Plant Nursery
Shop a curated selection of outdoor plants online, or visit one of our greenhouses for an even larger nursery selection.
From rare finds to seasonal favorites, our full range of unique plants is best experienced in person—featuring trees, shrubs, and lush ground covers to complete your landscape. Come explore our plant nursery and see what’s growing!
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Vendor Partnerships
At Cactus & Tropicals, we partner with a carefully selected group of growers and nursery specialists who share our commitment to exceptional plant quality, health, and design.
From nationally respected breeders to trusted regional growers here in Utah, each vendor is chosen for their consistency, craftsmanship, and ability to provide distinctive plants suited for our climate.
These long-standing relationships allow us to offer a thoughtfully curated selection of trees, shrubs, perennials, and seasonal plants throughout our Salt Lake City greenhouses.
Monrovia - Monrovia has mastered the art of growing and breeding unique specimens. From evergreens to color annuals, we like Monrovia for their commitment to quality, consistency, and recognition. Keep an eye out for Monrovia’s green pots in our nurseries. Visit Monrovia
Iseli Nursery - Located in Oregon, Iseli offers premium selections of conifers, evergreens, and Japanese maples for year-round color. They are known for their diligence in selecting the best specimens with outstanding uniformity, deep color, and resilience. Look for Iseli’s triangle tag in our nurseries. Visit Iseli Nursery
Sunshine Greenhouses - Based out of Provo, Utah, Sunshine is a local vendor we have long been in relationship with. Every year, Sunshine provides Cactus & Tropicals with unique hanging baskets and lots of annuals.
Perennial Favorites - Perennial Favorites, located in Layton, Utah is one of our long-standing local vendors. They have an outstanding selection of common perennials and keystone annuals.
Preparing for a Dry Utah Summer
Given the low snowpack this year and a likely dry spring and summer, here are a few outdoor plants we like for your garden.
Perennials:
Achillea, commonly known as Yarrow is a great choice for Utah gardens. Once established, it blooms throughout the spring and summer. It is easy to care for requiring minimal water and no soil amendments. Yarrow is most often found in yellow, however, the New Vintage Red is our favorite variety sporting a deep red-magenta colorway.
Agastache, commonly known as hummingbird mint is an aromatic blooming perennial. It is an ideal choice for Utah gardeners interested in attracting pollinators and limiting water use. Once established it is drought tolerant and fast growing. Deadheading may be done to keep the blooms strong, but it is not necessary. Our favorite variety is the Poquito Orange Agastache, showing out with loud orange blooms, strong flower power, and a shorter profile.
Coneflowers, botanically known as Echinacea are a staple in the gardening world. With over one hundred varieties, we like to think there is a coneflower for everyone. My personal favorite is Sweet Sandia with yellow-green outer edge and deep purple mid-center. Echinacea’s bloom late summer through fall. They are heat and drought tolerant, making them a great choice for gardeners looking for striking color later in the season. We usually start to carry them in mid-august once they have started to bloom.
Penstemon is another perennial we recommend. Some varieties are native to Utah, ensuring their durability for our dry climate. Native bees also find them attractive. Blooming summer through fall, the Red Rocks Penstemon or the Husker Red penstemon are two of our favorites. For native varieties the Penstemon Utahensis is especially relevant but can be difficult to find. We try to carry it when we can.
Annuals:
Purslane, botanically known as Portulaca is a strong compromise between water use and having a bright presence. Available in every color, purslane is very heat tolerant yet sensitive to cold. We recommend waiting until early may before planting any. This succulent-esque plant is especially good for containers or hanging baskets as it tends to trail.
The California Poppy, botanically known as Eschscholzia californica is always a fun choice, especially for beginners. They are fast growing, superstars for color and incredibly easy to grow. Requiring little water, poppy seeds can be thrown into a bed before they sprout up, expand and bloom through summer. These flowers enjoy full sun and also attract pollinators.
Annuals in Utah tend to have a higher demand for water.
About the Author:
Adrian grew up in Salt Lake City before attending Earlham College to study environmental sustainability. After graduating, he returned to Cactus & Tropicals where he had previously worked in highschool.
He is now in his second year as the Nursery Buyer. In his own garden, Adrian likes to grow fruits and vegetables.