Whether you are filling a sunny apartment window or planting a whole yard, Dallas has independent plant shops for every kind of grower. Some are big family-run nurseries that have been around for decades. Others are small boutiques packed with houseplants, terrariums and pots. Here are six worth a visit, grouped by type.
Every name and address below was checked against at least two public sources, including the shops' own websites, local guides and map listings. Hours shift with the seasons, especially for outdoor nurseries, so check before you go.
Big nurseries and garden centers
These are the places to go when you need flats of flowers, shrubs, trees or advice about what will survive a Texas summer.
North Haven Gardens
7700 Northaven Rd, Dallas, TX 75230 · Preston Hollow
A Dallas garden center since 1951, North Haven carries indoor and outdoor plants, from tropicals and succulents to Texas natives, vegetables and herbs. It runs a Garden Coach program for one-on-one help and has a small cafe on site. Its website lists daily hours of 9 am to 6 pm from March through Christmas Eve, and 9 am to 5 pm in the winter months.
Ruibal's Plants of Texas
601 S Pearl Expy, Dallas, TX 75201 · Dallas Farmers Market
Ruibal's started in 1984, when Michael Ruibal sold plants from the back of a pickup truck. Today the family business has several Dallas locations and a plant farm outside downtown that sends fresh plants to the stores. The Farmers Market flagship covers about two city blocks and carries bedding plants, shrubs, trees, perennials and herbs. It lists daily hours of 8 am to 6 pm.
Nicholson-Hardie
Nursery: 5060 W Lovers Ln, Dallas, TX 75209 Home and Garden Shop: 5725 W Lovers Ln, Dallas, TX 75209 · Lovers Lane
A family-run Dallas business for more than 100 years, with two shops on Lovers Lane. The outdoor nursery carries annuals, perennials, bulbs, trees and shrubs, plus pots, benches and fountains. The indoor Home and Garden Shop sells orchids, gifts, seeds and garden tools. Both list hours of 10 am to 5 pm Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 pm on Sunday.
Houseplant boutiques
Smaller shops focused on indoor plants, pots and gifts. Good for a single plant, a gift, or advice on keeping a fiddle leaf fig alive.
Oasis Plant Shop
416 W Eighth St, Dallas, TX 75208 · Bishop Arts
A woman-owned shop in a converted house in Bishop Arts, filled with succulents, palms, air plants and terra cotta pots. Staff are known for giving personal plant advice. Beyond the shop, Oasis offers house calls, special orders and plant care services. It is a short walk from the rest of Bishop Arts, so it fits easily into an afternoon in the neighborhood.
Fibonacci Plants
2928 Main St, Suite 102, Dallas, TX 75226 · Deep Ellum
A small houseplant shop on Main Street in Deep Ellum. Map listings show it opening around noon on weekdays, so plan an afternoon visit.
Before you buy
- Ask about light. Tell the staff which way your windows face and how much direct sun you get. It is the most useful thing they can know.
- Think about the Texas heat. If you are planting outside, ask what handles our summers and what needs afternoon shade. Native plants are usually the safest bet.
- Check the pot. Houseplants from shops often come in plastic nursery pots. Ask whether you should repot right away or wait.
- Bring a box for the car. Plants tip over. A box or a laundry basket keeps soil off your seats.
- Visit in spring and fall. Nurseries get their biggest deliveries in planting season, and fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs in North Texas.
A simple plant crawl
Start at the Farmers Market with Ruibal's, then head to Deep Ellum for Fibonacci Plants. Finish in Bishop Arts at Oasis Plant Shop. If you need a bigger haul, save North Haven Gardens or Nicholson-Hardie for another day, since both are farther north.
Why shop independent for plants?
Independent plant shops tend to know their stock plant by plant. They can tell you which ones came in this week, which ones are struggling with the heat and what to do when yours starts dropping leaves. That kind of help is hard to find in a big box store, and it often makes the difference between a plant that lasts a month and one that lasts for years.
Know a Dallas plant shop we should add? Let us know and we will check it out.