Hi Zach-
We've been here almost a year as well-
Baker Nursery on 40th st, between Indian School and Thomas is pretty good- not a huge number of tropicals, but still a nice place. We haven't come across any AMAZING places yet; our reference point is Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar (So Cal-Orange county). It was and is still our fave place and we have yet to find a similar place here...

Hi Zach, I have not been there yet but I have spoken to them on the phone and visited their web site and I think they may have something up your ally.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tropica Mango Rare & Exotic Fruit Nursery

I don't know if it's considered "metro" since I've only lived here 3 months now, but I just newly landscaped my entire backyard and got plants from both Moon and Summer Winds, both on Tatum off the 101. I have to say, Summer Winds is my new nursery, and the closest I have found to my old Armstrong, or H&H in So.Cal. As a "local" of Roger's in Corona (see above), it is "awesome" only in its layout, NOT its know how. The best example was one year I went to find Japanese Painted Ferns, right? Roger's told me they couldn't find them in their books, so they "didn't exist" in the area. I promptly went over to H&H in Lakewood and they smiled, shook their heads, and I had my ferns in three days. Ha!

Some nurseries are mostly for show, and, in my humble opinion, Roger's is for sipping lattes, strolling, and visiting the beach area to enjoy the weather. They DO have some amazing chimes and furniture.

But I digress . . .

Summer Winds is a truly knowledgeable, well-stocked, nursery with a great atmosphere, good prices, and excellent quality plants.

Liebling

The Tropica mango nursery on Baseline as someone mentioned before is great! They have all sorts of exotic trees and also passion vines and flowers. I would go to their website, they are open different hours as it is a family run business.

I drove down there and visited Baker Nursery today. They have a really nice selection of pots as well as plants, though I didn't browse the plants much today. I noticed a small tree planted at the driveway entrance, sporting white blooms. Anyone know the name of that pretty little tree?

Thanks for the all the hints.

I tried Baker Nursery and it is the best nursery I have found here in Phoenix. Of course, I was mostly looking for tropicals and they had a couple, but not many. The prices were OK.
I have been to Summer Winds...it seems ok but for some reason I don't like it. I have yet to go to Tropica Mango but I want to go. It is so far away though although as I'm in North Valley,
Oh and haname, I too want to know what that white flower tree at the entry of Baker is? It is awesome!!
Thanks again all for the ideas.

Zach

Baker Nursery is the only place we go. With a brown thumb, it seems majority of the plants we bought from other nurseries all died but every single one from Baker survived. Baker's staffs are very knowledgeable, and you can find selections that other places do not offer. The first time I was there, one staff even gave me a tour. Oh, long time ago I had a chat with the owner, what a high spirited and interesting senior he was!

I beleive that tree is Cordia boissieri, a 'Texas Olive'
We are considering a few in the back yard...
ps- Roger's has introduced MANY new perennials for coastal gardens into general horticulture through their vendors...

You're simply not going to find and awesome perfect nursery here. Way too many tropicals take too much work to grow here that it isn't worth it for places to carry so much that is so marginal here. Even simple landscapes in general in Phx take more time and care than in other areas making care free plants the biggest sellers.

Mesquite Valley Growers in Tucson comes closest to what you are all looking for.

For those of us who have taken the more logical route to gardening here (planting good looking plants that will thrive regardless of our climate), you learn where and when to find them, Boyce Thompson Arboretum sale, Desert Botanicla Gardens sales, Tohono Chul, Shady Way Nursery, Rare Fruit growers Sale. Ordering online is a huge resource for the best palnts.

"I beleive that tree is Cordia boissieri, a 'Texas Olive'"

Thank you for that ww1969, it's really a nice looking tree. Reading up on it though, I can see that it would be too messy -- we need something that isn't going to drop too much stuff all over.

Gee it can be tough to try to decide on what plant to put where!