery, pollinator meadow, and Holly Society of America Certified Arboretum and Test Center. We hold seasonal workshops and other events as well. Check out our Events & Resources, and come visit.
Community Service
At Heartwood, we believe everyone benefits from understanding the vital importance of our native plants. Here are just some of the many organizations we’ve provided educational experiences:
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Community College of Baltimore County
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Penn State Extension
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York County Master Gardeners
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Indian Steps Museum
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Mason-Dixon Public Library
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Kennard-Dale High School
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Hershaull Park
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York County Parks
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Watershed Alliance of York
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Union Mills Homestead
Professional Affiliations
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International Plant Propagators Society
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Holly Society of America
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Pennsylvania Nursery and Landscape Association
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Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
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Pennsylvania Native Plant Society
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Maryland Native Plant Society
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Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association
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Community College of Baltimore County
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Explore York
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Virginia Native Plant Society