Family Tree Nursery

Family Tree Nursery is a third-generation, family-owned garden center founded in Overland Park in 1964 by Ron Nelson, who left dentistry studies at Kansas State for horticulture. Originally the Overland Park Garden Center, it was renamed as it expanded to Shawnee and Liberty; the Nelson family still runs all three stores plus two growing farms, and opened Café Equinox inside the Shawnee location in 2019. Founder Ron Nelson died in 2023; the business marked 60 years in 2024.

Description

Family Tree Nursery is an independent, family-owned garden center operating three retail locations in the Kansas City metro — Overland Park and Shawnee in Kansas, and Liberty in Missouri — along with two five-acre growing farms that supply the stores.¹²

The business began in 1964 in Overland Park under the name Overland Park Garden Center. Founder Ron Nelson had worked at a garden center in Wamego, Kansas from seventh grade through college, and was studying dentistry at Kansas State University when he redirected to horticulture.² The original site was primarily a growing operation; a successful geranium sale in the early years pushed the business toward retail.²

The Shawnee store opened in 1981 as the company’s second storefront.³ Roughly two decades after the founding the company added retail centers in Shawnee and Liberty and a growing facility, and the single-location name no longer fit — the business was renamed Family Tree Nursery.² Ron Nelson’s son Eric remains involved, and grandsons Jesse and Jonah Nelson both joined full time in the late 2000s; Jesse manages the Shawnee store.² Ron Nelson died in 2023, and the nursery marked its 60th anniversary in 2024.²

The retail mix runs annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, roses, tropical and houseplants, edibles, pots and planters, lawn-care supplies, and gifts and décor, with staff horticultural advice a stated part of the offer.¹ In 2019 the family opened Café Equinox inside the Shawnee location, a coffee counter set among the plants.²

Goods and services

• Annuals, perennials, and bedding plants¹
• Trees, shrubs, and roses¹
• Tropicals and houseplants¹
• Edibles — vegetable starts, herbs, fruit¹
• Pottery, pots and planters¹
• Lawn-care products and seasonal lawn guidance¹
• Gifts, garden décor, and seasonal merchandise¹
• On-site coffee at the Shawnee store via Café Equinox²

Sources

Links

• Website: https://www.familytreenursery.com/
• Overland Park store: https://www.familytreenursery.com/overland-park.html
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FamilyTreeNursery/
• 60th-anniversary coverage: https://johnsoncountypost.com/2024/03/21/family-tree-nursery-60-years-229893/

Footnotes

1. Family Tree Nursery — official site — asserts: three retail locations with addresses and phone numbers (8424 Farley St, Overland Park; 7036 Nieman Rd, Shawnee; 830 W Liberty Dr, Liberty); store hours Mon–Sat 9–5 and Sun 10:30–5; product departments including annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, roses, tropicals, edibles, pots and planters, lawn care, and gifts and décor; on-site Café Equinox; “60 years of growing in Kansas City.” (Fetched directly 2026-08-13.) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

2. Johnson County Post — “Locally owned plant nursery celebrates 60 years in bloom” (March 21, 2024) — asserts: founded 1964 by Ron Nelson as the Overland Park Garden Center at 8424 Farley St; Nelson worked at a Wamego, Kansas garden center from seventh grade through college and left dentistry studies at Kansas State for horticulture; early pivot from growing to retail after a geranium sale; renaming to Family Tree Nursery on expansion to Shawnee and Liberty; two five-acre growing farms; Eric Nelson still involved; grandsons Jesse and Jonah Nelson full-time since the late 2000s, Jesse managing Shawnee; Café Equinox opened 2019 at the Shawnee store; Ron Nelson died 2023; 60th anniversary in 2024. (Fetched directly 2026-08-13.) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

3. Garden Center Magazine — “Green escapes: Garden Center Conference & Expo tours Kansas City IGCs” — asserts: Family Tree Nursery was established as the Overland Park Garden Center in 1965; the Shawnee location opened in 1981 as the second storefront and houses the Café Equinox coffee shop; the company operates three retail locations and two growing facilities across Kansas and Missouri; a five-acre growing facility was built over 2019–2020. (Fetched directly 2026-08-13.) ↩